Chapter 12
Ten minutes later I was walking down my street. The sun was fading into a pinkish red twilight with the clouds holding traces of purple on their edges. It was a scene I would have painted if I was any good with a paintbrush.
The coming night was empty as few cars drove by. I walked out of the residential area to a road that was lined on both sides with tall, thick forests. I wasn't sure how long I had been walking, but the trees made me feel better, and it was growing dark. Two good signs to head back. The sun was almost completely gone and there weren't any streetlights where I was. Turning around I began walking back towards the apartment.
Around five minutes after I had turned around a car flew by, going at least 70mph on a 25mph road. Looking after it, wishing that I had a horn to honk, I noticed that it was actually a black limo. About a hundred yards up the road it jerked to a sudden stop, its wheels squealing in their effort to slow themselves down. I continued walking, but cautiously doing so. The limousine slowly moved backwards in my direction.
When we came in line with each other the limo had stopped. I thought it would, but kept walking anyway, not caring who was in the limo as I counted all the options.
It didn't surprise me when Gabriel stepped out. He was dressed in black, slacks, a dress shirt and his expensive sunglasses that seemed out of place since there wasn't any sunlight. With a smile he bowed his head slightly in greeting. "Alex, how nice to see you," he said, "It's quite a coincidence that I came across you. May I ask why you're out walking?"
"You could ask but I'm not going to answer," I stated as I continued to walk. Suddenly I was happy that I had brought a gun with me. When there's an assassin after me it seems like a good idea.
Gabriel started walking too, his limo staying parallel to him. he took his time catching up to me. I wondered why he even bothered. Why was he even talking to me?
"So how is Duo doing?" Gabriel asked. I didn't answer so he continued. "Okay so if you don't want to talk about Duo tell me about Jack." His voice didn't change, or his expression, nothing I saw did, yet there was a difference. One I could feel.
I didn't really want to answer the question, but I didn't anyway. "Jack… he was fine last time I saw him. There's not much I can really tell you."
"And what was on the disk?" he asked.
I clinched my teeth, but again there was something. I almost had to answer. "I don't know. I didn't have time to look." I was getting nervous. Normally I wouldn't answer the question, I wasn't sure why I had.
"Was that all you took?" his voice still hadn't changed.
I didn't answer. But I wanted to… no, wait, I didn't…
My head was spinning, barely able to focus on my thoughts. I wouldn't answer. Every step I took was pushing me, but I wouldn't answer. My throat grew soar from staying silent. I had the feeling that lying would make things worse, but I couldn't tell him anything. Gabriel didn't say a thing. He just kept walking. My head began to pound, to ache even worse. I stopped walking as my vision blurred. I focused on breathing. Something was wrong and I had to figure out what. If I didn't I would be in worse trouble.
Something sparked in me, just a flicker of feeling, a second of anger, and years of fear. 'Go away!' I yelled at myself, but the anger boiled inside of me, ignoring my commands. Someone was in my mind, and I hadn't known.
The anger raced through me, dragging me with it as it plummeted into the part of me that was psychic. I pushed my mind outwards, seeing everything. The driver might as well have been mindless, he though little enough, but other than that there was no other human 'light' for over a mile, yet there was one other aura.
Gabriel's power flared like a black hole, consuming power, changing it, controlling it. He loomed over me, curious, as if his prey had just done something he found amusing. The was beyond dimming your aura, especially when his power seemed to yell "Danger, don't come here!" Mentally I shuddered.
"What are you?" I gasped.
The dark power began to grow irritated. It would have terrified me if I hadn't already been burning with such a hot rage. I doubted he could touch me without a consequence. I didn't know who would win a fight, though, and that was what mattered.
"Answer my question Alex, what else did you take?" his voice was smooth, soft, comforting, but it was all lies.
The burning inside of me came forward, wanting to see this new challenge. I held no control, not being able to think of what to do. My rage studied Gabriel. It didn't like what it saw. The darkness and wickedness mixed in with him was enough to make me gag, but I didn't have to deal with it. I wasn't sure what happened, but it was as if a wall of fire instantly surrounded my mind, burning Gabriel out, forcing him to leave me alone.
I pulled back, physically and psychically. Suddenly all the need, all the desire to answer, was gone. It vanished. In its place was an anger that was slowly calming. It had done what it had came to do. Gabriel was out of my head, and I could think again.
I took a few steps back, not wanting to be near Gabriel. I reached for my gun as soon as I got my footing back, but stopped right before touching it when I looked back at Gabriel.
Gabriel grinned lazily as he held out a thin vial. Deep green liquid slid from one side to the other, almost glowing eerily as the moonlight slid over it. The lid was screwed on tight, but the glass could easily shatter.
"Don't play stupid this time. I know you know what this is. Considering the fact that I found most of my information for it on your computer it would be hard for you to be clueless," he pointed out. "If you don't believe me I'll show you proof, or we can open this here and now." I didn't look at him, I couldn't even focus my vision. Terror ran up and down my spine, taunting me. I never should have looked into the virus… I should have just let it stay destroyed.
