The beginning of this will be based off the last chapter in the Gundam Wing: Episode Zero manga. It is a part of a story that just cuts off at one point and leaves you to think about what could happened. The first chapter in this fanfic will be about what is in the manga, the other chapter, which will come later by me, will be about what could have happened from my perspective. I hope you all enjoy how I wrote this from the manga. Any feed back will be very much appreciated. And maybe some of you could write your own interpretation of what could have happened.
Ja ne!
Another thing. All the wording in this first chapter will be exactly the same as it is in the American manga.
Gundam Wing
Episode Zero
W
Preventer 5
Chapter 1: Ransom
By
Raisha Bregail
A.C. 197, April 08
The Sanc Kingdom Castle was a large bustle of activity. Relena Darlian had called a large celebration informing everyone that it would be a surprise. Some believed it to be when Operation Meteor was suppose to occur the first time. Others believed it was about the ending of the Colony Wars. There were three guests that weren't speculating about what it could be; Catherine, Une and Mariemaia, were just enjoying the celebration. Everyone waited for their hostess to arrive as they chatted, hoping that it was something of great significance.
"Everyone…" Relena's strong voice catching everyone's attention the first time. "Thank you so much for coming here today."
Relena was beautiful in the dress she wore to the event. The dress was a pure white, with soft rose pink gloves and a bow in the back. A small dark sapphire broach connected to the high v in her neck line. The broach was also attached to a small piece of clothe that connected to another broach. That in turn was connected to a hanging white choker. Her ear rings were the same dark sapphire as the broaches with tear drop pearls hanging from each. Catherine, Une and Mariemaia noticed that Relena had let her hair grow out a little since the last they had seen her.
Relena was about to continue with what she was to say, but the door to the party hall were thrown open and seven armed gunmen wearing camouflage fatigues came running in. They had large handkerchiefs covering half their faces and dark sunglasses, preventing anyone from seeing there faces. The thing that scared most of the patrons was that all of them were brandishing automatic weapons.
Outraged by the intrusion to the event Relena stepped forward. "Who are you people?!"
A man with blond hair stepped in front of Relena. There was a feel to this man like he was the leader of those people. Relena scowled at him tainting the peace of her kingdom.
Everyone was taken down to one of the lower-level rooms. One that provided shelter from an attack, if one was to happen against the kingdom. There were no windows in the room, nor anyway to see what would be happening outside the palace. The only thing was the over head speakers in the ceiling. Everyone turned their attention to the speakers as they heard them come on. Four of the occupants of the room also knew that what they would be hearing would also be transmitted on all military frequencies.
"We, 'Epyon De Telos,' have occupied the Sanc Kingdom Castle. Our demands are as follows…
"The right to bear arms. The release of our imprisoned comrades. One third of the Earth Sphere Unified Nation budget as ransom.
"If these demands are not met within 24 hours, we will detonate a nuclear warhead…
"That is all!"
-------------------
"The Sanc Kingdom Castle was captured?!" Sally Po asked in disbelief.
Wufei had told of the news since he knew that she used a frequency that the Preventer's only had access to.
"Yes. Shall we seize this chance to take over the world?" Wufei asked back, not trying to hide his joking smile.
"Yeah, real funny… So how many of 'em are there?" Sally did not like hearing this new at all.
"Just 20. If we forget about the hostages, I can go finish this right now…" His face was blank with that statement, meaning he was very serious.
"No! That's not acceptable! Think of another way."
Wufei smiled again at that. "Alright… Then can you call for backup?"
"How many do you need? I can get 200 people together within 20 hours…"
"No," Wufei interrupted her. "then the Sanc Kingdom will be a mushroom cloud."
Sally was determined to get the Sanc Kingdom some help. "Then I'll get a hundred in 18 hours!"
Wufei shock his head. "We hardly need that many… Five, including myself, will be enough."
"Five?" She asked back in surprise. "Only five people?"
