Mobile Suit:
Gundam D.A.H.A.
"Assassination: ReWrite"
iThere once was a time when peace was strived for by a sane population. When it was the in the general interest of the people. Those times are gone. All those who claim to want peace only wish for control of the Earth Sphere. It was those same people that claimed if all weapons were destroyed, war would end. This organization is called the Knock Out Blow. It was the KOB who started the manhunt for the five boys we know as Gundam Pilots./i
iOnly one group stood against the wind to contest the KOB. They called themselves Gundams In Peril. Unfortunately, they were small in number and hadn't much war experience, KOB easily held them off from any conquest. The brave soldiers of GIP need help; a miracle from above if they wanted to save their remaining hopes at peace./i
***
"News at eleven.
"Tonight there will be a chance of showers. Low of 15º and a high of 23.
"In other news, Queen Relena has been assassinated. The authorities are searching the globe for the ones suspected of the murder: Heero Yuy, Duo Maxwell, Trowa Barton, Quatre Winner and Chang Wufei. These men, all Gundam Pilots, of the age 19 are Wanted. When caught, they are to be brought to the KOB Building in Kiev. There, they will be executed as seen fit.
"At today's Press Core meeting, President Gréer said..."
****
[ lunar base ~ august AC 199 ]
[ i"movies" ~~ alien ant farm/i ]
A dark haired girl stepped out of the shower, reaching for a towel. Wrapping the plush sheet around her body, she walked from the bathing room into her suite. She walked swiftly through the sparingly decorated rooms to her bedroom. The body towel was flung onto the queen-sized bed while the closet was thrown open. Several garments were pulled off hangers and tossed onto the bed to join the towel; a tight fitting black tank top with the identification numbers Ø2 across the chest, a pair of low-riding ash-gray pants, and the long belt Street Fighter-sensei had given her. Quickly, the girl dressed, letting the belt hang low off her hip with the weight of the gun it carried. Lastly, she unwound the towel atop her head. The near-black locks tumbled own to her shoulders only for a moment before she deftly tied it up into a tail. Lastly, she grabbed the shot leather jacket that was slung over the back of a chair, turned off the room's lights, opened the suite door and left jogging.
***
In another room, 120° to the right and a kilometer away as the crow flies sat a small screaming redhead with flashing fawn-brown eyes. Clutched between her hands was a dark, two pronged cordless controller with numerous colourfull buttons and a knob[1]. The girl swayed around on the poster bed groaning. whining, and yelling in response to the actions happening on the wall screen opposite the bed.
Quite suddenly, the game paused, halting all noise and movement in the room. Soft words appeared on the screen in time to the silent speaker's voice. Come to the nerve Centre please. Be there in five minutes. The redhead nodded once she's read the message. The words vanished and the game un-paused.
All hell resumed.
Two minutes later, the game shut off by itself. That resulted in exasperated screams from the girl, but the words returned, I mean it, Tenn. Now.
"Fine," Tenn mumbled, glaring at the screen as she slid herself off the bed. She dragged her feet while walking to the door, pouting the whole while, moping about the total unfairness of this un-fun world. Tenn left the bedroom, and now in the main room of her suite, picked up the white high-tops where they'd been abandoned before she'd begun her gaming, several hours ago. Half walking, half hopping, she pulled them on before she go to the door. The short redhead ran a hand through her long heavy hair as she gave the room a last once-over. She opened the door with the push of a button, clapped off the lights (that was always cool), then left running for the Nerve Centre.
***
There was a third room, 120° and to the right and a kilometer away from the last. This one wasn't as vibrant as the other two. This room was decorated in quiet undertones of forest green, and more resembled the inside of a canvas tent than the private suite of a Protector.
In the middle of the main room, sat it's sole occupant. Cross-legged, sitting tall and plain, completely aware of everything around her. She sat there for hours, quiet, watching a rock grow, or drinking cha[2] from an empty cup, concentrating on her inner harmony.
A slight buzzing rose her out of meditation. She opened her eyes and looked over to the com. screen beside the door. It was slowly flashing on and off, a white to black screen.
From her meditation, she rose smoothly to her feet. Moving her arms and legs, glorious feeling returned to them. Once she was standing, the very tall girl went into the bathroom to splash some water on her face. She studied herself in the mirror for a moment. Shoulder length straight brown hair fell down around dark oriental eyes. The metallic dog tags around her neck caught the light. The darker, stained from old blood, read 'L.Chen', and the slightly newer read 'S.Chen'. Never again would she be reduced to a prisoner.
Never again...
She shook her head, returning her thoughts to Now. The rest she wore, spare the green tank top reading Ø3, were army fatigues. In memory of Li... Those American bastards wouldn't catch her now...
The tall girl shook her head again. She scowled at her reflection, then spun around and left the room, sprinting down the hallway, away from the angry girl in the mirror.
***
Patience is a virtue, however the Master felt as he watched the three girls wait to be let into the Nerve Centre, the 'control tower' of the lunar base, he wondered if he'd failed to teach them all true patience.
Tenn fidgeted constantly. She twirled her hair, she could not stand still, and was always adjusting her clothing... Out of all of them, she had the shortest attention span and temper. Although when it came to missions, her personality flipped. Once she was given a command of importance and weight, Tenn slipped into the mindset she called the Heaven's Aid. As the Aid, she was focused, strong, and unwilling to leave unfinished.
Master K briefly studied her once more. He sighed; she wasn't in Training Uniform. Through to her mind her sent the message, Your Uniform, Tenn-goku? Her eyes widened as she looked sown at her shirt. Master K smiled as she spun around and ran back down the hall to her room. Good, that would give him several minutes to finish inspecting the other two. He shifted his gaze to the next door.
Ji stood tall with her five feet nine inches, her head held high, her shoulders relaxed. At first glance she appeared completely calm; in control. She would have held that image had she not been wringing her hands. Ji was very nervous about today's training. The scenario of failure was so clear in the back of her mind. It was a constant thorn in her side, never easing enough to let her fail.
Master K left her mind to study her appearance. Complete in uniform, she carried a standard thermal ammunition Vektor CPI[3] on her hip. That firearm, mostly of her design, was her weapon of choice next to her heels and fists. In the VR[4] shooting range, she surpassed all the tests and beyond even though before her death[5] she had never lain eyes on a gun.
Ji sighed once. She was prepared to wait as long as shed have to until Master K let her in. She had learned patience.
Behind the third and last door Sam stood stoically. Since her arrival at the door, she hadn't moved other than the stretching that was necessary to keep her muscles from pulling. This girl, she fought with a blood lust for revenge. That lust had a name in Sam's mind. She called it Reality's Herald. The Herald was cruel, savage and unforgiving. It would do anything to see the enemy writhe in total agony. The Herald's ferocity came from the time Sam had spent in a Prisoner of War camp before her death. the KOB had raided her village in south-east China, killed her family, burned her house, then too her and her fiancé prisoner. It was months of the American guards, the beatings, the weeks spent in the Hole, and the separation from Li, then she heard fifth-hand that Li had been shot trying to escape from the camp.
