Love and Betrayal:
Chapter Three
Midii whined slightly as the jet lag crept upon her. Slapping her face, she scolded herself for being so weak. The city's lights flickered below as the space shuttle slowly made it's way toward the airport. Rummaging through the files on her lap, she quickly skimmed for the new coordinates of Cerberus headquarters. Boy would they be glad to hear the information she had found for them.
But ambivalence hung heavy around her. Quickly she shuffled the papers back into the file. They now felt like fire and she didn't want to touch them. Her thoughts began to drift. "Nanashi…" she whispered, only audible to herself. How she had longed for him over the years, to see his face again and to have those eyes locked onto hers.
Everyday she had waited, waited for news on the boy who had no name. But nothing every arose, and she feared that he had died like so many other soldiers in the war. She had almost given up hope until that day when the rebellion had been intercepted by the Gundams.
After he left her, she had taken it upon herself to learn how to control a mobile suit. Her movements were choppy and usually predictable, but she could survive, that was all that mattered. And maybe, if she were lucky, she would meet him again. Out on the battlefield, just as they had so, so long ago.
But they had been too strong and the rebellion's small uprising had been easily crushed, and she defeated. And even as she lie dying beneath her mobile suit, his face still plagued her mind. Soon she beckoned for death, wanting nothing more then to erase the face that haunted her from her memory. She wanted to be free from his gaze, from the guilt that he had set upon her. Yet at the same time, she wanted to stare into his emerald eyes and be held in his strong arms.
As she had slowly fallen into the impending darkness, she felt arms encase her battered figure. 'Just let me die!' her mind screamed in anguish. A few moments later she could feel a warm liquid flowing steadily from her side. Then something tightened around her waist and the flowing was subdued.
"She needs help. Now." she had heard someone murmur. Why did they care? Why did she matter? Was she not just another casualty of war?
'Don't you understand? God, why can't you understand?! I want to die! Leave me alone!' she wanted to scream, but her scorched throat could manage no more then a simple groan.
But hours later, when she had finally awoken and pain still riddled her body, she heard it. The voice she had longed to hear for so many years. Oh how she had wanted to hear him speak to her again, to hear that calm voice that never showed any hint of emotion. It drove her wild how she could love him so much, yet thrive on nothing but the memory of his voice and intent gaze. She wanted to cry out to him, to apologize for all that had happened and to tell him that she loved him. But all those things died upon her lips, and all that had escaped was his name. "Nan…ashi…"
Snapping herself out of her daydream, she shook herself wildly. "Why is he always the one to save me?!" she questioned herself angrily. "I'm no use to anyone alive…" Subconsciously she heard him reply, "…Neither am I."
Midii clutched her head in torment. She had nothing in this world, not even the love of Nanashi. She was empty, like he had once been. She had no family, no guilt. Even her job meant next to nothing to her. She tried to stand; perhaps a walk around the cabin would clear her head, but pain racked her side as she did. Growling with annoyance she sat back down and placed her head gently against the cool window. She inhaled deeply and held it for a few seconds before releasing. Slowly she returned to her normal, unemotional self. It had been so long that she had given up hope and buried her emotions deep within her heart. Now she was simply a soldier, a spy, a nothing, twined into a world corrupted by war and hatred.
She smiled inwardly as she realized the cruel paradox. "My dear Nanashi…" she whispered mockingly, "Can I never remove myself from your fate? Am I condemned to always be connected to you?" Her eyelids fluttered slightly. "Is it really my fault?"
She sighed as the sleep tugged at her senses. 'No,' she ordered herself sternly. 'You can't fall asleep; be alert, be awake.' But even as the words repeated over and over in her mind, she slowly fell into a restless slumber.
*The crash of mobile suits pierced through the night and exploded in her ears. Metal scraped against metal, sounding like that of nails on a chalkboard. Sulfur intoxicated her lungs as she tried to scream in horror.
As she looked upwards, she witnessed an old rebel mobile suit crash to ruins as it was struck down by the Alliance. It fell at her feet, sparking and threatening to explode only a few meters in front of her. Midii's eyes glazed with terror. What was happening? What had she done?
"Midii! Grab on!" she heard someone shout desperately from behind. As she turned around a motorcycle came racing into view, driven by a small boy. As he stopped for a moment, letting her straddle the seat behind him, she noticed his eyes. A deep green, flickering between emerald and jade. They were completely emotionless, yet at the same time they cried out to all of those who saw them; they screamed out the story of a lost childhood, a lost love, and a lost soul.
"I'm not going to thank you," she shouted, though not sure why. He had saved her; didn't he at least deserve that much?
