With a snap the man in a white lab coat pulled the rubber gloves onto his hands. Trin and Acire were strapped down to two metallic beds in a lab of some sort; once again Trin's restrains thicker and heavier than Acire's. The man in the mask leaned against the wall watching them, his form hidden in the shadows. Guards stood on each side of the entrance to the lab, and more were out in the hall. With this kind of security there was no way they could escape on their own.

Trin glared up at the white mass that was towering over her. The doctor looked down into her burning eyes and immediately averted his gaze. He rubbed a part of her upper arm and neck with a cotton ball soaked with disinfectant. Next Trin saw him pick up an empty syringe and before she knew what was happening excruciating pain erupted in her neck as he inserted the needle into an artery. She knew the same thing was happening to Acire by the scream full of agony that pierced the air. She gritted her teeth and clenched her fists, not willing to give him the satisfaction of hearing her scream.

As suddenly as it had come, the pain subsided and Trin's tense muscles relaxed slightly. A bandage was placed over the place where her skin was punctured. And just when she thought they were going to release them from the restrains, she felt something cold press into the skin on her upper arm and cut. Acire whimpered in pain, but once again Trin kept her mouth shut. Compared to the pain she had felt in her neck, this was nothing.

Once done, the doctor placed another bandage on her arm. Guards walked up to the beds and released them, swiftly placing handcuffs on both of the girls. As they stood, two guards held Trin from the sides and two more watched her from the back and the front, while Acire was simply slumped over the shoulder of one of them.

The man in the mask held up his hand and the guards stopped short of the door. He walked around them and stood in front of Trin, cupping her chin with his hand. She glared at him and he smiled once again.

"Well we're done with you my dear," he chuckled, "But I won't kill you just yet"

He let go of her face and motioned for the guards to take them away. As they were being dragged down the hall, a silhouette stepped out of a neighboring room and looked at the man demandingly.

"You're done with her, she's mine" he stated.

The man sniggered and in a matter of seconds Shane was held down by a pair of guards, handcuffs locking around his wrists.

"No, she's not"

"We had a deal!" Shane shouted as he was taken away. He cursed sharply. "We had a goddamn deal!"

His arms folded, the man turned his back on Shane just as a pair of guards rushed to him through he hall.

"Sir! There has been a malfunction in the system! We have reason to believe the gundams are on their way!" one of them shouted as he saluted.

"Huh" the man murmured as he stroked his chin.

"Sir! Should we initiate a lockdown?" the second soldier shouted and saluted as well.

"No, that won't be necessary" the man replied after a moment of thought. "That won't be necessary at all"

"Uh, sir?" the first soldier spoke up hesitantly.

"Just follow me. I'll explain on the way"

* * *

Heero sat inside his cockpit as Wing Zero soared through the sky. His eyes were closed and his arms folded. He briefly looked up at the screen as a computerized voice informed him that they were half an hour away from the destination. He went over the plan once more in his head. It was simple, really; Quatre creates a distraction, Wufei and Trowa take care of the guards while he and Duo rescue Trin and Acire. He didn't have a good feeling about this mission. Something was bound to go wrong.

A small smirk appeared on his face as he recalled seeing Trin during the short phone call. Even though she was held captive she still hadn't lost that aggressiveness and spunk of her personality. He also noted that she had seemed completely healthy; which meant the virus had something to do with the people who kidnapped them. He frowned as he tried to figure out who the man in the mask was. It was not Zechs Marquise, he knew that much. True enough Zechs wore a similar mask on his face, but it was not he. Heero could feel that it was someone he knew, probably from his past and it frustrated him that he couldn't remember whom. His memory was full of shadows, all swirling and not making any sense. He dug deeper into his brain, trying desperately to remember. The shadows spun and danced, as if taunting him. They were just beginning to mix together, to form a picture, when Trowa's voice cut into his trance. The shadows sprung back, swirling once again. Heero cursed sharply and opened on the communication link.

"What?" he snapped.

"We're flying over the base, Heero" Trowa replied calmly.

"Begin descending" Heero ordered.