It was bare days after that that she snapped and tried to escape herself. She didn't make it, but killed a dozen guards in the process. No, they didn't shoot her for that. The superintendent gave her to the guards as a 'plaything' instead. The guards lasted three days before her taunts drove them far enough to beat her to death.
Of the three different Soldier Mindsets, the Herald was the only one Master K couldn't talk logic to. He'd at one point or another, calmed the fire in the hearts of Ji's Devil's Advocate and the Aid.
The metallic echoing of Tenn sprinting down her hallway drove the Master's thoughts out of the past and to the Now of Today. Tenn-goku Sugoi (she gave herself the last name. The Japanese word for 'sweet') now stood at attention in the uniform shirt all the girls shared next to differing in colour and number. Tenn's semi-loose, white short-cut tank top read in large block numbers Ø1 across the front.
Very good. he sent them all the message. Now report. Three doors opened, casting each girl in white light.
***
"This is not another standard training session," the Master began. "This, is the day you learn you Missions. Your subjects, who and what you will be facing, and the why. Why you are here will be explained today. Why, Tenn, you've been here since you were seven, Ji, since you were eight, and Sam, why you've been training four times as hard since your arrival last year.
"Go to you stations. Strap yourselves in as if this were a Mobile Suit session. The news you will be receiving will be somewhat shocking.
"Good luck."
The girls saluted, and left to their VR stations. Once their backs were turned, Master K would be gone. They all knew this.
Tenn jogged over to Ji. "Hey Ji! Wadya think about that? I mean, took him long enough to decide our fate, eh? It's been eleven years since we--"
Sam cut the shortest girl off. "It didn't take Master Kami-sama eleven years to train you sufficiently." The tall brunette looked down on the redhead with a stoic glare. "It took you eleven years to train to his standards."
"Oh that's below the belt, Chen. And so what? So I'm not an emotionless machine like you? What the hell's wrong with training at a sane pace? Just because I wasn't raped by marines before they killed me--"
Before Tenn knew it, Sam had her pinned against the hallway wall two feet off the ground. "Hold your tongue."
"Both of you, stop it," Ji's calm voice interrupted. "You're acting like children."
Sam dropped Tenn who landed on the marble floor with a thud. The taller girl stepped back and returned to her place on Ji's left. The shorter, darker-haired girl watched Sam for a moment. Her eyes had started clouding over; the Herald was fighting for freedom. Ji shuddered slightly. The wall that separated them from the freezing vacuum of space was only six inches think... The Herald in a fit of rage could kick through that easily.
Ji gulped. "Get a hold of yourself. We don't need an outbreak now. If you kill her, that's one mission failed." It was the dark haired girl's words that slowly eased Sam's hand away from the gun tucked into the waistband of her fatigues.
Sam nodded at Ji once then bent to pull Tenn up. The redhead accepted the hand and was pulled to her feet with a jump.
"Pardon my actions, Tenn. I hope I did not injure you," Sam spoke over the top of Tenn's head, not speaking directly to her, but to her in the least.
"Hn," Tenn snorted. "You're not strong enough to hurt me yet!" She brushed the side of her nose with her thumb twice for measure. The smirk on her lips only served to buzz Sam further. Grinning, she added, "I have a lot of trick from the Old Country you Chinks don't know about."
And all was now well between Ø1 and Ø3.
***
At the end of the hallway were the VR rooms. Each room was a sphere pod two metres in diameter and mechanically suspended to be able to complete a 360º circle in any direction at the pilot's command. These training pods were based on the inside of an MS cockpit. The rooms were equipped with helmets providing the visual and psychological aspects of sequences. Sounds was pumped into the small space through hidden speakers and comlinks.
The girls parted wordlessly and climbed into their rooms.
***
Tenn swung into the commander chair, Addy's Cap[6]. As was protocol with all VR sessions, she started up the system, giving the virtual motors time to warm up. She flipped several switches, illuminating the three display screens. She reached over and behind her head and unhooked the VR helmet from it's hold. She placed it in her lap as she strapped herself into the seat with the heavy harness. She pushed the motorcycle-style helmet over her head and strapped it on. Once she was completely strapped in, as was her custom, she spun the sphere in several quick head-over-tail circles before giving the command.
"Begin."
It was a brief second of darkness before she was suddenly in the middle of a losing battle. Who was losing, she couldn't tell in the split-second before she reacted to dodge the Suit out of a Vulcan blast. The controls didn't respond. "Dammit," she cursed. "Computer, fix the error!" Tenn tried the controls again in vain.
"There is no error," the computer responded.
"What?!"
Then suddenly the image froze.
"The hell?"
Tenn-goku Sugoi, sit back and listen please. Your life mission goes as follows.
The mobile suit flew forward across a field that lay in the ruins of battle. Obliterated Suits scattered the ground along with blood and large pieces of Queen Relena Peacecraft's manor in the Sanq Kingdom. In the next instant, Tenn was no longer seated in the MS but in a dark control room.
Your mission is this. A screen on the far wall lit up hosting a picture of the one and only Heero Yuy.
***
Ji gasped at the picture on the before her. "Duo..."
After Queen Relena Peacecraft's assassination, it was found that only a powerful Mobile Suit such as a Gundam could have caused the damage done to her manor. The only men capable of piloting those machines were immediately named Wanted by the KOB. As of late, the five of them had remained hidden until recently Quatre Raberba Winner and Chang Wufei were captured and according to sources, killed. That has yet to be proven.
The KOB organization holds no logic behind it's hunt, next to revenge. Agents report that their leader has never shown his face publicly, and delivers all his orders through trusted vassals.
The KOB is a danger to peace. it needs to be completely destroyed. If at all possible, take their leader and bring him back to Lunar Base. In order to complete this mission, there would be a minimum need of the strength of four Gundam-strength mobile suits.
Your priority mission, Jigoku Kutsu, is to locate the Gundam Pilot Zero Two and to keep him out of the KOB's hands. He pilots' the newly-constructed Deathscythe Hell v2 and goes under the codename Duo Maxwell, alias Shinigami, the God of Death.
After locating the pilot, you will rendez-vous at a set location with the Aid, Herald-- The voice stopped for a moment.
It resumed. After locating the pilot, you will rendez-vous with the Aid and her subject. Once you have met up with the rest of your team, you will strike the KOB. Be certain to take all precautions necessary. The pilots need to come out alive.
The lights abruptly shut off as the instruction ended. Ji removed the helmet, unharnessed herself, then climbed out of the VR room.
***
In the dark sphere of her training pod, Sam sat waiting for the video to play. Waiting... but it never started. There was only snow.
She didn't have a mission...
***
Ji strode out of the long hallway back into the main room of the Nerve Centre. No sooner has she circled around Master K's granite throne/chair that sat in the middle of the room, that Tenn's voice cried out from behind her. "JI!" The taller girl spun around only to face Tenn hurling herself at her[7]. Pure trained reaction was all that saved her life that second. Ji slid her weight back and down on her feet just enough that Tenn didn't knock her over. She held the surprised girl for a moment before gently putting her down.
"Yes, Tenn?" she asked calmly, tucking one side of her bangs behind her ear.
The shorter girl quickly recovered. "Did you see them yet?" Tenn grinned up at her friend.