"Is there something in particular you want to know?" I asked sounding very calm compared to how I felt.
He shook his head. "No, not really. I just want to talk."
For some reason I didn't believe him, or rather, I didn't think he was telling the complete truth. If he was going to be using whatever powers he had against me I didn't want to be hanging around, yet how could I leave? Blackmail sucked, especially when used against you.
"Why don't we go for a ride?" Gabriel suggested. He motioned me towards the limousine. Cautiously I nodded, not sure what was going on. Gabriel opened the door for me. Not taking my eyes off of him I slid inside. He followed me in, sitting on the opposite side. All the buttons for the windows, doors, and lights were above him. I almost asked him to turn on the radio but decided otherwise. He pressed a button, signaling the driver, and the limo began to move.
"How much do you know about the Missing Persons?" Gabriel asked.
I shrugged. "Less than you."
"I'm not looking for information, Alex," he insisted, sounding almost as if he wanted me to trust him. "Please at least try to understand that."
I shrugged again. It didn't matter what he wanted to talk about. Unless he gave me a good reason, and he had very good reasoning skills. I wouldn't tell him much. It would annoy and irritate and that's all I really wanted to do at the moment, except for maybe find out something about him. Maybe where he made the virus, who all knew about it… and anything else he wanted to tell me. I had the feeling that he wanted me to ask questions, that he would answer all of them. Because of that I kept quiet, not knowing what might happen if I was saying something and he unleashed the force he had used before.
"My guess is that you don't know much," Gabriel stated. "They say you're part of the group but they don't trust you. You could do everything they asked and it wouldn't be enough." The only problem with what he was saying was the fact that I agreed with him. I didn't want him to be right. I wanted to justify not liking him. I wanted him to do something wrong. I didn't want to just have to rely on what I was told.
"And why do you care whether or not I'm in the Missing Persons?" I asked.
He laughed, and it bothered me. "Alex, if someone you know, perhaps Zechs to choose at random, joined your enemy, you would care. Zechs is a force to be reckoned with, and you, you are just as dangerous. I would be a fool not to care. And the fact that you're not truly one of them raises an issue."
I pursed my lips. He was right, again, and I knew he was getting to something. A gut feeling told me that I didn't really want to find out what. Maybe if I could change the subject… but to what? He wouldn't tell me anything that he didn't want me to know. He wouldn't say a thing out of line.
"I might not be truly in the Missing Persons," I said, "but I'm getting closer. Duo doesn't want me in, but he's convinced himself that he does. Zechs doesn't want me in, either, he thinks it would be best for me if I stay away, and maybe it would. Mason and Blake are just along for the ride." The look in Gabriel' eyes showed his agreement.
"You forgot Jack," he pointed out.
I nodded. "I'm not sure about Jack," I admitted.
Gabriel smiled. "Let me help you," he said. "Jack wants to keep you safe from me. He wants you in the Missing Persons because if you don't join you'll be a bigger threat to them than I am. I don't think you'll join them for real. It's not in your nature to hide from the world. But Jack knows that if you don't his precious organization is gone." The fact that there wasn't a bit of doubt in his voice was unnerving.
"What would you have me do?" I asked, curious for the answer.
Gabriel smiled, leaning back in the seat. "What would I have you do? Join the Underground. It would be preferred and the option is open. The problem with that is you'd be harder than most to change into a member," he stated.
Change? Change what, or how? His eyes held the amusement of knowing just what I was thinking. My ignorance just seemed to grow as I learned more, one of the less pleasant side effects of knowledge.
"Change what?" I asked it only because I was dying to know and I knew he wouldn't say a word until I asked.
Gabriel answered, "You don't really change anything. If you did you never could join my organization. I have certain… theories, certain ideas. Most people would think they're cruel, unjust, but others look deeper." Something flashed in his eyes, the emotion had been borderline craziness, so very close but not quite there. I could see why Jack might think he was crazy. I just wondered what exactly his ideas were.
"You fight for absolute peace?" he made it a question. Slowly and carefully I nodded. "Then you're as cruel as I'll ever be." The answer was unexpected, but not startling, though confusing, if only for a moment. He continued before my mind could quite figure out what he meant. "Most people can't figure out why I might think that. Given time I'm sure you could at least understand, even if you don't agree."
I nodded, thinking that I was somewhat understanding what he said, though the bigger picture eluded me. I couldn't call him crazy, he wasn't, and I didn't know what his point was so I couldn't' say he was wrong.
Gabriel continued, "What is absolute peace?" I wasn't supposed to answer the question. "Peace, the very word is near impossible. No fighting, no arguments, anger is barely tolerated. Rage would be out of the question, and with it many of our gifts, but they're part of us. You fight to stop fighting. Smart, but it won't work. The Preventers are an excellent idea, if you want to lead us to true peace." He said peace as if it was a bad thing.