* * *

Sandrock was the first to land. Sure enough the guarding mobile dolls flew out of the base and straight at him. Remembering the plan, Quatre turned as if to flee. At that moment Shenlong and Heavyarms came down on the mobile dolls, destroying them. Seeing that the passageway was clear, Wing Zero and Deathscythe dove down into the base's entrance.

The gundams fought off the Aeries and Leos that attempted to stop them in the hallway, but there were very few. Quickly they came to an elevator that led down into the underground chambers where Trin and Acire were most likely kept.

"I'm going in, watch over the gundams" Heero instructed, and without hesitation leapt out of the gundam and into the elevator.

"Hey wait a minute!" Duo cried, but the click of the elevator's doors closing answered him.

He shook his head and sighed. Suddenly there was an explosion and the floor underneath him collapsed, taking Deathscythe and Wing Zero falling into the darkness. They didn't fall for more than a few seconds, but when the gundams hit the ground, the seatbelts tore and Duo was thrown onto the dashboard of his gundam. His head hit the gundanium with a sickening thud and he blacked out.

* * *

Heero lunged out of the elevator the second the doors began to slide open. He was greeted with a shower of bullets. He cursed as he dove to the side and grabbed his gun; he was expected. He peered out from behind the column and his eyes widened as he saw the whole room was swarming with soldiers.

Quickly considering his options, he formulated a plan and dove out from behind the shelter of the column. Immediately four soldiers jumped onto his back, one of them knocking the gun out of his hand. Heero elbowed the closest to him in the stomach and then used him to throw two more off of him. The last held firmly onto Heero's neck in an attempt to choke him. In one swift motion Heero pried the soldier away from him and broke his neck.

More soldiers headed his way and he quickly lunged for his gun. But before he could grab it, a bullet sliced through the air and grazed his side just below the ribs, not actually embedding into the flesh.

Heero fell to the floor, his hand just inches away from the gun. He reached for it, but another bullet implanted itself in his upper arm and another near his elbow. He grunted in pain and his head shot up to see his attacker. A shadow stood over him; he could not make out the anything else in the dimness of the room. His head snapped to the side as he was hit with the end of a gun. Blood trickled down his face and stung his left eye, blinding him.

Heero attempted to get up, but the person kicked him in the stomach. A crack indicated that he must have broken a few of Heero's ribs. The last thing he heard before he was hit on the head once again and blacked out, was a cold, blood-chilling laugh. And the last thing that drifted through his clouded mind, was the realization that he had failed a mission once again.

* * *

Heavyarms and Shenlong fought off the Aeries, Leos and mobile dolls that came at them. Sandrock came to their aid shortly after Heero and Duo had disappeared inside the base, but no matter how many they destroyed, more kept coming. The earth and sky seemed black with the suits, explosions lit up the surroundings here and there.

"Damn it, what's taking Yuy so long?" Wufei cursed as he sliced through an Aeries.

Heavyarms had long that ran out of ammo, Sandrock even though built for ground combat was pretty beat up, it's left arm disabled along with one of the shotels. And Shenlong's right knee was malfunctioning, keeping him from moving quickly. They could not hold out for much longer.

* * *

Quatre sighed as he sliced trough two more Leos. He wasn't the one to like battle or violence, but it was necessary and he knew it. As smoke from an explosion began to clear, a mobile suit was seen coming his way. Quatre squinted, trying to make out what suit it was. Not able to see anything, he glanced at his screen. His eyes widened.

"It's a Serpent," he whispered.

The computer beeped and he looked back at the screen, to see that more Serpents approaching. Normally a Serpent was no match for a gundam, but not when they were this beat up. Quatre braced himself for battle.

The gundams fought, slashing through suit after suit in fury, but the newly arrived Serpents were too much for them. Before long they were overpowered and pinned to the ground. Neither of them had a chance to self detonate, for as soon as they hit the ground, the cockpit was forced open and sleeping gas was injected inside, instantly putting each of them to sleep.













A/N: Well what do you think? Hope you liked it ^^ Also I updated "Silent Assassin" as well, for those who would like to read it. So, I got nothin' else to say, except, please review! Ja minna-chans!

Luv,

~Arion~