Chapter 14:
He could not take it anymore. The waiting was unbearable, I know something happened, I can feel it. He glanced at the clock that glowed in the dark interior of Nishada's cockpit. It was only ten o'clock, but he was getting impatient. Leaning forward to punch the intercom button, he opened communications with the rest of the pilots.
"This is Heero," he said as his voice echoed through the cold metal head of the Gundam, "I'm tired of waiting, let's go."
There was silence for a few moments, then Duo's confident voice sounded in Nishada's cockpit, "It's about time! I've got a feeling that something is going on down there and I'm sick of sitting here letting it happen. Duo, over and out!"
Heero leaned back into the pilot seat, "Who else is ready?"
"I'm ready to get Lark back," another voice chimed in.
"It's great to hear your voice Trowa," Heero replied without emotion.
It was quiet for a few more moments until Quatre spoke up and gave his support of Heero's plan.
"Good," Heero replied as he folded his arms and stared at his reflection in the cockpit window. Now all he needed was for Wufei to ok his actions and they would be on their way. He frowned at himself, what kind of a leader would let his followers decide his missions? Relena's pacifist ideals were rubbing off on him. Noticing a glare of white light on the glass out of the corner of his eye, he turned his head slightly to stare at it. Concentrating on the patch of light reflecting from one of the many instruments inside the cockpit, he imagined Relena's blonde hair. All of a sudden, he was plunged into a daydream of the beautiful blonde as he swept her off her feet and swung her in a circle. As he leaned forward to kiss her sweet lips, a voice interrupted him and his daydream vanished.
"Wufei here," the voice paused, "Let's go have some fun."
Heero was still shaken from his daydream, but soon pushed it far from his mind as he plugged a com device in his right ear and hooked the mouthpiece to his lip, "All right then. If you all are ready, then let's go."
As if in unison, the pilots all reported that they were ready.
"All right guys," Heero replied as he reached beside him and picked up an oversized helmet. "Give me one minute to get Zero settled, and I'll be ready."
Sitting forward, he lifted the helmet and set it down on his head. When it was on, he looked around inside. It was like a tiny copy of Zero's cockpit and he knew that he would be able to maneuver his own Gundam with his teeth by using the little levers connected to the controls. He pulled the helmet down on his head to turn the lights on and listened for Zero's response. He smiled in satisfaction as he heard his Gundam roar to life and reply its readiness. In the corner of the little screen, he could see out as if he were sitting in the pilot seat of Zero. Turning his attention back to Nishada's screen, he said, "Everything's a go here. Nishada, Zero and Yuy ready."
With that, six engines engulfed Heero's ears, and he reached forward with his teeth to take the motion controls of Zero, then placed his hands on Nishada's controls. Now this was an awesome feeling! Never before had he had a chance to drive two extremely powerful Gundams at the same time.
As they flew through space, Heero let go of Zero's controls as they latched onto his ears and his mouth was free to give commands.
"Hey Yuy, where we going?" Trowa's voice came through his ear piece.
"We're going to the ballroom of the palace," he explained as his eyes darted between the two screens, "Follow me, and turn your Zero systems on."
Heero smiled as he listened to the other pilots moving to obey his order in their own cockpits. He had already turned both Nishada's and Zero's systems on, but they would not affect him until they were in battle. Leaning back, he released Nishada's right arm and reached to the side to pull a huge lever. Automatically, Nishada transformed into a huge space shuttle type plane. Quickly turning his attention to the inside of his helmet, he turned his head to find Zero's lever. Latching onto it with his teeth, he pulled with all his might, causing his jawbone to jut out, giving him a very handsome appearance, but no one could see him where he was.
He smiled despite himself as both Gundams hit the atmosphere of the planet and red streams of bright light invaded the screens. This was great!
_____
"Kill me! I beg you!" Taobu whimpered as he crawled up to Lark.
"Why?" she scoffed, amused at his pleading, "Why do you fear him so?"