"I'll tell you where to find them." Wufei said, giving her a sly smile.
-------------------
Hilde looked at Sally like she was a little sad for her friend. Sally had just asked if Duo was there, and knew that the reason for the visit was business.
"He's… Not here…" Hilde hesitated telling Sally. "He wandered off, as usual…
"He won't be back for a while."
A lone person was sitting on the outside of the colony watching the moon. He had once thought it was just a stupid chunk of rock, but seeing it from the Earth had changed his perspective and now he loved to watch it drift.
Duo just sat in the cold of space, safely tucked inside the spacesuit. He didn't notice someone walking slowly towards him.
"Thought you'd be here."
Duo turned in the direction of the closest hatch and saw a familiar friend coming.
"Hey, long time no see!" He greeted Sally as she stopped a few feet from him.
"I have a job for you." She was taking the direct approach.
"Heh, not if it's going to be a pain." Duo enjoyed being where he was. He didn't want to go back to fighting unless it was very important.
Sally smiled at him. "You'll… Like the reward…"
-------------------
Quatre was busy at work; going through documents, checking files. His desk was a never ending pile of papers. Someone always bringing in more papers for him to look through and sign. This was just getting to be too much for him.
When the door to his office opened some papers tried to float off Quatre's desk. He grabbed the papers while they were in the air and put them back on their piles. Sighing as he held in his ever growing temper wasn't helping.
"Excuse me, could you close the door? It's taken me three days just to read these files." Quatre growled at the person.
"Got a lot of work?" Wufei asked his friend.
Quatre stood up with a start, dropping some files on the floor. He was flabbergasted to see his old friend, Wufei giving one of his smug smiles.
"W-Wufei...!" He didn't care now that papers were flying off his desk.
"Something's happened. I was going to ask for your help."
"Something's…?" Quatre was confused by that. Wufei never asked for help, unless it was very serious.
"But I won't force you. And… I have no time for persuasion." Wufei emphasizing that Quatre's help was really needed.
"You need me?!" This was the first time in weeks, Quatre was smiling.
"You more than anyone…"
"I'll go! I'll do anything! I was just thinking that this isn't really me."
Quatre didn't say anything else as he walked quickly over to the hidden door in his office. He silently thanked his father's spirit for putting that in long ago. Ushering Wufei through to leave as fast as possible, he looked at the office one last time before leaving behind his friend. Quatre had closed the door right when one of his assistants walked in with more paper work.
"Master Quatre, here are the latest accounts."
He was only greeted with the sound of papers blowing of the office desk.
"Master Quatre?"
-------------------
"It's almost time for Trowa's act! Pay attention!"
Quatre and Wufei had just finished telling Trowa of the Sanc Kingdom, and Catherine had heard it too. She looked a bit surprised that they needed his help, but Trowa didn't. He gave a nod when he heard the Ring Leader yell it was time to start the performance.
"All rights… Let's go."
"T-Trowa!" Cather sounded like she was going to protest his going.
"And thank you for that… unpalatable soup." Wufei retorted to her, so she wouldn't throw such a fit at Trowa's leaving, again.
"Hey! If anything happens to Trowa, I'll feed you that soup again!"
"Only 10 hours to their deadline. Let's hurry." Quatre said to Wufei, hoping to stop any coming fight.
"Are you sure about this?" Wufei asked Trowa as they walked away from the noisy circus.
"Don't worry. She's only my guardian."
-------------------
All the persons that were to be involved in the mission were gathered at one of the Sanc Kingdom's churches. The only one person that Wufei hadn't been able to find was Heero, but then again, he had a habit of showing up when he was needed. Now they just had to come up with a plan to get all the hostages out and stop the terrorists. Quatre and Wufei were looking over a map of the castle.
"The basement of this pool connects to that of the Sanc Kingdom Castle." Quatre pointed out to his friends after thoroughly looking over the map.
"Isn't that were he hid the Wing Gundam once?" Wufei asked.
"Yes."