"I know the mission."
"No! Not that! *Them*." Tenn ran off down another marble hallway. At one time Ji unhooked Tenn's hand from hers so she wasn't being dragged. "So you didn't hear about these guys in your mission details?"
"No. I believe we each received slightly different orders."
"You're not protecting anyone?!"
"I meant we received different minor details. I'm covering Duo."
"That explains it."
"Explains what?"
"That." Tenn pointed as they entered the large hanger-type room. Ji followed her friend's extended arm until it landed on two shadowed metallic masses in the centre of the hanger. "Pretty cool, eh?" Tenn asked from behind her
"What...are they?" Somehow Ji had slipped to her knees in apprehension. They couldn't possibly...
"I'll show yah!" Tenn jumped off in the direction of the lighter of the two when Master K's voice rang from no real source.
Tenn. What are you doing?
"Sorry... I was just gonna show Ji..."
You can show her later. Now get back to your rooms. You'll need your rest. You have a test flight in the morning.
"...Okay." Tenn turned back, and slowly slunk to Ji. With a grin on her face, "I've been grounded." She caught Ji staring at the darker form. "I don't know his name, but mine's the Arrow's Scar." Tenn helped Ji up then slung an arm around her shoulders. "Come on. I have a GC[1] controller with your name on it." They left for Tenn's room to resume the violent video game that had been interrupted.
Neither of them noticed the dark shadow of the tall girl in the corner.
***
"In late breaking news:
"Another of the Gundam Pilots suspected of Queen Relena's murder was killed today. Trowa Barton was shot today at 15 hundred hours by his sister Catherine Bloom who was also found dead later in the day. Evidence leads to suicide.
"Next weeks' gay pride parade has been cancelled due to storm warnings..."
****
[ a week later ]
"Have you seen Sam at all?"
"Not recently, why?" The cook looked down at the small girl.
"She hasn't been at training, and I can't find her."
"Have you tried her room?"
"I was hoping she wouldn't be that obvious."
"She's probably there. I sent food around noon. The tray came back empty, although the Page had some minor injuries..."
"Hn... I've got my knives. I'll be fine."
"What?!"
"Or should I bring my gun?"
"She-- she's just a girl! How could she--"
"And that would make me what? And have you seen how tall she is? I need some protection from her in case she's gone loopy. She has a two and a half foot reach on me. I am faster, but is she goes Herald on me, you'll be peeling me off the walls."
"...Maybe you should bring backup."
"Nah. Just wish me luck."
***
Sudden urgent thumping woke Ji out of a restful sleep. She blinked several times and stretched out like a cat. The thumping hadn't gone away. In fact, it was getting louder. Ji recognized it after several more thumps as knocking. Someone was knocking on her door? Tenn. Only Tenn actually knocked on doors anymore. That girl refused to accept technology.
"Goddammit, Ji! Let me in!"
And rude to boot.
"Alright, alright." Ji mumbled as she rolled off the bed. She grabbed her robe off the foot of the bed and wrapped it around herself as she walked to the door. The knocking never stopped.
"Get your ass out of bed, Jifo--" The door slid open with a woosh. "--bu!" IN the next instant, Tenn was in the room, had the door closed and locked, then fell onto the carpeted floor panting.
"And your problem is? I was sleeping, you idiot." Ji crossed her arms over her chest and looked down at Tenn.
"I confronted Sam," Tenn rasped out between gasps. She had been running. Long and hard. She had been scared...
With that Ji's mood became serious. "What did she do to you?" She kneeled down next to Tenn, now worried. Tenn started coughing.
"She went Herald on me. That, fuelled by her anger that after all she's done, she doesn't have a mission. I didn't even do anything. Her door opened and she had her gun pressed against my forehead. She didn't mean to kill me 'cause I got away."
"But she must have chased you."
"She let me get away. The woman's legs are four feet long! I wouldn't have had a chance."
Ji helped her friend to her feet, then to her bedroom. "Get some rest. Calm yourself down. You're safe now. Master K's probably going to talk with us in the morning." Tenn nodded and slipped under the heavy covers of Ji's bed. She fell asleep almost immediately.
***
Sunrise found both girls already standing at attention in the Nerve Centre. Master K didn't look happy.
The Master placed two fingers over the vertical double barrelled bruise on Tenn's forehead. Trowa had been Sam's Mission... 'I couldn't foresee Catherine's actions..' She believed, to her own heartache, that her brother would prefer to die in and instant to be tortured. So she shot him. But she had not killed herself. The KOB had determined Trowa has been staying with the Circus. Several agents had been in the area when they heard the gunshot. It was one of those agents that had killed Catherine. Such a shame.
When he took his fingers from her forehead, the bruise has changed to an ugly shade of green-yellow. Mostly healed.
"Samantha will never be joining you for training ever again. She has moved from her suite to another sector of the base. I do not wish for you two to socialise with her; her negative attitudes will corrupt your minds and scatter your Soldier Mindsets." They both nodded. "Now, today is the day you will be introduced to you Gundams. They should be functional by now." As Master K was famous for leaving details to the girls, he ended there. His reasoning was that it forced their minds to think, to fill in the blanks. The Master smiled at them, then disappeared.
Ji turned to Tenn. "Those were the Gundams you showed me last week in the MS hangar?" Tenn simply nodded. "Well let's go! master K's going to let us test drive them!" Ji beamed at her friend. Their whole lives they'd been waiting for the day they'd get their Gundams. They grinned at each other and ran to the hangar.
Both suits stood upright, unlike the last time when they had been crouched and covered by their wings. They were both easily over twenty metres tall, the Arrow's Scar slightly taller with his headpiece. They stood side by side as the physical, yet metallic, versions of their Soldier Mindsets. Menacing and strong.
Until they're operational, Master K's voice emanated from an unknown source, your Gundams will remain as they appear, lifeless. But once operational, they will develop personalities. Simultaneously, the cockpit hatches on both Gundams opened.
"I take that as a sign." Ten looked up at the gangway. "And that's a shitload of stairs."
Ji glared at the stairs. She sighed. "If life gives you shit..."
"What?" Tenn spun around to Ji. "Make shit-ade?"[8]
Ji smiled serenely at her frustrated friend. "To every problem, there is a solution." She stood next to the darker Gundam's foot and picked up a long black pole with a foothold at the bottom. She pressed the sole button with her thumb, and in seconds was standing on the cockpit door. Ji peered over the edge to see Tenn stomping over to her Gundam's zip line. The dark-haired girl slid back into the large seat. She automatically adjusted her posture to the seat, her hands moved to the armrest controls, and her feet to the command pedals. The doors closed, closing the sphere where the front screen dropped down.
She looked around the small room. This Suits' cockpit was the exactly replica of her VR room. She pushed the joystick by her right hand forward. The whole room tipped forward along with Ji, who fell onto the front HUD. It even moved like the VR room. The room went level once the pressure had left the stick.
Step 1: Starting Your Gundam.
Sounds simple, huh? Well then, that makes you a sucker.