"He won't be happy to see me, that's all."
"What'd you do to him I wonder?" Lark asked as she grabbed the old man by the beard and pulled him to his feet. Before she had a chance to speak again, her mouth had filled with blood from her wound. Turning her head, she spit the blood onto the stage floor, then she looked back at Taobu who shuddered at her angry gaze. "It doesn't matter what you did to him, but my little flesh wound won't go unpunished."
"Speaking of your flesh wound....." Lark looked over at Armand who was searching the now empty ballroom, "Where's Octavian?"
"Oh no!" Hwoarang exclaimed as he too realized that the prince had escaped, "I completely forgot all about him!"
"It doesn't matter," Lark replied as she glared at the man in front of her, "I'll deal with him late........." she trailed off as the ballroom exploded with machine gun fire, and she pulled herself and Taobu to the floor.
Lark desperately tried to locate where the gunfire was coming from, at the same time holding onto Toabu, when she saw it she almost screamed......the Halekulani!
"Lark!" Lark looked over as Hwoarang and Baek scurried over to her.
"I guess you got your answer......" Hwoarang smiled as Lark looked at him like he was an idiot.
"What are you talking about?" she asked as she sat up and pulled Taobu up with her, "What answer?"
"I found out where Octavian was," he smirked, "He was off getting a Gundam so he could kill us all!"
Lark looked back up at the towering Gundam and ducked again as a volley of gunfire ripped across the stage. "But, I thought the Halekulani was too amazing for anyone to pilot! I can't pilot it!" Lark stared at the gargantuan Gundam in envy, the Halekulani was probably one of the most beautiful Gundams, if not the most powerful(next to Wing Zero), in all the universe. The whole thing was covered in brilliant white gold, with a diamond encased control center in the very heart of the machine. The wings were made of orange dragon wings, and the eyes were large ebony orbs. The Halekulani also had a sword made of diamond with orange laser beams inside it. The handle of this immense and threatening weapon was covered in the same material as the wings, and long, rope-like silver tassels flowed from it.
"Now do you believe me Lark?" a familiar voice echoed through the ballroom as more less-threatening Gundams appeared behind the Halekulani, "You will never be able to defeat me, and you will never be able to escape me."
"Ocatvian, Octavian," Lark replied as she shook her head, "You don't understand, but you will, if only Heero would hurry up!"
As if answering her call, Gundams began to fly in every direction behind the Halekulani as Nishada and Wing Zero stepped into the ballroom. Seeing this as her chance, Lark glanced over at Baek as she handed Taobu to him, then took off running for Nishada. As she ran under Halekulani, machine gun fire nipped at her heels, ripping the stage to pieces, coming closer and closer......
All of a sudden, Heavyarms appeared and rammed Halekulani into the stage floor. Lark watched in horror as the huge machine fell, taking the floor with it. As the floor buckled and swayed, Lark fell, hard. The pain in her cheek was forgotten as she fought to get a grip on the plank of wood in front of her. She had to get to Nishada!
What happened next surprised Lark. One minute she had been holding on for her dear life, the next minute she was floating in the air, or was she flying? Lark looked down to find herself high above the stage floor, but she was not flying, or floating, but she was being carried between Nishada's thumb and forefinger. Then she was placed gently onto the open door of Nishada's cockpit.
"Lark!" Heero exclaimed as he ran out to meet her. Then when he saw the wound on her face he began to yell, "What happened! Who did that? I'll kill whoever did that to you!"
Lark reached up to touch her face, but winced when she did so, "Oh, that, Octavian......"
"I'm gonna kill him!" Heero said as he turned to Zero, but before he jumped, he turned back to Lark, "By the way, I didn't know that we'd be fighting the Halekulani."
"Me either," Lark replied as she glanced over at the fight going on between Heavyarms and Halekulani. Trowa was struggling to hold the big machine at bay, but he was flung into the opposite wall of the ballroom as Octavian headed toward Heero and Lark.
