Sorry that this fic doesn't have very many Domon/Rain moments in it... idunno why but I can't write for them in this one very well. I wrote a little one-shot about them the other day ('It's About Time!' ...GO READ IT!) but in this fic it just isn't flowin.
Well anyway, I'm not quite sure of whats going to happen in this chapter. I have a general idea, but I'm sure it will turn out different than I expected. Enjoy, and, as always, review :)
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"Then it's settled. We shall attack tonight, at midnight." the sinister voice of Michelo Chariot hissed. He and four others were seated around a table in Chibodee's warehouse, admiring the captured Gundams. A single light shone down on the table they were seated at, but only Michelo sat far enough forward to be seen. His neck and fingers were covered in scaley DG cells, and his eyes were bloodshot, but it was easy to see that he had grown much stronger.
"It had been three long years, but finally, my revenge will be realized." he sneered, wringing his hands and uttering another laugh. "I can't wait to see the look on his face when I kill his mechanic!"
The three figures next to him nodded in agreement, the two on his left leaning forward into the light.
"I, too, have been waiting years to see the look of ultimate pain on the face of my enemy. George de Sand will die tomorrow night at the stroke of twelve." Jean-Pierre Mirabeau's face was almost green, the red makeup he wore on his face running. It was sickly sight to say the least. The figure next to him, Gentle Chapman, had the same dead, mossy grean eyes that he had during the 13th Tournament. The man was a walking corpse.
A terrible cackle emitted from the figure sitting next to Mirabeau and echoed throughout the entire warehouse. The deranged Romario Monini held a picture of Chibodee at arm's length, pointing at it, as his artificial head bouncing around on his neck due to his insane laughter.
"I'm coming for you Chi-bo-dee!" he shouted between giggles. The last figure shook his head with disgust.
"Sickening clown." his voice rumbled. He leaned into the light as well, showing himself to be a DG cell-infested Andrew Graham. "You can have your fun with the Neo-American, just don't touch Argo Gulskii. His life will end by my hands, and no one elses. I must thank you, Michelo, for helping me re-realize my one goal of killing the Neo-Russian." he said, looking down at his scaley hands. "I now have the strength to carry out my wishes."
Michelo's face cracked a thin smile as he looked at his new comrades, but his eyes then wandered to a pale figure that was slumped against a dark wall of the warehouse. Michelo's eyes suddenly flares red, and the figure screamed hoarsely, as if in terrible pain.
"You might as well stop fighting it, Hans. The DG cells are directly linked to my mind and soul-anything I wish them to do, they will do. And right now I wish them to poison your mind and tell you to kill your sister, and then Sai Saici of Neo China." he said with a grin. "It was quite handy that your sister developed such a close relationship with that pilot, actually. You have to power to kill her, and when she is dead, Sai Saici's heart will be torn in two. I do admit that I have no personal vendetta against that kid, but he has become incredibly strong in the past three years. If we allowed him to live, he may interfere with our future plans." He threw his legs on the table and leaned back in his chair, beaming with vanity.
"Isn't it a beautiful plan that I have come up with? Killing the women that the pilots love with kill them emotionally and give us all the pleasure of seeing those wonderful looks of ultimate pain. And then we get to kill them." He let his legs fall off the table and sat back upright. His face curled into a terible grin.
"I must say, I am very excited."
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"Ok, everyone know their parts?" Domon asked as he leaned over the table. Everyone had gathered in the ship's kitchen and was seated at the table, looking over a large map of the general area. The pilots nodded to his question, all going over their particular role in their head. The plan was set- tomorrow morning, they would storm the warehouse and try to retrieve the three Gundams that were being held there.
Nastasha looked up at the clock- it was 10:30 p.m.
"We need to get some sleep before the morning, so I suggest we all turn in for the night." Everyone nodded and stood up, beginning to disperse from the room.
"Hey, wait a sec you guys." Domon suddenly said. "This fight isn't going to be like what we're used to." He began with a serious voice. "These guys aren't here to win a match- they're here to hurt us, probably to kill us."
He squeezed Rain's hand as he spoke.
"And I don't doubt they'll go for the girls too. So just be more careful than usual."
Everyone nodded, feeling a little more solemn than they originally did, and retired to their own rooms.
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Cecil quietly walked into the room as Sai followed, yawning lazily.
"Geez, you'd think they could cut these things a little shorter for those of us who like sleep..." He began, but stopped when he saw that she was totally silent, just standing near his bed (the mattress on the ground), her back facing him. Moonlight poured into their room from the small window, shining down on her and casting a silvery glow over her whole body.
"...Cecil?"
"Sai..." she started quietly, not turning around to face him. He could see her hands tighten into fists at her side as her whole body tensed.