"I wasn't expecting it." he replied, never blinking as they darted between the mobile suits. Midii grabbed a tighter hold around the boy's waist and shut her eyes, trying to hold back the tears that threatened to slide down her ashen cheeks. Burying her face in the deep folds of his jacket, she breathed in his musty scent. The smell of grease and oil from the mechanics shed, the smell of grass from the countless hours he spent lounging in the fields, staring out into space, and an unidentifiable aroma. She couldn't explain how it smelled, just that when it reached her nostrils it sent waves of warmth swimming through her body, and everything seemed right in the world.
But suddenly she was no longer that little girl holding onto a boy for dear life. She was an 18-year-old woman, gazing across a field shattered in the wake of war. Blood stained the earth and conquered suits lay tarnished and collecting moss.
The wind howled around her, biting at her face, grabbing her hair and piercing through her jacket. "It's your fault!" it screamed. "It's all your fault!"
"No!" she cried back. "I had to save my family! I had to save my brothers, my father. They would have died without me!"
"Then where are they now?" the wind questioned, dancing around her tauntingly. The tears in which Midii had fought so valiantly to suppress now caressed her face as the haunting image of four whitewashed graves came into focus. "You betrayed your own comrades and you betrayed Nanashi. And for what? They died anyway. It was all your fault…" Midii fell to her knees. She couldn't breath, she couldn't walk, she couldn't stand. All she could do was brake down and cry.
Gradually, as it continued to torment her, the wind took shape, molding itself into the lean figure of grown boy. A large sweep of dark brown hair obstructed half of his face. His green eyes burned with rage, yet at the same time sent ice cold gazes toward the crying figure. "It's all your fault." he spoke.
Midii looked up at the figure. "Nanashi…" she whispered desperately, climbing to her feet. "Nanashi I'm so sorry!" She tried futilely to reach him, but every time she neared, the apparition would simply glide away just out of her range.
"It was all your fault," he said, his voice neither calm nor angry. "It was all your fault, and it will be your fault again." With that, he turned back into the wind and blew away, the words 'Your fault,' still echoing in the breeze.*
Midii jerked awake as the shuttle bounced onto the runway. As it came to a gliding halt, she grabbed her file and jacket off the back of the chair. Ignoring the pain that coursed through her body, she pushed her way to the exit.
"No," she spoke aloud, though to no one in particular, "You're wrong!" And as she made her way to the taxi, she said again, "It was never my fault."
"Duo…" Sally cooed, trying to get him to regain consciousness. He sighed slightly. The room was crowded with the entire gundam squad. Trowa stood silently in the corner, lost in his own realm of thought. The disappearance of the rebel soldier had puzzled them all. And the only one who knew anything about her escape had been unconscious for the past hour.
"Duo, wake up." Sally said, shaking him slightly. Irritated, Heero walked over to the hospital cot, grabbed the mattress and flipped it over, the pilot still lying on top. Duo fell to the floor with a thud. Sally let out a gasp of shock. "Heero!" He simply waited for the braided boy to pick himself up off the floor.
"Get up," he ordered sternly. With labored movements, Duo rose to his knees, then to his feet. He rubbed the back of his neck gingerly.
"Christ Heero, there are easier ways to waking someone up ya know!" Heero said nothing but stared at him sternly.
"What the hell happened?" Wu Fei demanded. Duo looked around the room dumbly, then began to massage his jaw.
"She hit me." The group could barely suppress their laughs. Even Heero began to snicker. Wu Fei shook his head reproachfully.
"Knocked out by a woman…" he spoke incredulously.
"Dude, she's no ordinary girl!" Duo shouted, trying desperately to defend himself. "She had one mean left hook." Then, leaning around Wu Fei, he glanced at Trowa in the corner, still lost in thought. "You sure know how to pick 'em Trowa." Trowa made no reply, only turned and left the room.
"Heero Yuy: Pilot of Gundam Zero One. Easily most serious of the group. Looked at as the Perfect Soldier for his total lack of emotion during battle. History unknown. Currently involved with peace delegate Relena Peacecraft Dorlian.
Duo Maxwell: Pilot of Gundam Zero Two- Deathscythe Hell. Cocky, but nicknamed the Great Shingami. Owner of Maxwell Scrap Yard. Currently involved with Hilde Stienbeck.
Trowa Barton: Pilot of Gundam Zero Three- Heavyarms. Real name unknown. Past unknown. Works at circus with adoptive sister Catherine Bloom. Currently uninvolved.
Quatre Raberba Winner: Pilot of Gundam Zero Four- Sandrock. Heir to Winner Industries. Protected by the Maquanack Core. Youngest and only male of family of 28. Parents' deceased. Currently involved with Dorothy Catalonia, granddaughter of Duke Dermail.
