CHAPTER 14- DEAD AND DYEING
"Ann, lets hurry," Heero said over his shoulder, looking back to the dirty blond who was hanging her head slightly lower then usual. "Ann, it's not your fault," he said; trying to, well, he wasn't sure, comfort her? "Yes it is Heero; had I been there, she wouldn't be dieing this very minute," the girl said, slowly passing Heero. He watched her pass; her bangs where falling over her eyes, but a small shine was shone underneath; it traveled down her cheek onto her neck. Was she crying? She hastily wiped the stray tear away. He heard her sniff, like she was weeping. Turning his head away from her, he tried to think of something to do. He felt, felt bad? She was crying over a lost friend. He knew how that felt, when someone was lost. But it never really affected him greatly, on what he showed. Everyone expected him to bury his feelings; it was what he was taught to do. But Odin had taught him something else: to 'do what your heart tells you'. Follow his heart on what was right and what was wrong. It had qualified on many of his decisions, but not on actual feelings. But it hurt him to see a strong willed girl crushed; all that she lived for was slowly slipping away from her, everything but her life. It wasn't a physical pain, it was a mental one; one that burrowed into his thoughts. Soon a small light was emitted up in front of them, the exit. This would be the last time Ann would look back into this factory, and all its productions for good.
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"Alright Duo, you stay here, I'll see if I can go back and get Elizabeth. You just rest for now," Quatre said, bandaging up the two beaten pilots with help from Trowa. "I just have to wait for the radio transmission," he told Duo. *But by now* he thought, *it's probably too late for Elizabeth.* He looked down to Duo, "Hey, Quatre, help me stand up," Duo requested. "What? No, you have to rest now," Quatre urgently said. "It's alright, I'll be fine; I'll lean up against the foot of the suit. Besides, I have to go get that pack Elizabeth was talking about," Duo said, trying to smile. But mentioning Elizabeth was painful; he wasn't ever going to see her again, was he? Never to touch her soft warm lips with his own, or caress her silky dark hair with his hands. *No, she'll live* he told himself. "Um, where is it, I'll go get it for you," Quatre said as he watched Duo. He followed his comrades gaze, but didn't exactly know what he was looking at. *He's thinking about Elizabeth, just the look in his eyes. It's so depressing* he thought to himself. He let out a small sigh; it directed Duo's attention to his past question. "We, we left it right over there," Duo pointed to an area among the trees, "in a big elm. I think it's on the second limb," he said, his hand slowly lowering, as his gaze returned back to the base. "Quatre, I'll go get it," Trowa said as he stood up from tending to Wufei. Quatre nodded his reply and Trowa went on his way to the appointed direction. "Duo, lay back down, Trowa's getting it," Quatre said, trying to calm Duo down. "Huh, someone tries to help you and you push them away, Maxwell. I didn't think you were capable of doing things on your own," Wufei smirked towards Duo. But Duo ignored him and concentrated on his hopes for Elizabeth's survival. After about a minute or two, Trowa was back with a medium sized camouflage backpack. He sat down next to Duo and held it up, "This it?" Duo reached over and took the pack from Trowa's outstretched hand, "Yeah, thanks." He opened it and took the few items out. It contained the camera with the pictures they took, the CD's and CD player, a pair of black sunglasses, a black hat, and a small silver cross. He picked up the cross off the grass and held it in his hand gently. *Good luck charm, huh? Well, why didn't you wear it this time* he thought, enclosing his hand around the 1 ½ inch object. He picked up the other stuff and put it back in the bag, *these were her only belongings* ran through his mind. He looked back towards the base, as if waiting for Elizabeth to come walking casually out.