"Have you ever read The Giver?" Gabriel's change in topic confused me for a moment. I wished he would stick with one thing or another. I shook my head to his question, in fact I had never heard of the book. "It's a great story. I think you would like it. Of course it's very old, hundreds of years. Though the accumulating ages hasn't ruined the theme.
"What's it about?" I asked, truly wanting to know.
"Sameness. Complete sameness. No problems, no war, no pain, no hate," he paused to stare intently at me, "but also no joy, no love. The true peace everyone is fighting for. The only way to end the fighting and pain. And even as it creates peace it's horrible. There's no freewill, you do what everyone does, wear what they wear. No color, no music, no true emotions. That is your peace."
He was twisting things, but it was true. I didn't want that, but it was what I had spent years working on. To take away pain, anger, fear… it would be wonderful, but not worth the price. It wouldn't happen, people couldn't be that stupid…
But they could be that desperate.
"What's your point?" I demanded, though fear fluttered in my stomach, rising butterflies, even though I didn't feel scarred.
Gabriel shrugged. "What do you think?" I glared. As much as he made sense it was missing something. His entire theory mount to nothing if he could bring up the missing piece of the puzzle. "People will never see this for themselves. They'll jump right into their undoing without a thought, and they'll never know. I want to show them."
I raised an eyebrow. "You want to show them your 'true peace?'" I asked.
His smile grew tight. "Exactly. They'll bring themselves to it one way or another, but I want to force it on them, to show them just how wrong they are."
He wanted them to go into this 'sameness,' and he wanted to be there to show them why it's so horrible. Sounded a little like trying to play god to me, not to mention it was wrong.
"How could you make them? We're talking about the entire world, they wouldn't all be that desperate," I pointed out.
"No, of course not," he agreed. "But you don't have to do much to start a war. People will believe anything if it would end one, though. Especially if it was a particularly nasty war."
I gulped. He didn't just want to force them, he waned to hurt them, to make them think it was right. Yet he had no way of making this come about. You don't just say the word and everyone looses emotions.
"How-" I was cut of before I could finish.
Gabriel butted in, "I've been working on it. My dad never cared what I worked on or which scientist I used. I heard about the virus through him, but that was in the early stages when I expressed interest he took an effort to keep things from me. But then, around six months ago, I remembered you. You and your carefully guarded secret on why you really blew up the colony."
Again I was glaring at him. It was my fault, I know. I never should have taken an interest, but curiosity had gotten the better of me and then I ignored it. I had basically spilled out everything onto the computer and left it there for someone to find. And now someone had discovered it, and would use it, and it was my fault.
"Take it, Alex," Gabriel said, holding out the vial to me. "I know that you'd like to. You wouldn't have spent the effort on the project if you hadn't actually wanted to recreate it."
I couldn't answer for a second, then I didn't want to. I didn't want the vial, then I did. I wanted to run, I couldn't. I wanted to yell, but my throat was so dry that I couldn't have said a word. I had been too careless, which was a really big mistake, and now I had fallen into his trap.
His power washed over me and I gasped, pain splitting my head because I fought the pull. 'It would be better,' a voice whispered, 'just do what he wants.' I wouldn't take the vial, I couldn't. Something so simple… it shouldn't have meant so much.
'It would be better…'
How had I let him slip through my boundaries? Why wasn't I watching? Because I wanted to know what he was saying, wanted to know what he thought, wanted the answers so badly… for a moment it hadn't mattered.
'It would be -'
'No!' I yelled at the voice, at all the whispers. "No! No! No! No!"
I felt Gabriel's black power press harder, I felt it squeeze into me, blocking the rage that would save me from rising. He couldn't block everything, though, and the cool anger that swept over me showed that.
It took about two seconds for my head to clear. Gabriel was pushing certain emotions towards me, into me, while pulling others away. I could understand how he was going to create this 'sameness.' If he could produce the power he could alter people minds to only being able to use certain thoughts and feelings. It would be easy for him if the people agreed, and not impossible if they didn't.
I heard Gabriel continue to talk. I couldn't make out what he said, I would remember it later, but the sweet lull of his voice was so comfortable I almost let myself drift in the sound. I had almost stopped fighting.
My anger grew. I didn't think I could be angry, but his coaxing voice was pushing my nerves. I didn't want to relax. I didn't want to do what everything was telling me to. I wouldn't let him win. I couldn't let him be right.
The ice surrounding my mental self grew. The calming cold soothing me, while the strengthening my tattered shield that was the only thing stopping Gabriel from having complete control of my mind.
I let the cold take over, having nothing else that I could do. I was aware of looking around the limo. Nothing had changed. Gabriel still sat across from me, holding out the vial while I sat staring at it. He was trying to mess with my mind, but didn't really want to hurt me.