He could not take it anymore. The waiting was unbearable, I know something happened, I can feel it. He glanced at the clock that glowed in the dark interior of Nishada's cockpit. It was only ten o'clock, but he was getting impatient. Leaning forward to punch the intercom button, he opened communications with the rest of the pilots.
"This is Heero," he said as his voice echoed through the cold metal head of the Gundam, "I'm tired of waiting, let's go."
There was silence for a few moments, then Duo's confident voice sounded in Nishada's cockpit, "It's about time! I've got a feeling that something is going on down there and I'm sick of sitting here letting it happen. Duo, over and out!"
Heero leaned back into the pilot seat, "Who else is ready?"
"I'm ready to get Lark back," another voice chimed in.
"It's great to hear your voice Trowa," Heero replied without emotion.
It was quiet for a few more moments until Quatre spoke up and gave his support of Heero's plan.
"Good," Heero replied as he folded his arms and stared at his reflection in the cockpit window. Now all he needed was for Wufei to ok his actions and they would be on their way. He frowned at himself, what kind of a leader would let his followers decide his missions? Relena's pacifist ideals were rubbing off on him. Noticing a glare of white light on the glass out of the corner of his eye, he turned his head slightly to stare at it. Concentrating on the patch of light reflecting from one of the many instruments inside the cockpit, he imagined Relena's blonde hair. All of a sudden, he was plunged into a daydream of the beautiful blonde as he swept her off her feet and swung her in a circle. As he leaned forward to kiss her sweet lips, a voice interrupted him and his daydream vanished.
"Wufei here," the voice paused, "Let's go have some fun."
Heero was still shaken from his daydream, but soon pushed it far from his mind as he plugged a com device in his right ear and hooked the mouthpiece to his lip, "All right then. If you all are ready, then let's go."
As if in unison, the pilots all reported that they were ready.
"All right guys," Heero replied as he reached beside him and picked up an oversized helmet. "Give me one minute to get Zero settled, and I'll be ready."
Sitting forward, he lifted the helmet and set it down on his head. When it was on, he looked around inside. It was like a tiny copy of Zero's cockpit and he knew that he would be able to maneuver his own Gundam with his teeth by using the little levers connected to the controls. He pulled the helmet down on his head to turn the lights on and listened for Zero's response. He smiled in satisfaction as he heard his Gundam roar to life and reply its readiness. In the corner of the little screen, he could see out as if he were sitting in the pilot seat of Zero. Turning his attention back to Nishada's screen, he said, "Everything's a go here. Nishada, Zero and Yuy ready."
With that, six engines engulfed Heero's ears, and he reached forward with his teeth to take the motion controls of Zero, then placed his hands on Nishada's controls. Now this was an awesome feeling! Never before had he had a chance to drive two extremely powerful Gundams at the same time.
As they flew through space, Heero let go of Zero's controls as they latched onto his ears and his mouth was free to give commands.
"Hey Yuy, where we going?" Trowa's voice came through his ear piece.
"We're going to the ballroom of the palace," he explained as his eyes darted between the two screens, "Follow me, and turn your Zero systems on."
Heero smiled as he listened to the other pilots moving to obey his order in their own cockpits. He had already turned both Nishada's and Zero's systems on, but they would not affect him until they were in battle. Leaning back, he released Nishada's right arm and reached to the side to pull a huge lever. Automatically, Nishada transformed into a huge space shuttle type plane. Quickly turning his attention to the inside of his helmet, he turned his head to find Zero's lever. Latching onto it with his teeth, he pulled with all his might, causing his jawbone to jut out, giving him a very handsome appearance, but no one could see him where he was.
He smiled despite himself as both Gundams hit the atmosphere of the planet and red streams of bright light invaded the screens. This was great!
_____
"Kill me! I beg you!" Taobu whimpered as he crawled up to Lark.
"Why?" she scoffed, amused at his pleading, "Why do you fear him so?"