Step 1 is a lot more complicated that you think. It involves finding the four switches that controlled the leg's motors, the two for the arms, and the three for the torso and head. Hold on a second... You're being a sucker again. Remember, the door had closed, and the computer was off, so therefore the cockpit is in complete darkness. In the VR room, the helmet had had night vision, so the task was hardly complicated at all. Here, she had no helmet, although the general location of the switches was the same.
Ji reached above her head and gently rested her hand on the panel. The nine switches were just 'above' the protective plastic dome cover-dome of the Kill Switch which was simple enough to find. She slipped them up three at a time with the heel of her hand. The floor rumbled for a couple seconds before calming to a quiet hum.
Step 2: Turn on the computer.
Still without lights, Ji felt around the overhead console until she found the desired pad. She pressed her hand against the ID console and with that, Ji's hand-print was recognized, and the computer started up.
After Step 2 was just Common Sense. Now with the little light from the active lower right screen displaying the Bootup, Ji found the safety harness and strapped herself in securely. A little red light at the top left of the main screen accompanied by a quiet beeping caught Ji's attention. She opened her communications link. "Yes?"
Tenn's face jumped onto the corner of the screen. "Hey! Isn't this cool? Have you--"
"Is your system finished loading?" Ji interrupted.
"N.. no. Why?"
"Comlinks take resources, and Initial Bootup needs those resources."
"Aa." And communication ended.
***
Tenn sat back in her seat and watched the computer go through on-screen checks. Finally, five minutes later, the screens lit up with the landscape around the Gundam. And for that extra minute that the computer fiddled with last minute details, Tenn rocked the cockpit back and forth like a rocking chair.
Suddenly the cockpit was jerked level as the Gundam shifted it's weight. They were up and running. Tenn grabbed at the controls, but they didn't respond. Master K's secret symbol that only he, Ji, tenn and Sam knew, appeared on the main screen as a computer generated voice spoke.
System 001 Delta Five[9] booted and operational. Once this message has run through, the Gundam Artificial Intelligence Personality will be engaged. The GAIP has been designed that once it has been engaged, it can never be shut down with the exception of using the Kill switch. If the system is Killed, all information, memories, and Developed Personality will be erased. The system is to remain operational at all times unless Asleep.
Do not think the Arrow's Scar as a GAIP system. The personality is real. Treat it as you would another person. It will have opinions, that sometimes will coincide with yours. Remember, the Arrow's Scar is a computer, and so, it's opinions have been weighed and measured.
This Gundam is equipped with many arms, the thermal bow will most likely be the Arrow's Scar's favourite. They are the same arms as you trained with in VR.
You must also know your counterpart's Gundam as well as your own. System 002 Flippleate, is the Triton's Blood.
It was built for stealth and night aerial attacks. The thermal trident, stored in two halves, attached to the bottom of the Gundam's forearms, double as blades. The suit is built more for hand-to-hand combat as opposed to long-range as the Arrow's Scar. Most other details are identical to Delta Five.
Introduction Sequence, completed.
***
[ 9 hours later ]
"We don't need to bring anything. We wouldn't have anywhere to keep anything anyway." Ji leaned back on her elbows. She was lounging on Tenn's bed as the shorter girl paced around the room thinking madly. This was their last few minutes on the Lunar base, and Tenn had the sudden urge to pack something.
"But there's gotta be some space somewhere in Arrow." Al she received from Ji was an incredulous look. "Well then." The redhead resumed pacing back and forth across the room. Back and forth, back and forth. It was making Ji dizzy.
"Would you stop that?" She sat up sharply.
"Should I?"
"Should you what?"
"Never mind. It's stupid. I wouldn't have the time anyway."
"Time for what?"
Tenn brow furrowed and she got a sudden look of stubbornness on her face. "I'm taking it."
"Taking what?" Ji was now on the edge of the bed. If Tenn stalled any more, Ji would strangle the answer out of her.
Tenn nodded to herself, spun around, then marched over to the cubby shelves next to the wall screen. She reached deep into the cubby then came out with...
The GameCube.
...
That was it? That was it?! She spent more time wondering whether or not to bring the game system with her to Earth than she spent time dealing with 50 enemy mobile suits! That's insane!
Ji's thoughts paused.
'Well... she is insane, after all. We all are... That's what death does to you.' Unlike Tenn, Ji's mind spent more time on why master K though she deserved to try life again. Tenn always says he chose them because they were insane. The weird part is, that theory makes sense. It look an unstable mind, an insane mind, to bring out a Soldier Mindset. Master K had locked away all their insanity into the Soldier's motivation. When Sam's control broke, her insanity spread into her soul and took her over.
"I'm ready. Let's go," Tenn said after raiding the closet of every uniform Ø1 shirt. Ji collected the pile of Ø2 shirts at the foot of the bed, and together they left for the star ship hangar.
***
Ji dropped the match. With that, the pile of clothing started to burn. Both girls watched as the flames swallowed the proof of their connections to the pilots, the Lunar Base, and Master K. the flames continued to slowly lick at the air until Ji brought down Triton's foot to smoulder the blaze.
Behind the Gundams, the hangar door opened. The Arrow's Scar spread it's feathered wings, and the Triton's Blood it's demon's. Each with one strong stroke, they were on their ay to Earth.
Both Gundams flew together until entering Earth's atmosphere. Their wings were protectively wrapped around them, reflecting off the heat and absorbing the radio waves that would have told of their presence.
Ji banked down as Tenn held her course over the Arctic. "See you in Toronto." They saluted each other then cut communication
****
END of "Assassination: ReWrite"
[ ~footnotes~ ]
****new time
*** new scene
[ place ~ approx. date ]
[ song(s) playing throughout scene ~~ artist ]
[1] GameCube... cordless though. hey, it is the future, and I was told the Nintendo's making a cordless controller too. But I didn't know this when this part of the fic was written
[2] Japanese tea. Sam is chinese, but the phrase 'to drink cha from an empty cup', comes from the novel 'Shogun'. It means to be fucussed, and at one with yourself, so that you could experience something that is not there.
[3] This gun was only chosen because I think it looks sweet. No other reasons what-so-ever, so please, no one mail me about how crappy that gun is or whatever I don't care. If someone has a KIND HEART and wants to fill me in on what it's actually capable of, then do so. I hate being left in the dark. #2. Ji's made adjustments, if you read the next phrase, so it's not the same as it would be normally.
[4] Virtual Reality. Mind you, this is the future, so VR is just as good as reality, situationwise.
[5] This is to be explained later
[6] Stands for 'Addonai's Capital'. Addonai is a name for God, and Captial signifies his dwelling. Saying the driver's seat is Addy's Cap signifies that Kami/God is piloting with her.
[7] The Bob and Enzo (Reboot) -type thing.
[8] I'd like to thank the wonderful boys at Penny-Arcade.com
[9] Delta Five is Arrow's codename. His file name. It referrs to the symbol on his shoulder peice which is the Delta symbol (a triangle) and a 5. The Delta represents an A and the 5 an S. Arrow's Scar. The same goes for Triton, but his name takes a little more figuring. His file name is 'Flippleate'. It came from 'Flipped L Eight'. The first symbol resembling an L rotated 180 degrees and an a block-style 8. The flipped L being a T and the 8 a B. Triton's Blood.