Violently I shook my head, clearing it. I needed to get away from here, away from him. I couldn't fight him forever, and I didn't know where we were going. Staying here wouldn't help. I would be useless if Gabriel won this fight. Not to mention there would be no one to warn Duo.
Quickly I reached for the door. Jerking it open I almost feel out in my rush to leave the limo. Luckily the limousine wasn't going as fast as it had been when I had first seen it. With a word from Gabriel the limo stopped, I was already outside, walking quickly, piecing my mind back together as I felt Gabriel let it go completely.
I was in a city, the one that my parents lived in. I wondered just how long we were driving, and why we had come here. The streets were uncrowded, most shops having closed awhile before we had showed up. Streetlights seemed to glare down on me. I continued walking.
"Alex," Gabriel called. I turned to see him leaning against the limousine. I hadn't heard him leave the limo, but he stood outside with the door even closed. I gave myself a reminder to pay attention more.
Gabriel grinned slightly, his glasses gone allowing me to see into his eyes. He was laughing at me, silently. He still held the vial, but at his side. His grin widened slightly as he showed me the vial for just a second before he tossed it casually into the air. My heart skipped a beat as I stared into Gabriel's uncaring eyes. I thought he was going to drop it for a moment, but then he caught it swiftly and casually, as if he wasn't playing with death. I allowed myself a deep sigh of relief.
Then he let it go.
I forgot how to breathe as fear caught in my throat. Taking a step forward I knew I would get there too late if I tried. I wasn't sure how much damage a single vial could do, but I knew it didn't take even a drop to kill a person. The virus would be caught in the air. It would be carried off to kill throughout the city.
I closed my eyes, not wanting to look when it hit the ground. Terror clung to me, I didn't know what to do. Getting a hold of myself I slowed my breathing, as time seemed to slow down.
Memories flashed.
V stood across from me as we prepared to get into mobile suit, wearing his trickster smile… Mathew greeting me for the first time… a mock battle, surrounded by suits… red, nothing but red… Zechs helping me to get Julia off the base… Olaf "Questioning" me… The Zero System taking control… the first time I used the Gemini…
Different images swamped me, all having two things in common. First, the all took place on the Delta colony, and second, they were all tinted red.
'Synz?' I asked, too emotionally drained to be scarred.
More images:
The hot rage filling me as Olaf threw me across the room… Mathew shooting two spies, killing them… a lab where the first virus was made, a bomb sitting in the middle of it… V pulling out a gun to help me…
Fire, too much fire, and it seemed real. Not a memory that I knew would come next. Blistering hot flame that didn't burn my flesh, that didn't harm a single hair on me because I was what created it.
I choked on a scream, falling to me knees. Gabriel stood staring wide eyes at the circle of fire that floated in a ring around me. I blinked back painful tears as the ring slowly faded into nothingness. I didn't know what had happened.
Synz? It couldn't be… but the broken glass at Gabriel's feet was very dry, the virus gone, destroyed. It must have been burned away, which was both good and bad. Good because it wouldn't hurt anyone, bad because if Synz really stopped it I was in trouble. The memories were gone, locked back in the place of unwanted thoughts. But what had happened?
I hadn't felt Synz since the colony… but everything seemed to be coming back. The good with the bad. I thought Synz was gone. It was only a mobile suit system. I shouldn't say only, it had helped me a lot.
System NeoZero: Synz. Based off of the Zero system that I use in my gundam, RedZero. Synz would use your memories to tell you things, I wasn't sure what all it could do, but it could do a lot. It was very effective, with one drawback. If you used if after mastering the Zero system it stays with you. It had been both a blessing and a curse.
Gabriel looked shaken, but he was recovering. When he had calmed down enough to talk he did. "Alex… that was amazing," there was a slight trace of awe in his voice, and a slight trace of fear. The fear gave me hope.
"Glad to know that I did something right, even if I don't know what it was," I said hoarsely.
Suddenly Gabriel changed, back to his confident self. He pulled out his glasses, putting them on to help hide his emotions. I was glad he needed something to help him. It meant I had done something very, very good.
"Before I forget," he said coldly, irritated that I had gotten to him, "I was heading to see your mother when I came across you. Sense I'm sure you'll be rushing to her please say that I send my regards," he grinned, "When she wakes up," he added.
I froze. "Wakes up?" my voice was cautious.
Gabriel nodded. "Yes, it seems she got into an accident on her way to my convention this afternoon. She was taken to the Dorlin Hospital…"
I didn't hear anything else he said. I was running the second what he said actually made sense. My mind wasn't working fast enough, I'd have to fix that. Right now, though, I just wanted to get to my mom.
Hello again... This chapter's a little wierder *shrugs* I like it. And I'm starting to figure out how it ends... Which is always a good thing. Once again, thanks for all the reviews! Thank you new people, and once again I'm thanking Mooncancer, you are the never ending reviewer and I do apprieciate it. Now what else to say... can't think of anything.