Chang Wu-Fei: Pilot of Gundam Zero Five- Altron. Experienced in the Martial Arts. Known to have a hot temper and rush into situations. Very apprehensive about justice. Colony destroyed during the war of A.C. 195. Currently involved with Sally Po, group physician.
Base currently located on colony XJ289311 in the celestial district. Current number of troops near 830,000 and steadily increasing. Base moved every six months. Next scheduled move in 5 weeks."
"This is very interesting material Miss Une," Colonel Humaki stated, leafing through the papers neatly assembled in the folder. He was a lean man, only in his early twenties or so. His hair was a deep brown, almost to the point where it was black. "But if you don't mind, indulge me. How did you come across such an abundance of information and yet still have such a successful escape?" He had deep brown, almond shaped eyes that were capable of sending chills down a victims spine with a mere glance. He had been notorious during the Eve Wars for his violent interrogations and brutal battle methods. Known for sacrificing his own men when necessary, it hadn't taken him long to gain respect among the ranks of soldiers and become military commander. However there was always one that condescended him willingly and he hated her fully.
Midii Une sat in front of the rebel leader, twirling strands of her blonde hair around her fore finger. The blinds were drawn, allowing only a few rays of sunlight to filter into the room. But the light danced on her golden highlights and accented her face beautifully. She grinned deviously.
"It was quite simple really," she responded, tossing the strand over her shoulder and beginning to twirl another. "And if you were to read my report you would understand it quite clearly and easily." He glared at her suspiciously. He had always hated her snide remarks and idiosyncrasy. He would have liked to dispose of her long ago, if she hadn't been the best damn spy on their team. She was invaluable, and for that he tolerated her rude character. Reviewing back through the papers, he placed his middle finger on the text.
"It says that while you were battling you went to attack Gundam Heavyarms but were shot down. Is that correct?" Her eyes gleamed maliciously and she nodded for him to continue. Humaki gritted his teeth and continued.
"Then after the battle you were supposedly rescued by the same pilot in which had just attacked you. He brought you back to their headquarters where you were treated and healed." He stopped reading and gazed at her from across the mahogany desktop. "I understand your report clearly enough, but what I am still skeptical about is how in fact you obtained this information when you were unconscious during recovery." Midii tossed the strand of hair aside. She concealed her annoyance as she gazed intently at the colonel.
"You would be amazed at how much information you can easily obtain when someone believes you to be unconscious." But she had left something out. 'You're protecting him again.' her mind warned her. 'You remember last time you tried to defend him. Don't think that things will end as smoothly as last time. If you plan to betray him, do it now. Why not? It does not matter anymore…nothing matters anymore…' Midii swallowed hard and tired to retain her cool composer. 'Oh but it does,' she answered herself, dipping back into the foolhardy girl she had been so long ago. 'It matters very much.'
Little by little realization crept across Humaki's face and slowly the corners of his lips turned upwards. Then a growl began to grow in the back of his throat before exploding into a full-fledged laugh. Soon tears formed in the corners of his eyes. "The imbeciles!" he shouted joyously. "The old playing possum trick! They have no conception that they have just been swindled do they?"
"You old fool," Midii growled. "Of course they have some clue. One of the pilots had kept a daily vigil. I'm sure that by now they've noticed that I'm missing." Humaki wiped away his remaining tears.
"Nothing we can't fix." he said in a giddy tone. Quickly he walked over to the small vid phone in the corner. After typing a few seconds, a young voice came over the intercom. "Hello?" Humaki's back was turned to Midii, so she was unable to see the man in whom the colonel was talking with.
"Sir," Humaki whispered in a hurried tone. "I have a proposal. Agent Une has recently returned from her mission and in the process gained invaluable amounts of information. I suggest that we send her back in as a spy to gain more data. Possibly she could gain access to their records and report back any strategies in which they may be planning. They seemed willing enough to take her in the first time. I simply don't know how to go about it." There was a brief pause before the man answered.
"Simple. Play pretend." Curiosity spread over the Humaki's face, but soon was replaced with complete understanding.
"Understood sir. Humaki out." When he turned back to Midii, his eyes gleamed. Midii stood from her chair. Her heart pounded madly, but she concealed it behind her seemingly permanent mask of deception.
"Come Miss Une. I think it time we revisited your newly acquainted friends." Humaki grabbed her arm roughly and dragged her out of the room forcefully. This would be fun, he thought suddenly as he made arrangements for the next flight to colony XJ289311.
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A/N: Sorry if I rushed a bit, but I wanted to get the chapter done so I could get onto the good stuff.
Next Time of L.A.B.: The Gundam Pilots start their search for Midii. They find her but not in the best condition. Under Trowa's request she is once again admitted back into the Gundam Headquarters. And someone's stalking Midii; are they friend or foe? Possible battle scene.