Gundam D.A.H.A.
"Assassination: ReWrite"
iThere once was a time when peace was strived for by a sane population. When it was the in the general interest of the people. Those times are gone. All those who claim to want peace only wish for control of the Earth Sphere. It was those same people that claimed if all weapons were destroyed, war would end. This organization is called the Knock Out Blow. It was the KOB who started the manhunt for the five boys we know as Gundam Pilots./i
iOnly one group stood against the wind to contest the KOB. They called themselves Gundams In Peril. Unfortunately, they were small in number and hadn't much war experience, KOB easily held them off from any conquest. The brave soldiers of GIP need help; a miracle from above if they wanted to save their remaining hopes at peace./i
***
"News at eleven.
"Tonight there will be a chance of showers. Low of 15º and a high of 23.
"In other news, Queen Relena has been assassinated. The authorities are searching the globe for the ones suspected of the murder: Heero Yuy, Duo Maxwell, Trowa Barton, Quatre Winner and Chang Wufei. These men, all Gundam Pilots, of the age 19 are Wanted. When caught, they are to be brought to the KOB Building in Kiev. There, they will be executed as seen fit.
"At today's Press Core meeting, President Gréer said..."
****
[ lunar base ~ august AC 199 ]
[ i"movies" ~~ alien ant farm/i ]
A dark haired girl stepped out of the shower, reaching for a towel. Wrapping the plush sheet around her body, she walked from the bathing room into her suite. She walked swiftly through the sparingly decorated rooms to her bedroom. The body towel was flung onto the queen-sized bed while the closet was thrown open. Several garments were pulled off hangers and tossed onto the bed to join the towel; a tight fitting black tank top with the identification numbers Ø2 across the chest, a pair of low-riding ash-gray pants, and the long belt Street Fighter-sensei had given her. Quickly, the girl dressed, letting the belt hang low off her hip with the weight of the gun it carried. Lastly, she unwound the towel atop her head. The near-black locks tumbled own to her shoulders only for a moment before she deftly tied it up into a tail. Lastly, she grabbed the shot leather jacket that was slung over the back of a chair, turned off the room's lights, opened the suite door and left jogging.
***
In another room, 120° to the right and a kilometer away as the crow flies sat a small screaming redhead with flashing fawn-brown eyes. Clutched between her hands was a dark, two pronged cordless controller with numerous colourfull buttons and a knob[1]. The girl swayed around on the poster bed groaning. whining, and yelling in response to the actions happening on the wall screen opposite the bed.
Quite suddenly, the game paused, halting all noise and movement in the room. Soft words appeared on the screen in time to the silent speaker's voice. Come to the nerve Centre please. Be there in five minutes. The redhead nodded once she's read the message. The words vanished and the game un-paused.
All hell resumed.
Two minutes later, the game shut off by itself. That resulted in exasperated screams from the girl, but the words returned, I mean it, Tenn. Now.
"Fine," Tenn mumbled, glaring at the screen as she slid herself off the bed. She dragged her feet while walking to the door, pouting the whole while, moping about the total unfairness of this un-fun world. Tenn left the bedroom, and now in the main room of her suite, picked up the white high-tops where they'd been abandoned before she'd begun her gaming, several hours ago. Half walking, half hopping, she pulled them on before she go to the door. The short redhead ran a hand through her long heavy hair as she gave the room a last once-over. She opened the door with the push of a button, clapped off the lights (that was always cool), then left running for the Nerve Centre.
***
There was a third room, 120° and to the right and a kilometer away from the last. This one wasn't as vibrant as the other two. This room was decorated in quiet undertones of forest green, and more resembled the inside of a canvas tent than the private suite of a Protector.
In the middle of the main room, sat it's sole occupant. Cross-legged, sitting tall and plain, completely aware of everything around her. She sat there for hours, quiet, watching a rock grow, or drinking cha[2] from an empty cup, concentrating on her inner harmony.
A slight buzzing rose her out of meditation. She opened her eyes and looked over to the com. screen beside the door. It was slowly flashing on and off, a white to black screen.
From her meditation, she rose smoothly to her feet. Moving her arms and legs, glorious feeling returned to them. Once she was standing, the very tall girl went into the bathroom to splash some water on her face. She studied herself in the mirror for a moment. Shoulder length straight brown hair fell down around dark oriental eyes. The metallic dog tags around her neck caught the light. The darker, stained from old blood, read 'L.Chen', and the slightly newer read 'S.Chen'. Never again would she be reduced to a prisoner.
Never again...
She shook her head, returning her thoughts to Now. The rest she wore, spare the green tank top reading Ø3, were army fatigues. In memory of Li... Those American bastards wouldn't catch her now...
The tall girl shook her head again. She scowled at her reflection, then spun around and left the room, sprinting down the hallway, away from the angry girl in the mirror.
***
Patience is a virtue, however the Master felt as he watched the three girls wait to be let into the Nerve Centre, the 'control tower' of the lunar base, he wondered if he'd failed to teach them all true patience.
Tenn fidgeted constantly. She twirled her hair, she could not stand still, and was always adjusting her clothing... Out of all of them, she had the shortest attention span and temper. Although when it came to missions, her personality flipped. Once she was given a command of importance and weight, Tenn slipped into the mindset she called the Heaven's Aid. As the Aid, she was focused, strong, and unwilling to leave unfinished.
Master K briefly studied her once more. He sighed; she wasn't in Training Uniform. Through to her mind her sent the message, Your Uniform, Tenn-goku? Her eyes widened as she looked sown at her shirt. Master K smiled as she spun around and ran back down the hall to her room. Good, that would give him several minutes to finish inspecting the other two. He shifted his gaze to the next door.
Ji stood tall with her five feet nine inches, her head held high, her shoulders relaxed. At first glance she appeared completely calm; in control. She would have held that image had she not been wringing her hands. Ji was very nervous about today's training. The scenario of failure was so clear in the back of her mind. It was a constant thorn in her side, never easing enough to let her fail.
Master K left her mind to study her appearance. Complete in uniform, she carried a standard thermal ammunition Vektor CPI[3] on her hip. That firearm, mostly of her design, was her weapon of choice next to her heels and fists. In the VR[4] shooting range, she surpassed all the tests and beyond even though before her death[5] she had never lain eyes on a gun.
Ji sighed once. She was prepared to wait as long as shed have to until Master K let her in. She had learned patience.
Behind the third and last door Sam stood stoically. Since her arrival at the door, she hadn't moved other than the stretching that was necessary to keep her muscles from pulling. This girl, she fought with a blood lust for revenge. That lust had a name in Sam's mind. She called it Reality's Herald. The Herald was cruel, savage and unforgiving. It would do anything to see the enemy writhe in total agony. The Herald's ferocity came from the time Sam had spent in a Prisoner of War camp before her death. the KOB had raided her village in south-east China, killed her family, burned her house, then too her and her fiancé prisoner. It was months of the American guards, the beatings, the weeks spent in the Hole, and the separation from Li, then she heard fifth-hand that Li had been shot trying to escape from the camp.