~Rave
Ten minutes later I was walking down my street. The sun was fading into a pinkish red twilight with the clouds holding traces of purple on their edges. It was a scene I would have painted if I was any good with a paintbrush.
The coming night was empty as few cars drove by. I walked out of the residential area to a road that was lined on both sides with tall, thick forests. I wasn't sure how long I had been walking, but the trees made me feel better, and it was growing dark. Two good signs to head back. The sun was almost completely gone and there weren't any streetlights where I was. Turning around I began walking back towards the apartment.
Around five minutes after I had turned around a car flew by, going at least 70mph on a 25mph road. Looking after it, wishing that I had a horn to honk, I noticed that it was actually a black limo. About a hundred yards up the road it jerked to a sudden stop, its wheels squealing in their effort to slow themselves down. I continued walking, but cautiously doing so. The limousine slowly moved backwards in my direction.
When we came in line with each other the limo had stopped. I thought it would, but kept walking anyway, not caring who was in the limo as I counted all the options.
It didn't surprise me when Gabriel stepped out. He was dressed in black, slacks, a dress shirt and his expensive sunglasses that seemed out of place since there wasn't any sunlight. With a smile he bowed his head slightly in greeting. "Alex, how nice to see you," he said, "It's quite a coincidence that I came across you. May I ask why you're out walking?"
"You could ask but I'm not going to answer," I stated as I continued to walk. Suddenly I was happy that I had brought a gun with me. When there's an assassin after me it seems like a good idea.
Gabriel started walking too, his limo staying parallel to him. he took his time catching up to me. I wondered why he even bothered. Why was he even talking to me?
"So how is Duo doing?" Gabriel asked. I didn't answer so he continued. "Okay so if you don't want to talk about Duo tell me about Jack." His voice didn't change, or his expression, nothing I saw did, yet there was a difference. One I could feel.
I didn't really want to answer the question, but I didn't anyway. "Jack… he was fine last time I saw him. There's not much I can really tell you."
"And what was on the disk?" he asked.
I clinched my teeth, but again there was something. I almost had to answer. "I don't know. I didn't have time to look." I was getting nervous. Normally I wouldn't answer the question, I wasn't sure why I had.
"Was that all you took?" his voice still hadn't changed.
I didn't answer. But I wanted to… no, wait, I didn't…
My head was spinning, barely able to focus on my thoughts. I wouldn't answer. Every step I took was pushing me, but I wouldn't answer. My throat grew soar from staying silent. I had the feeling that lying would make things worse, but I couldn't tell him anything. Gabriel didn't say a thing. He just kept walking. My head began to pound, to ache even worse. I stopped walking as my vision blurred. I focused on breathing. Something was wrong and I had to figure out what. If I didn't I would be in worse trouble.
Something sparked in me, just a flicker of feeling, a second of anger, and years of fear. 'Go away!' I yelled at myself, but the anger boiled inside of me, ignoring my commands. Someone was in my mind, and I hadn't known.
The anger raced through me, dragging me with it as it plummeted into the part of me that was psychic. I pushed my mind outwards, seeing everything. The driver might as well have been mindless, he though little enough, but other than that there was no other human 'light' for over a mile, yet there was one other aura.
Gabriel's power flared like a black hole, consuming power, changing it, controlling it. He loomed over me, curious, as if his prey had just done something he found amusing. The was beyond dimming your aura, especially when his power seemed to yell "Danger, don't come here!" Mentally I shuddered.
"What are you?" I gasped.
The dark power began to grow irritated. It would have terrified me if I hadn't already been burning with such a hot rage. I doubted he could touch me without a consequence. I didn't know who would win a fight, though, and that was what mattered.
"Answer my question Alex, what else did you take?" his voice was smooth, soft, comforting, but it was all lies.
The burning inside of me came forward, wanting to see this new challenge. I held no control, not being able to think of what to do. My rage studied Gabriel. It didn't like what it saw. The darkness and wickedness mixed in with him was enough to make me gag, but I didn't have to deal with it. I wasn't sure what happened, but it was as if a wall of fire instantly surrounded my mind, burning Gabriel out, forcing him to leave me alone.
I pulled back, physically and psychically. Suddenly all the need, all the desire to answer, was gone. It vanished. In its place was an anger that was slowly calming. It had done what it had came to do. Gabriel was out of my head, and I could think again.
I took a few steps back, not wanting to be near Gabriel. I reached for my gun as soon as I got my footing back, but stopped right before touching it when I looked back at Gabriel.
Gabriel grinned lazily as he held out a thin vial. Deep green liquid slid from one side to the other, almost glowing eerily as the moonlight slid over it. The lid was screwed on tight, but the glass could easily shatter.
"Don't play stupid this time. I know you know what this is. Considering the fact that I found most of my information for it on your computer it would be hard for you to be clueless," he pointed out. "If you don't believe me I'll show you proof, or we can open this here and now." I didn't look at him, I couldn't even focus my vision. Terror ran up and down my spine, taunting me. I never should have looked into the virus… I should have just let it stay destroyed.