"He won't be happy to see me, that's all."
"What'd you do to him I wonder?" Lark asked as she grabbed the old man by the beard and pulled him to his feet. Before she had a chance to speak again, her mouth had filled with blood from her wound. Turning her head, she spit the blood onto the stage floor, then she looked back at Taobu who shuddered at her angry gaze. "It doesn't matter what you did to him, but my little flesh wound won't go unpunished."
"Speaking of your flesh wound....." Lark looked over at Armand who was searching the now empty ballroom, "Where's Octavian?"
"Oh no!" Hwoarang exclaimed as he too realized that the prince had escaped, "I completely forgot all about him!"
"It doesn't matter," Lark replied as she glared at the man in front of her, "I'll deal with him late........." she trailed off as the ballroom exploded with machine gun fire, and she pulled herself and Taobu to the floor.
Lark desperately tried to locate where the gunfire was coming from, at the same time holding onto Toabu, when she saw it she almost screamed......the Halekulani!
"Lark!" Lark looked over as Hwoarang and Baek scurried over to her.
"I guess you got your answer......" Hwoarang smiled as Lark looked at him like he was an idiot.
"What are you talking about?" she asked as she sat up and pulled Taobu up with her, "What answer?"
"I found out where Octavian was," he smirked, "He was off getting a Gundam so he could kill us all!"
Lark looked back up at the towering Gundam and ducked again as a volley of gunfire ripped across the stage. "But, I thought the Halekulani was too amazing for anyone to pilot! I can't pilot it!" Lark stared at the gargantuan Gundam in envy, the Halekulani was probably one of the most beautiful Gundams, if not the most powerful(next to Wing Zero), in all the universe. The whole thing was covered in brilliant white gold, with a diamond encased control center in the very heart of the machine. The wings were made of orange dragon wings, and the eyes were large ebony orbs. The Halekulani also had a sword made of diamond with orange laser beams inside it. The handle of this immense and threatening weapon was covered in the same material as the wings, and long, rope-like silver tassels flowed from it.
"Now do you believe me Lark?" a familiar voice echoed through the ballroom as more less-threatening Gundams appeared behind the Halekulani, "You will never be able to defeat me, and you will never be able to escape me."
"Ocatvian, Octavian," Lark replied as she shook her head, "You don't understand, but you will, if only Heero would hurry up!"
As if answering her call, Gundams began to fly in every direction behind the Halekulani as Nishada and Wing Zero stepped into the ballroom. Seeing this as her chance, Lark glanced over at Baek as she handed Taobu to him, then took off running for Nishada. As she ran under Halekulani, machine gun fire nipped at her heels, ripping the stage to pieces, coming closer and closer......
All of a sudden, Heavyarms appeared and rammed Halekulani into the stage floor. Lark watched in horror as the huge machine fell, taking the floor with it. As the floor buckled and swayed, Lark fell, hard. The pain in her cheek was forgotten as she fought to get a grip on the plank of wood in front of her. She had to get to Nishada!
What happened next surprised Lark. One minute she had been holding on for her dear life, the next minute she was floating in the air, or was she flying? Lark looked down to find herself high above the stage floor, but she was not flying, or floating, but she was being carried between Nishada's thumb and forefinger. Then she was placed gently onto the open door of Nishada's cockpit.
"Lark!" Heero exclaimed as he ran out to meet her. Then when he saw the wound on her face he began to yell, "What happened! Who did that? I'll kill whoever did that to you!"
Lark reached up to touch her face, but winced when she did so, "Oh, that, Octavian......"
"I'm gonna kill him!" Heero said as he turned to Zero, but before he jumped, he turned back to Lark, "By the way, I didn't know that we'd be fighting the Halekulani."
"Me either," Lark replied as she glanced over at the fight going on between Heavyarms and Halekulani. Trowa was struggling to hold the big machine at bay, but he was flung into the opposite wall of the ballroom as Octavian headed toward Heero and Lark.