It was bare days after that that she snapped and tried to escape herself. She didn't make it, but killed a dozen guards in the process. No, they didn't shoot her for that. The superintendent gave her to the guards as a 'plaything' instead. The guards lasted three days before her taunts drove them far enough to beat her to death.
Of the three different Soldier Mindsets, the Herald was the only one Master K couldn't talk logic to. He'd at one point or another, calmed the fire in the hearts of Ji's Devil's Advocate and the Aid.
The metallic echoing of Tenn sprinting down her hallway drove the Master's thoughts out of the past and to the Now of Today. Tenn-goku Sugoi (she gave herself the last name. The Japanese word for 'sweet') now stood at attention in the uniform shirt all the girls shared next to differing in colour and number. Tenn's semi-loose, white short-cut tank top read in large block numbers Ø1 across the front.
Very good. he sent them all the message. Now report. Three doors opened, casting each girl in white light.
***
"This is not another standard training session," the Master began. "This, is the day you learn you Missions. Your subjects, who and what you will be facing, and the why. Why you are here will be explained today. Why, Tenn, you've been here since you were seven, Ji, since you were eight, and Sam, why you've been training four times as hard since your arrival last year.
"Go to you stations. Strap yourselves in as if this were a Mobile Suit session. The news you will be receiving will be somewhat shocking.
"Good luck."
The girls saluted, and left to their VR stations. Once their backs were turned, Master K would be gone. They all knew this.
Tenn jogged over to Ji. "Hey Ji! Wadya think about that? I mean, took him long enough to decide our fate, eh? It's been eleven years since we--"
Sam cut the shortest girl off. "It didn't take Master Kami-sama eleven years to train you sufficiently." The tall brunette looked down on the redhead with a stoic glare. "It took you eleven years to train to his standards."
"Oh that's below the belt, Chen. And so what? So I'm not an emotionless machine like you? What the hell's wrong with training at a sane pace? Just because I wasn't raped by marines before they killed me--"
Before Tenn knew it, Sam had her pinned against the hallway wall two feet off the ground. "Hold your tongue."
"Both of you, stop it," Ji's calm voice interrupted. "You're acting like children."
Sam dropped Tenn who landed on the marble floor with a thud. The taller girl stepped back and returned to her place on Ji's left. The shorter, darker-haired girl watched Sam for a moment. Her eyes had started clouding over; the Herald was fighting for freedom. Ji shuddered slightly. The wall that separated them from the freezing vacuum of space was only six inches think... The Herald in a fit of rage could kick through that easily.
Ji gulped. "Get a hold of yourself. We don't need an outbreak now. If you kill her, that's one mission failed." It was the dark haired girl's words that slowly eased Sam's hand away from the gun tucked into the waistband of her fatigues.
Sam nodded at Ji once then bent to pull Tenn up. The redhead accepted the hand and was pulled to her feet with a jump.
"Pardon my actions, Tenn. I hope I did not injure you," Sam spoke over the top of Tenn's head, not speaking directly to her, but to her in the least.
"Hn," Tenn snorted. "You're not strong enough to hurt me yet!" She brushed the side of her nose with her thumb twice for measure. The smirk on her lips only served to buzz Sam further. Grinning, she added, "I have a lot of trick from the Old Country you Chinks don't know about."
And all was now well between Ø1 and Ø3.
***
At the end of the hallway were the VR rooms. Each room was a sphere pod two metres in diameter and mechanically suspended to be able to complete a 360º circle in any direction at the pilot's command. These training pods were based on the inside of an MS cockpit. The rooms were equipped with helmets providing the visual and psychological aspects of sequences. Sounds was pumped into the small space through hidden speakers and comlinks.
The girls parted wordlessly and climbed into their rooms.
***
Tenn swung into the commander chair, Addy's Cap[6]. As was protocol with all VR sessions, she started up the system, giving the virtual motors time to warm up. She flipped several switches, illuminating the three display screens. She reached over and behind her head and unhooked the VR helmet from it's hold. She placed it in her lap as she strapped herself into the seat with the heavy harness. She pushed the motorcycle-style helmet over her head and strapped it on. Once she was completely strapped in, as was her custom, she spun the sphere in several quick head-over-tail circles before giving the command.
"Begin."
It was a brief second of darkness before she was suddenly in the middle of a losing battle. Who was losing, she couldn't tell in the split-second before she reacted to dodge the Suit out of a Vulcan blast. The controls didn't respond. "Dammit," she cursed. "Computer, fix the error!" Tenn tried the controls again in vain.
"There is no error," the computer responded.
"What?!"
Then suddenly the image froze.
"The hell?"
Tenn-goku Sugoi, sit back and listen please. Your life mission goes as follows.
The mobile suit flew forward across a field that lay in the ruins of battle. Obliterated Suits scattered the ground along with blood and large pieces of Queen Relena Peacecraft's manor in the Sanq Kingdom. In the next instant, Tenn was no longer seated in the MS but in a dark control room.
Your mission is this. A screen on the far wall lit up hosting a picture of the one and only Heero Yuy.
***
Ji gasped at the picture on the before her. "Duo..."
After Queen Relena Peacecraft's assassination, it was found that only a powerful Mobile Suit such as a Gundam could have caused the damage done to her manor. The only men capable of piloting those machines were immediately named Wanted by the KOB. As of late, the five of them had remained hidden until recently Quatre Raberba Winner and Chang Wufei were captured and according to sources, killed. That has yet to be proven.
The KOB organization holds no logic behind it's hunt, next to revenge. Agents report that their leader has never shown his face publicly, and delivers all his orders through trusted vassals.
The KOB is a danger to peace. it needs to be completely destroyed. If at all possible, take their leader and bring him back to Lunar Base. In order to complete this mission, there would be a minimum need of the strength of four Gundam-strength mobile suits.
Your priority mission, Jigoku Kutsu, is to locate the Gundam Pilot Zero Two and to keep him out of the KOB's hands. He pilots' the newly-constructed Deathscythe Hell v2 and goes under the codename Duo Maxwell, alias Shinigami, the God of Death.
After locating the pilot, you will rendez-vous at a set location with the Aid, Herald-- The voice stopped for a moment.
It resumed. After locating the pilot, you will rendez-vous with the Aid and her subject. Once you have met up with the rest of your team, you will strike the KOB. Be certain to take all precautions necessary. The pilots need to come out alive.
The lights abruptly shut off as the instruction ended. Ji removed the helmet, unharnessed herself, then climbed out of the VR room.
***
In the dark sphere of her training pod, Sam sat waiting for the video to play. Waiting... but it never started. There was only snow.
She didn't have a mission...
***
Ji strode out of the long hallway back into the main room of the Nerve Centre. No sooner has she circled around Master K's granite throne/chair that sat in the middle of the room, that Tenn's voice cried out from behind her. "JI!" The taller girl spun around only to face Tenn hurling herself at her[7]. Pure trained reaction was all that saved her life that second. Ji slid her weight back and down on her feet just enough that Tenn didn't knock her over. She held the surprised girl for a moment before gently putting her down.
"Yes, Tenn?" she asked calmly, tucking one side of her bangs behind her ear.
The shorter girl quickly recovered. "Did you see them yet?" Tenn grinned up at her friend.