"Is there something in particular you want to know?" I asked sounding very calm compared to how I felt.
He shook his head. "No, not really. I just want to talk."
For some reason I didn't believe him, or rather, I didn't think he was telling the complete truth. If he was going to be using whatever powers he had against me I didn't want to be hanging around, yet how could I leave? Blackmail sucked, especially when used against you.
"Why don't we go for a ride?" Gabriel suggested. He motioned me towards the limousine. Cautiously I nodded, not sure what was going on. Gabriel opened the door for me. Not taking my eyes off of him I slid inside. He followed me in, sitting on the opposite side. All the buttons for the windows, doors, and lights were above him. I almost asked him to turn on the radio but decided otherwise. He pressed a button, signaling the driver, and the limo began to move.
"How much do you know about the Missing Persons?" Gabriel asked.
I shrugged. "Less than you."
"I'm not looking for information, Alex," he insisted, sounding almost as if he wanted me to trust him. "Please at least try to understand that."
I shrugged again. It didn't matter what he wanted to talk about. Unless he gave me a good reason, and he had very good reasoning skills. I wouldn't tell him much. It would annoy and irritate and that's all I really wanted to do at the moment, except for maybe find out something about him. Maybe where he made the virus, who all knew about it… and anything else he wanted to tell me. I had the feeling that he wanted me to ask questions, that he would answer all of them. Because of that I kept quiet, not knowing what might happen if I was saying something and he unleashed the force he had used before.
"My guess is that you don't know much," Gabriel stated. "They say you're part of the group but they don't trust you. You could do everything they asked and it wouldn't be enough." The only problem with what he was saying was the fact that I agreed with him. I didn't want him to be right. I wanted to justify not liking him. I wanted him to do something wrong. I didn't want to just have to rely on what I was told.
"And why do you care whether or not I'm in the Missing Persons?" I asked.
He laughed, and it bothered me. "Alex, if someone you know, perhaps Zechs to choose at random, joined your enemy, you would care. Zechs is a force to be reckoned with, and you, you are just as dangerous. I would be a fool not to care. And the fact that you're not truly one of them raises an issue."
I pursed my lips. He was right, again, and I knew he was getting to something. A gut feeling told me that I didn't really want to find out what. Maybe if I could change the subject… but to what? He wouldn't tell me anything that he didn't want me to know. He wouldn't say a thing out of line.
"I might not be truly in the Missing Persons," I said, "but I'm getting closer. Duo doesn't want me in, but he's convinced himself that he does. Zechs doesn't want me in, either, he thinks it would be best for me if I stay away, and maybe it would. Mason and Blake are just along for the ride." The look in Gabriel' eyes showed his agreement.
"You forgot Jack," he pointed out.
I nodded. "I'm not sure about Jack," I admitted.
Gabriel smiled. "Let me help you," he said. "Jack wants to keep you safe from me. He wants you in the Missing Persons because if you don't join you'll be a bigger threat to them than I am. I don't think you'll join them for real. It's not in your nature to hide from the world. But Jack knows that if you don't his precious organization is gone." The fact that there wasn't a bit of doubt in his voice was unnerving.
"What would you have me do?" I asked, curious for the answer.
Gabriel smiled, leaning back in the seat. "What would I have you do? Join the Underground. It would be preferred and the option is open. The problem with that is you'd be harder than most to change into a member," he stated.
Change? Change what, or how? His eyes held the amusement of knowing just what I was thinking. My ignorance just seemed to grow as I learned more, one of the less pleasant side effects of knowledge.
"Change what?" I asked it only because I was dying to know and I knew he wouldn't say a word until I asked.
Gabriel answered, "You don't really change anything. If you did you never could join my organization. I have certain… theories, certain ideas. Most people would think they're cruel, unjust, but others look deeper." Something flashed in his eyes, the emotion had been borderline craziness, so very close but not quite there. I could see why Jack might think he was crazy. I just wondered what exactly his ideas were.
"You fight for absolute peace?" he made it a question. Slowly and carefully I nodded. "Then you're as cruel as I'll ever be." The answer was unexpected, but not startling, though confusing, if only for a moment. He continued before my mind could quite figure out what he meant. "Most people can't figure out why I might think that. Given time I'm sure you could at least understand, even if you don't agree."
I nodded, thinking that I was somewhat understanding what he said, though the bigger picture eluded me. I couldn't call him crazy, he wasn't, and I didn't know what his point was so I couldn't' say he was wrong.
Gabriel continued, "What is absolute peace?" I wasn't supposed to answer the question. "Peace, the very word is near impossible. No fighting, no arguments, anger is barely tolerated. Rage would be out of the question, and with it many of our gifts, but they're part of us. You fight to stop fighting. Smart, but it won't work. The Preventers are an excellent idea, if you want to lead us to true peace." He said peace as if it was a bad thing.