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"Alright," Ann breathed as she and Heero ran into the back forest, "you can probably radio Quatre." She turned away towards the mountains, making sure there weren't any ambushes. Heero nodded as he took out a small radio from his back pocket. He pressed a button and tuned it for a curtain channel. Then he handed it to Ann; she looked at him confused for a moment then took it from him. "Quatre, you there? This is Ann, come in," she radioed. After a moment, a familiar voice answered the radio call. "Yeah, I'm here, Ann. What should we do?" came the answer. She hesitated a moment, then let out a small sigh, "I don't think there will be enough time to retrieve Elizabeth; you should probably send the Gundams out, they're already sending in reinforcements." "I understand," Quatre said with a sigh, "And good luck to you two." Ann turned off the radio and handed it back to Heero. "Let's go," she sighed as he stood up. She looked back a final time to the now burning building before she followed Heero into the trees.
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Quatre walked over to where Duo and Wufei were sitting. He sighed as he looked up to Trowa that was standing on the cockpit opening. "C'mon you two, we need to move out," he said sadly as he helped Duo up. "What? What about Elizabeth?" Duo asked, concern written all over his face. Quatre shook his head as Wufei tried to stand up. Trowa jumped down and helped Wufei walk over to the other Gundam. "I-I understand," Duo said uneasily, "she probably wouldn't have made it anyway," he finished, hanging his head lower. Quatre helped him into the cockpit of his Gundam and climbed up after him. "Why don't you pilot it," Duo sighed as he moved over. Heero's Gundam next to them started up and stood to its full height. Next, Quatre did the same, standing the Gundams next to each other. Trowa popped up on the screen, "Okay, we have to wait for Heero and Ann," Quatre said, Trowa nodding his understanding. Duo stared out to the base, spacing out. He thought of the time he first met Elizabeth. When he chased her around Quatre's house. Or the kiss they equally shared. He looked down to the controls; a saddened look on his usually cheery face. There was a sudden explosion from out in front of them, the base. He looked up, a single tear running down his face. *I didn't go back for her. I promised* he yelled at himself, holding the silver cross around his neck, *I didn't return* The Gundam began to move the opposite way from the base as they picked up Heero and Ann and headed back for home.
A/N: Hey! There's only one chapter left!! Well, I'm going to sure miss this one. But it's been real. So, please review for the last on, hopefully to everyone's approval. Thanx again to all of you fan-fic readers! -Darken Angel
"Ann, lets hurry," Heero said over his shoulder, looking back to the dirty blond who was hanging her head slightly lower then usual. "Ann, it's not your fault," he said; trying to, well, he wasn't sure, comfort her? "Yes it is Heero; had I been there, she wouldn't be dieing this very minute," the girl said, slowly passing Heero. He watched her pass; her bangs where falling over her eyes, but a small shine was shone underneath; it traveled down her cheek onto her neck. Was she crying? She hastily wiped the stray tear away. He heard her sniff, like she was weeping. Turning his head away from her, he tried to think of something to do. He felt, felt bad? She was crying over a lost friend. He knew how that felt, when someone was lost. But it never really affected him greatly, on what he showed. Everyone expected him to bury his feelings; it was what he was taught to do. But Odin had taught him something else: to 'do what your heart tells you'. Follow his heart on what was right and what was wrong. It had qualified on many of his decisions, but not on actual feelings. But it hurt him to see a strong willed girl crushed; all that she lived for was slowly slipping away from her, everything but her life. It wasn't a physical pain, it was a mental one; one that burrowed into his thoughts. Soon a small light was emitted up in front of them, the exit. This would be the last time Ann would look back into this factory, and all its productions for good.