"I know the mission."
"No! Not that! *Them*." Tenn ran off down another marble hallway. At one time Ji unhooked Tenn's hand from hers so she wasn't being dragged. "So you didn't hear about these guys in your mission details?"
"No. I believe we each received slightly different orders."
"You're not protecting anyone?!"
"I meant we received different minor details. I'm covering Duo."
"That explains it."
"Explains what?"
"That." Tenn pointed as they entered the large hanger-type room. Ji followed her friend's extended arm until it landed on two shadowed metallic masses in the centre of the hanger. "Pretty cool, eh?" Tenn asked from behind her
"What...are they?" Somehow Ji had slipped to her knees in apprehension. They couldn't possibly...
"I'll show yah!" Tenn jumped off in the direction of the lighter of the two when Master K's voice rang from no real source.
Tenn. What are you doing?
"Sorry... I was just gonna show Ji..."
You can show her later. Now get back to your rooms. You'll need your rest. You have a test flight in the morning.
"...Okay." Tenn turned back, and slowly slunk to Ji. With a grin on her face, "I've been grounded." She caught Ji staring at the darker form. "I don't know his name, but mine's the Arrow's Scar." Tenn helped Ji up then slung an arm around her shoulders. "Come on. I have a GC[1] controller with your name on it." They left for Tenn's room to resume the violent video game that had been interrupted.
Neither of them noticed the dark shadow of the tall girl in the corner.
***
"In late breaking news:
"Another of the Gundam Pilots suspected of Queen Relena's murder was killed today. Trowa Barton was shot today at 15 hundred hours by his sister Catherine Bloom who was also found dead later in the day. Evidence leads to suicide.
"Next weeks' gay pride parade has been cancelled due to storm warnings..."
****
[ a week later ]
"Have you seen Sam at all?"
"Not recently, why?" The cook looked down at the small girl.
"She hasn't been at training, and I can't find her."
"Have you tried her room?"
"I was hoping she wouldn't be that obvious."
"She's probably there. I sent food around noon. The tray came back empty, although the Page had some minor injuries..."
"Hn... I've got my knives. I'll be fine."
"What?!"
"Or should I bring my gun?"
"She-- she's just a girl! How could she--"
"And that would make me what? And have you seen how tall she is? I need some protection from her in case she's gone loopy. She has a two and a half foot reach on me. I am faster, but is she goes Herald on me, you'll be peeling me off the walls."
"...Maybe you should bring backup."
"Nah. Just wish me luck."
***
Sudden urgent thumping woke Ji out of a restful sleep. She blinked several times and stretched out like a cat. The thumping hadn't gone away. In fact, it was getting louder. Ji recognized it after several more thumps as knocking. Someone was knocking on her door? Tenn. Only Tenn actually knocked on doors anymore. That girl refused to accept technology.
"Goddammit, Ji! Let me in!"
And rude to boot.
"Alright, alright." Ji mumbled as she rolled off the bed. She grabbed her robe off the foot of the bed and wrapped it around herself as she walked to the door. The knocking never stopped.
"Get your ass out of bed, Jifo--" The door slid open with a woosh. "--bu!" IN the next instant, Tenn was in the room, had the door closed and locked, then fell onto the carpeted floor panting.
"And your problem is? I was sleeping, you idiot." Ji crossed her arms over her chest and looked down at Tenn.
"I confronted Sam," Tenn rasped out between gasps. She had been running. Long and hard. She had been scared...
With that Ji's mood became serious. "What did she do to you?" She kneeled down next to Tenn, now worried. Tenn started coughing.
"She went Herald on me. That, fuelled by her anger that after all she's done, she doesn't have a mission. I didn't even do anything. Her door opened and she had her gun pressed against my forehead. She didn't mean to kill me 'cause I got away."
"But she must have chased you."
"She let me get away. The woman's legs are four feet long! I wouldn't have had a chance."
Ji helped her friend to her feet, then to her bedroom. "Get some rest. Calm yourself down. You're safe now. Master K's probably going to talk with us in the morning." Tenn nodded and slipped under the heavy covers of Ji's bed. She fell asleep almost immediately.
***
Sunrise found both girls already standing at attention in the Nerve Centre. Master K didn't look happy.
The Master placed two fingers over the vertical double barrelled bruise on Tenn's forehead. Trowa had been Sam's Mission... 'I couldn't foresee Catherine's actions..' She believed, to her own heartache, that her brother would prefer to die in and instant to be tortured. So she shot him. But she had not killed herself. The KOB had determined Trowa has been staying with the Circus. Several agents had been in the area when they heard the gunshot. It was one of those agents that had killed Catherine. Such a shame.
When he took his fingers from her forehead, the bruise has changed to an ugly shade of green-yellow. Mostly healed.
"Samantha will never be joining you for training ever again. She has moved from her suite to another sector of the base. I do not wish for you two to socialise with her; her negative attitudes will corrupt your minds and scatter your Soldier Mindsets." They both nodded. "Now, today is the day you will be introduced to you Gundams. They should be functional by now." As Master K was famous for leaving details to the girls, he ended there. His reasoning was that it forced their minds to think, to fill in the blanks. The Master smiled at them, then disappeared.
Ji turned to Tenn. "Those were the Gundams you showed me last week in the MS hangar?" Tenn simply nodded. "Well let's go! master K's going to let us test drive them!" Ji beamed at her friend. Their whole lives they'd been waiting for the day they'd get their Gundams. They grinned at each other and ran to the hangar.
Both suits stood upright, unlike the last time when they had been crouched and covered by their wings. They were both easily over twenty metres tall, the Arrow's Scar slightly taller with his headpiece. They stood side by side as the physical, yet metallic, versions of their Soldier Mindsets. Menacing and strong.
Until they're operational, Master K's voice emanated from an unknown source, your Gundams will remain as they appear, lifeless. But once operational, they will develop personalities. Simultaneously, the cockpit hatches on both Gundams opened.
"I take that as a sign." Ten looked up at the gangway. "And that's a shitload of stairs."
Ji glared at the stairs. She sighed. "If life gives you shit..."
"What?" Tenn spun around to Ji. "Make shit-ade?"[8]
Ji smiled serenely at her frustrated friend. "To every problem, there is a solution." She stood next to the darker Gundam's foot and picked up a long black pole with a foothold at the bottom. She pressed the sole button with her thumb, and in seconds was standing on the cockpit door. Ji peered over the edge to see Tenn stomping over to her Gundam's zip line. The dark-haired girl slid back into the large seat. She automatically adjusted her posture to the seat, her hands moved to the armrest controls, and her feet to the command pedals. The doors closed, closing the sphere where the front screen dropped down.
She looked around the small room. This Suits' cockpit was the exactly replica of her VR room. She pushed the joystick by her right hand forward. The whole room tipped forward along with Ji, who fell onto the front HUD. It even moved like the VR room. The room went level once the pressure had left the stick.
Step 1: Starting Your Gundam.
Sounds simple, huh? Well then, that makes you a sucker.