"Have you ever read The Giver?" Gabriel's change in topic confused me for a moment. I wished he would stick with one thing or another. I shook my head to his question, in fact I had never heard of the book. "It's a great story. I think you would like it. Of course it's very old, hundreds of years. Though the accumulating ages hasn't ruined the theme.
"What's it about?" I asked, truly wanting to know.
"Sameness. Complete sameness. No problems, no war, no pain, no hate," he paused to stare intently at me, "but also no joy, no love. The true peace everyone is fighting for. The only way to end the fighting and pain. And even as it creates peace it's horrible. There's no freewill, you do what everyone does, wear what they wear. No color, no music, no true emotions. That is your peace."
He was twisting things, but it was true. I didn't want that, but it was what I had spent years working on. To take away pain, anger, fear… it would be wonderful, but not worth the price. It wouldn't happen, people couldn't be that stupid…
But they could be that desperate.
"What's your point?" I demanded, though fear fluttered in my stomach, rising butterflies, even though I didn't feel scarred.
Gabriel shrugged. "What do you think?" I glared. As much as he made sense it was missing something. His entire theory mount to nothing if he could bring up the missing piece of the puzzle. "People will never see this for themselves. They'll jump right into their undoing without a thought, and they'll never know. I want to show them."
I raised an eyebrow. "You want to show them your 'true peace?'" I asked.
His smile grew tight. "Exactly. They'll bring themselves to it one way or another, but I want to force it on them, to show them just how wrong they are."
He wanted them to go into this 'sameness,' and he wanted to be there to show them why it's so horrible. Sounded a little like trying to play god to me, not to mention it was wrong.
"How could you make them? We're talking about the entire world, they wouldn't all be that desperate," I pointed out.
"No, of course not," he agreed. "But you don't have to do much to start a war. People will believe anything if it would end one, though. Especially if it was a particularly nasty war."
I gulped. He didn't just want to force them, he waned to hurt them, to make them think it was right. Yet he had no way of making this come about. You don't just say the word and everyone looses emotions.
"How-" I was cut of before I could finish.
Gabriel butted in, "I've been working on it. My dad never cared what I worked on or which scientist I used. I heard about the virus through him, but that was in the early stages when I expressed interest he took an effort to keep things from me. But then, around six months ago, I remembered you. You and your carefully guarded secret on why you really blew up the colony."
Again I was glaring at him. It was my fault, I know. I never should have taken an interest, but curiosity had gotten the better of me and then I ignored it. I had basically spilled out everything onto the computer and left it there for someone to find. And now someone had discovered it, and would use it, and it was my fault.
"Take it, Alex," Gabriel said, holding out the vial to me. "I know that you'd like to. You wouldn't have spent the effort on the project if you hadn't actually wanted to recreate it."
I couldn't answer for a second, then I didn't want to. I didn't want the vial, then I did. I wanted to run, I couldn't. I wanted to yell, but my throat was so dry that I couldn't have said a word. I had been too careless, which was a really big mistake, and now I had fallen into his trap.
His power washed over me and I gasped, pain splitting my head because I fought the pull. 'It would be better,' a voice whispered, 'just do what he wants.' I wouldn't take the vial, I couldn't. Something so simple… it shouldn't have meant so much.
'It would be better…'
How had I let him slip through my boundaries? Why wasn't I watching? Because I wanted to know what he was saying, wanted to know what he thought, wanted the answers so badly… for a moment it hadn't mattered.
'It would be -'
'No!' I yelled at the voice, at all the whispers. "No! No! No! No!"
I felt Gabriel's black power press harder, I felt it squeeze into me, blocking the rage that would save me from rising. He couldn't block everything, though, and the cool anger that swept over me showed that.
It took about two seconds for my head to clear. Gabriel was pushing certain emotions towards me, into me, while pulling others away. I could understand how he was going to create this 'sameness.' If he could produce the power he could alter people minds to only being able to use certain thoughts and feelings. It would be easy for him if the people agreed, and not impossible if they didn't.
I heard Gabriel continue to talk. I couldn't make out what he said, I would remember it later, but the sweet lull of his voice was so comfortable I almost let myself drift in the sound. I had almost stopped fighting.
My anger grew. I didn't think I could be angry, but his coaxing voice was pushing my nerves. I didn't want to relax. I didn't want to do what everything was telling me to. I wouldn't let him win. I couldn't let him be right.
The ice surrounding my mental self grew. The calming cold soothing me, while the strengthening my tattered shield that was the only thing stopping Gabriel from having complete control of my mind.
I let the cold take over, having nothing else that I could do. I was aware of looking around the limo. Nothing had changed. Gabriel still sat across from me, holding out the vial while I sat staring at it. He was trying to mess with my mind, but didn't really want to hurt me.