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"Alright Duo, you stay here, I'll see if I can go back and get Elizabeth. You just rest for now," Quatre said, bandaging up the two beaten pilots with help from Trowa. "I just have to wait for the radio transmission," he told Duo. *But by now* he thought, *it's probably too late for Elizabeth.* He looked down to Duo, "Hey, Quatre, help me stand up," Duo requested. "What? No, you have to rest now," Quatre urgently said. "It's alright, I'll be fine; I'll lean up against the foot of the suit. Besides, I have to go get that pack Elizabeth was talking about," Duo said, trying to smile. But mentioning Elizabeth was painful; he wasn't ever going to see her again, was he? Never to touch her soft warm lips with his own, or caress her silky dark hair with his hands. *No, she'll live* he told himself. "Um, where is it, I'll go get it for you," Quatre said as he watched Duo. He followed his comrades gaze, but didn't exactly know what he was looking at. *He's thinking about Elizabeth, just the look in his eyes. It's so depressing* he thought to himself. He let out a small sigh; it directed Duo's attention to his past question. "We, we left it right over there," Duo pointed to an area among the trees, "in a big elm. I think it's on the second limb," he said, his hand slowly lowering, as his gaze returned back to the base. "Quatre, I'll go get it," Trowa said as he stood up from tending to Wufei. Quatre nodded his reply and Trowa went on his way to the appointed direction. "Duo, lay back down, Trowa's getting it," Quatre said, trying to calm Duo down. "Huh, someone tries to help you and you push them away, Maxwell. I didn't think you were capable of doing things on your own," Wufei smirked towards Duo. But Duo ignored him and concentrated on his hopes for Elizabeth's survival. After about a minute or two, Trowa was back with a medium sized camouflage backpack. He sat down next to Duo and held it up, "This it?" Duo reached over and took the pack from Trowa's outstretched hand, "Yeah, thanks." He opened it and took the few items out. It contained the camera with the pictures they took, the CD's and CD player, a pair of black sunglasses, a black hat, and a small silver cross. He picked up the cross off the grass and held it in his hand gently. *Good luck charm, huh? Well, why didn't you wear it this time* he thought, enclosing his hand around the 1 ½ inch object. He picked up the other stuff and put it back in the bag, *these were her only belongings* ran through his mind. He looked back towards the base, as if waiting for Elizabeth to come walking casually out.
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"Alright," Ann breathed as she and Heero ran into the back forest, "you can probably radio Quatre." She turned away towards the mountains, making sure there weren't any ambushes. Heero nodded as he took out a small radio from his back pocket. He pressed a button and tuned it for a curtain channel. Then he handed it to Ann; she looked at him confused for a moment then took it from him. "Quatre, you there? This is Ann, come in," she radioed. After a moment, a familiar voice answered the radio call. "Yeah, I'm here, Ann. What should we do?" came the answer. She hesitated a moment, then let out a small sigh, "I don't think there will be enough time to retrieve Elizabeth; you should probably send the Gundams out, they're already sending in reinforcements." "I understand," Quatre said with a sigh, "And good luck to you two." Ann turned off the radio and handed it back to Heero. "Let's go," she sighed as he stood up. She looked back a final time to the now burning building before she followed Heero into the trees.
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Quatre walked over to where Duo and Wufei were sitting. He sighed as he looked up to Trowa that was standing on the cockpit opening. "C'mon you two, we need to move out," he said sadly as he helped Duo up. "What? What about Elizabeth?" Duo asked, concern written all over his face. Quatre shook his head as Wufei tried to stand up. Trowa jumped down and helped Wufei walk over to the other Gundam. "I-I understand," Duo said uneasily, "she probably wouldn't have made it anyway," he finished, hanging his head lower. Quatre helped him into the cockpit of his Gundam and climbed up after him. "Why don't you pilot it," Duo sighed as he moved over. Heero's Gundam next to them started up and stood to its full height. Next, Quatre did the same, standing the Gundams next to each other. Trowa popped up on the screen, "Okay, we have to wait for Heero and Ann," Quatre said, Trowa nodding his understanding. Duo stared out to the base, spacing out. He thought of the time he first met Elizabeth. When he chased her around Quatre's house. Or the kiss they equally shared. He looked down to the controls; a saddened look on his usually cheery face. There was a sudden explosion from out in front of them, the base. He looked up, a single tear running down his face. *I didn't go back for her. I promised* he yelled at himself, holding the silver cross around his neck, *I didn't return* The Gundam began to move the opposite way from the base as they picked up Heero and Ann and headed back for home.
A/N: Hey! There's only one chapter left!! Well, I'm going to sure miss this one. But it's been real. So, please review for the last on, hopefully to everyone's approval. Thanx again to all of you fan-fic readers! -Darken Angel