Step 1 is a lot more complicated that you think. It involves finding the four switches that controlled the leg's motors, the two for the arms, and the three for the torso and head. Hold on a second... You're being a sucker again. Remember, the door had closed, and the computer was off, so therefore the cockpit is in complete darkness. In the VR room, the helmet had had night vision, so the task was hardly complicated at all. Here, she had no helmet, although the general location of the switches was the same.
Ji reached above her head and gently rested her hand on the panel. The nine switches were just 'above' the protective plastic dome cover-dome of the Kill Switch which was simple enough to find. She slipped them up three at a time with the heel of her hand. The floor rumbled for a couple seconds before calming to a quiet hum.
Step 2: Turn on the computer.
Still without lights, Ji felt around the overhead console until she found the desired pad. She pressed her hand against the ID console and with that, Ji's hand-print was recognized, and the computer started up.
After Step 2 was just Common Sense. Now with the little light from the active lower right screen displaying the Bootup, Ji found the safety harness and strapped herself in securely. A little red light at the top left of the main screen accompanied by a quiet beeping caught Ji's attention. She opened her communications link. "Yes?"
Tenn's face jumped onto the corner of the screen. "Hey! Isn't this cool? Have you--"
"Is your system finished loading?" Ji interrupted.
"N.. no. Why?"
"Comlinks take resources, and Initial Bootup needs those resources."
"Aa." And communication ended.
***
Tenn sat back in her seat and watched the computer go through on-screen checks. Finally, five minutes later, the screens lit up with the landscape around the Gundam. And for that extra minute that the computer fiddled with last minute details, Tenn rocked the cockpit back and forth like a rocking chair.
Suddenly the cockpit was jerked level as the Gundam shifted it's weight. They were up and running. Tenn grabbed at the controls, but they didn't respond. Master K's secret symbol that only he, Ji, tenn and Sam knew, appeared on the main screen as a computer generated voice spoke.
System 001 Delta Five[9] booted and operational. Once this message has run through, the Gundam Artificial Intelligence Personality will be engaged. The GAIP has been designed that once it has been engaged, it can never be shut down with the exception of using the Kill switch. If the system is Killed, all information, memories, and Developed Personality will be erased. The system is to remain operational at all times unless Asleep.
Do not think the Arrow's Scar as a GAIP system. The personality is real. Treat it as you would another person. It will have opinions, that sometimes will coincide with yours. Remember, the Arrow's Scar is a computer, and so, it's opinions have been weighed and measured.
This Gundam is equipped with many arms, the thermal bow will most likely be the Arrow's Scar's favourite. They are the same arms as you trained with in VR.
You must also know your counterpart's Gundam as well as your own. System 002 Flippleate, is the Triton's Blood.
It was built for stealth and night aerial attacks. The thermal trident, stored in two halves, attached to the bottom of the Gundam's forearms, double as blades. The suit is built more for hand-to-hand combat as opposed to long-range as the Arrow's Scar. Most other details are identical to Delta Five.
Introduction Sequence, completed.
***
[ 9 hours later ]
"We don't need to bring anything. We wouldn't have anywhere to keep anything anyway." Ji leaned back on her elbows. She was lounging on Tenn's bed as the shorter girl paced around the room thinking madly. This was their last few minutes on the Lunar base, and Tenn had the sudden urge to pack something.
"But there's gotta be some space somewhere in Arrow." Al she received from Ji was an incredulous look. "Well then." The redhead resumed pacing back and forth across the room. Back and forth, back and forth. It was making Ji dizzy.
"Would you stop that?" She sat up sharply.
"Should I?"
"Should you what?"
"Never mind. It's stupid. I wouldn't have the time anyway."
"Time for what?"
Tenn brow furrowed and she got a sudden look of stubbornness on her face. "I'm taking it."
"Taking what?" Ji was now on the edge of the bed. If Tenn stalled any more, Ji would strangle the answer out of her.
Tenn nodded to herself, spun around, then marched over to the cubby shelves next to the wall screen. She reached deep into the cubby then came out with...
The GameCube.
...
That was it? That was it?! She spent more time wondering whether or not to bring the game system with her to Earth than she spent time dealing with 50 enemy mobile suits! That's insane!
Ji's thoughts paused.
'Well... she is insane, after all. We all are... That's what death does to you.' Unlike Tenn, Ji's mind spent more time on why master K though she deserved to try life again. Tenn always says he chose them because they were insane. The weird part is, that theory makes sense. It look an unstable mind, an insane mind, to bring out a Soldier Mindset. Master K had locked away all their insanity into the Soldier's motivation. When Sam's control broke, her insanity spread into her soul and took her over.
"I'm ready. Let's go," Tenn said after raiding the closet of every uniform Ø1 shirt. Ji collected the pile of Ø2 shirts at the foot of the bed, and together they left for the star ship hangar.
***
Ji dropped the match. With that, the pile of clothing started to burn. Both girls watched as the flames swallowed the proof of their connections to the pilots, the Lunar Base, and Master K. the flames continued to slowly lick at the air until Ji brought down Triton's foot to smoulder the blaze.
Behind the Gundams, the hangar door opened. The Arrow's Scar spread it's feathered wings, and the Triton's Blood it's demon's. Each with one strong stroke, they were on their ay to Earth.
Both Gundams flew together until entering Earth's atmosphere. Their wings were protectively wrapped around them, reflecting off the heat and absorbing the radio waves that would have told of their presence.
Ji banked down as Tenn held her course over the Arctic. "See you in Toronto." They saluted each other then cut communication
****
END of "Assassination: ReWrite"
[ ~footnotes~ ]
****new time
*** new scene
[ place ~ approx. date ]
[ song(s) playing throughout scene ~~ artist ]
[1] GameCube... cordless though. hey, it is the future, and I was told the Nintendo's making a cordless controller too. But I didn't know this when this part of the fic was written
[2] Japanese tea. Sam is chinese, but the phrase 'to drink cha from an empty cup', comes from the novel 'Shogun'. It means to be fucussed, and at one with yourself, so that you could experience something that is not there.
[3] This gun was only chosen because I think it looks sweet. No other reasons what-so-ever, so please, no one mail me about how crappy that gun is or whatever I don't care. If someone has a KIND HEART and wants to fill me in on what it's actually capable of, then do so. I hate being left in the dark. #2. Ji's made adjustments, if you read the next phrase, so it's not the same as it would be normally.
[4] Virtual Reality. Mind you, this is the future, so VR is just as good as reality, situationwise.
[5] This is to be explained later
[6] Stands for 'Addonai's Capital'. Addonai is a name for God, and Captial signifies his dwelling. Saying the driver's seat is Addy's Cap signifies that Kami/God is piloting with her.
[7] The Bob and Enzo (Reboot) -type thing.
[8] I'd like to thank the wonderful boys at Penny-Arcade.com
[9] Delta Five is Arrow's codename. His file name. It referrs to the symbol on his shoulder peice which is the Delta symbol (a triangle) and a 5. The Delta represents an A and the 5 an S. Arrow's Scar. The same goes for Triton, but his name takes a little more figuring. His file name is 'Flippleate'. It came from 'Flipped L Eight'. The first symbol resembling an L rotated 180 degrees and an a block-style 8. The flipped L being a T and the 8 a B. Triton's Blood.