Violently I shook my head, clearing it. I needed to get away from here, away from him. I couldn't fight him forever, and I didn't know where we were going. Staying here wouldn't help. I would be useless if Gabriel won this fight. Not to mention there would be no one to warn Duo.
Quickly I reached for the door. Jerking it open I almost feel out in my rush to leave the limo. Luckily the limousine wasn't going as fast as it had been when I had first seen it. With a word from Gabriel the limo stopped, I was already outside, walking quickly, piecing my mind back together as I felt Gabriel let it go completely.
I was in a city, the one that my parents lived in. I wondered just how long we were driving, and why we had come here. The streets were uncrowded, most shops having closed awhile before we had showed up. Streetlights seemed to glare down on me. I continued walking.
"Alex," Gabriel called. I turned to see him leaning against the limousine. I hadn't heard him leave the limo, but he stood outside with the door even closed. I gave myself a reminder to pay attention more.
Gabriel grinned slightly, his glasses gone allowing me to see into his eyes. He was laughing at me, silently. He still held the vial, but at his side. His grin widened slightly as he showed me the vial for just a second before he tossed it casually into the air. My heart skipped a beat as I stared into Gabriel's uncaring eyes. I thought he was going to drop it for a moment, but then he caught it swiftly and casually, as if he wasn't playing with death. I allowed myself a deep sigh of relief.
Then he let it go.
I forgot how to breathe as fear caught in my throat. Taking a step forward I knew I would get there too late if I tried. I wasn't sure how much damage a single vial could do, but I knew it didn't take even a drop to kill a person. The virus would be caught in the air. It would be carried off to kill throughout the city.
I closed my eyes, not wanting to look when it hit the ground. Terror clung to me, I didn't know what to do. Getting a hold of myself I slowed my breathing, as time seemed to slow down.
Memories flashed.
V stood across from me as we prepared to get into mobile suit, wearing his trickster smile… Mathew greeting me for the first time… a mock battle, surrounded by suits… red, nothing but red… Zechs helping me to get Julia off the base… Olaf "Questioning" me… The Zero System taking control… the first time I used the Gemini…
Different images swamped me, all having two things in common. First, the all took place on the Delta colony, and second, they were all tinted red.
'Synz?' I asked, too emotionally drained to be scarred.
More images:
The hot rage filling me as Olaf threw me across the room… Mathew shooting two spies, killing them… a lab where the first virus was made, a bomb sitting in the middle of it… V pulling out a gun to help me…
Fire, too much fire, and it seemed real. Not a memory that I knew would come next. Blistering hot flame that didn't burn my flesh, that didn't harm a single hair on me because I was what created it.
I choked on a scream, falling to me knees. Gabriel stood staring wide eyes at the circle of fire that floated in a ring around me. I blinked back painful tears as the ring slowly faded into nothingness. I didn't know what had happened.
Synz? It couldn't be… but the broken glass at Gabriel's feet was very dry, the virus gone, destroyed. It must have been burned away, which was both good and bad. Good because it wouldn't hurt anyone, bad because if Synz really stopped it I was in trouble. The memories were gone, locked back in the place of unwanted thoughts. But what had happened?
I hadn't felt Synz since the colony… but everything seemed to be coming back. The good with the bad. I thought Synz was gone. It was only a mobile suit system. I shouldn't say only, it had helped me a lot.
System NeoZero: Synz. Based off of the Zero system that I use in my gundam, RedZero. Synz would use your memories to tell you things, I wasn't sure what all it could do, but it could do a lot. It was very effective, with one drawback. If you used if after mastering the Zero system it stays with you. It had been both a blessing and a curse.
Gabriel looked shaken, but he was recovering. When he had calmed down enough to talk he did. "Alex… that was amazing," there was a slight trace of awe in his voice, and a slight trace of fear. The fear gave me hope.
"Glad to know that I did something right, even if I don't know what it was," I said hoarsely.
Suddenly Gabriel changed, back to his confident self. He pulled out his glasses, putting them on to help hide his emotions. I was glad he needed something to help him. It meant I had done something very, very good.
"Before I forget," he said coldly, irritated that I had gotten to him, "I was heading to see your mother when I came across you. Sense I'm sure you'll be rushing to her please say that I send my regards," he grinned, "When she wakes up," he added.
I froze. "Wakes up?" my voice was cautious.
Gabriel nodded. "Yes, it seems she got into an accident on her way to my convention this afternoon. She was taken to the Dorlin Hospital…"
I didn't hear anything else he said. I was running the second what he said actually made sense. My mind wasn't working fast enough, I'd have to fix that. Right now, though, I just wanted to get to my mom.
Hello again... This chapter's a little wierder *shrugs* I like it. And I'm starting to figure out how it ends... Which is always a good thing. Once again, thanks for all the reviews! Thank you new people, and once again I'm thanking Mooncancer, you are the never ending reviewer and I do apprieciate it. Now what else to say... can't think of anything.
~Rave