There were interrupted in their conversation as Sally entered the room. She looked a little down-trotten as she came in.
"I couldn't find Heero anywhere."
"Oh, Heero wouldn't sit wtill at a time like this…" Quatre said cheerfully to Sally.
"Huh?" She had no idea what he was talking about.
"He's already here." Wufei said as he lowered his head in slight meditation.
Sally jumped slightly as the door she had just shut opened. Heero walked in, not even acknowledging her, and looked at his fellow pilots.
"Let's hear it."
"Duo and Trowa are surveying the castle interior." Quatre explained to him.
Heero reached inside of his jacket when he heard that. "I've made a little toy. It should come in useful."
He placed what looked like a tape recorder on the table and pushed a button on it.
"Point D here, no problems."
Quatre's smile brightened upon hearing that. "A voice coder."
"I see. It'll answer for the guards that we take out." Wufei even sounded a little chipper.
"Perfect. Thanks!" Sally said as she pocketed the coder.
They then started trying to form a plan on what they should do. They all knew the castle, but not like Relena or Noin did. This would most likely be one of the most difficult missions they would ever do, and it needed to go flawlessly. As they were talking about how to get all the hostages out, Dou and Trowa walked into the room.
"Wow. That castle's been turned into a fortress!" Duo said as he came walking up to the group. "Video cameras installed everywere, armed soldiers keeping watch in one-hour shifts…"
"The problem is, we don't know where they're keeping the hostages. We'll have to give up. Unless we come driving tanks." Trowa told the others as he sat down.
"Nope, just the one mobile suit." Quatre told Trowa.
"A mobile suit…?" That was something Heero wasn't expecting to hear.
"It's a fake, but we made it look like the Wing Zero." Wufei let Heero know.
"Fake?" Duo didn't sound to confindant of knowing that.
"Yes. All it can do is walk." Sally let him know, to reassure him a little.
"Hey, you sure that's gonna work?" He asks for good measure.
"We'll prioritize human life in th is mission—there will be no casualties. Of course, we won't let them use the nuke either." Quatre tells everyone.
"I have no objections. But is that possible if we don't use force?" Heero questions his friend.
"Just listen to me." He emphasizes to Heero. "First Trowas gets into the monitor room, and sends a dummy image to the monitor screens. It's danderous, but only you can do it."
"I don't mind. I'm good with tightropes."
"Meanwhile…
"Wufei and Sally take the ransom money over."
Sally had talked with him earlier about this, and she told everyone what was going to happen next.
"And I get killed Duo. Who's pretending to be a berserk soldier."
"Sure, that'll cause a riot!" Duo said with a huge grin.
"The timing will be crucial. Wufei must get away." Quatre reminded him.
"I know that." Wufei seemed a little surprised that he had mentioned that.
Duo got that mischievous look in his eyes and looked at Wufei. "Want me to use real bullets?" He finished that with a wink.
"Hmph. I might end up killing you first." Wufei shot back.
Quatre cleared his throat a little to get back on the subject. "Wufei will remain in the castle, and meet me as I get through the basement. We'll wait in the underground shelter. Duo will be confined as a rebel…
"So we'll hope that Relena and the others will be there too."
"And if not?" Heero asked.
"That's why we've prepared the fake Wing Zero. You'll pilot it, and say you've come to bring them under control. They'll say something like 'W-wait! We have a nucleur weapon! You'll be killed too!' And you'll say something along the lines of 'So What? That was my girl. It's not worth living anymore.' When they hear that, they'll run to the nucleur shelter."
Wufei didn't look to sure of that plan. "They might not take the hostages to the shelter."
"Then we can lock them up in the shelter, and save the hostages at our leisure." Sally told him reassuringly.
"Okay, perfect!"
"Alright, let's go!"
MISSION COMMENCED…
This is where your's, and mine, imagination comes in. Come up with the continued parts to this fic. Let's see how many different things can happen.
Raisha Bregail