"Right now, you're all that I have. If I were to loose you, I don't know how I could go on."
She was silent for a moment, then continued on with a shaky voice.
"You have to bring my brother back, Sai. But... but if you can't, then do me one thing. Just come back to me."
She dropped her head and squeezed her eyes as tightly shut as she could, to keep the tears from spilling onto her cheeks. She stood stiffly in the moonlight, her shoulders shaking as she held back sobs.
"You don't have to say anything. I just needed-"
Cecil's head suddenly flung up and her eyes opened wide, the tears she was holding back sliding down her face. Her entire body was flooded with a wave of warmth as Sai stood behind her, pressing his body against hers. He hugged her tightly, one arm around her waist, the other just below her shoulders. He cradled her in his arms like that for a moment, until she wasn't so tense, then turned her around so she was facing him. He lifted a finger and wiped a tear off her cheek, smiling as his burghandy eyes shone like fire into her marine blue ones.
"Cecil.." he said with a much softer version of his usual grin, "I'm never going anywhere. I will always be here for you, no matter what."
'He'll always be here for me, no matter what...'
she repeated in her mind, looking at him with wide, surprised eyes. Her face softened as she threw her arms around his neck and started to sob uncontrollably, letting him lower her so they were kneeling on the mattress next to them. She cried in his arms for a little while, then took a deep breath and looked back up at him with a smile. The worried look he had on his face was wiped away by her smile, and he smiled back at her. They both flopped down onto the mattress and pulled the two blankets over themselves, laying facing eachother.
"Night Cecil." Sai said with a grin as he laid his hand on top of her own.
"Night Sai."
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"That kid never ceases to amaze me." Domon said, smiling and shaking his head as he walked past Sai and Cecil's room. "a regular Don Juan..."
He next passed by Marie and George's room to see them standing in the center, George holding Marie at the sides of her shoulders as she talked to him with a frown.
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"George, please don't make me do this!" she pratically shouted, her voice angry but pleading as well.
"Marie, these people are trying to kill me, and you as well. I failed to protect you last time, if I were to fail again it could mean your death!" He replied. She stared up at him with frustrated eyes.
'If I stay, I will be forcing George to protect me as well as fight the enemy, which could prove a fatal mistake... but can I just leave him here?!'
"You will be much safer with your father, where his guards can protect you. Please, Marie..." he pleaded, looking down at her with worry. Marie looked back up at him, searching his eyes, then lowered her head and nodded weakly.
"I will do as you ask, George." she said with a small voice.
George looked down at her, surprised she had agreed, but relieved at the same time.
'I'm sorry Marie... but it's better this way. I can't stand to see you in danger...'
"I'll call for your transportation... they should arrive here by midnight."
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"There you are, Domon." Allenby said as Domon walked into his room. Rain, Allenby and Chibodee were all there, sitting on the two beds. Domon plopped down next to Rain and rested his forearms on his knees. He looked into his folded hands, running over the next day's attack plan in his head.
"Hey, you ok?" Rain asked as she laid a hand on his back.
"I just don't get it..." he shook his head, looking up at all of them. "Why hasn't the enemy attacked us by now? If all they want is revenge, then now is the perfect time. I'm sure they know that we're here..."
Chibodee aquired the same serious look Domon had, also going over the situation. He had a point... why hadn't they been attacked yet?
"Whatever the reason, it doesn't really matter, does it? We're set to attack them tomorrow morning... well, I guess you could say this morning." Allenby added. "It's ten to midnight."
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Nastasha walked back into the kitchen, deciding that since a good nights sleep was out of the question, she might as well look over the plans again.
"You should go back to bed, you haven't gotten much sleep lately." Argo's voice spoke up, startling her. He was hovering over a coffee pot, pouring two cups of the dark brown liquid.
She shrugged as he set a mug in front of her, already knowing she wasn't going anywhere.
"I just haven't had time to sleep much." she said as she watched her face flicker in the ripples of coffee. Argo's reflection appeared behind hers after a moment, looking down into the coffee as well.
"What about you?"
He shrugged, taking a seat next to her.
"I guess I'm a night owl." he replied. He pulled the map towards himself and started looking over the battle plans for the next day, though he wasn't paying much attention to what he saw.
They both sat akwardly at the table for a while, taking sips of the coffee every once in a while as they sat in silence.
'This is ridiculous.' Nastasha frowned as she watched her reflection. 'We're acting like children...'
"Nastasha."
the sound of his voice startled her and she jumped a bit, but that didn't seem to phase him. Now he was staring into his reflection, the same stoic expression on his face.
"I... I have to tell you, that-"
But his sentence was cut by the sudden ring of an alarm as a red light flashed overhead.
"We're under attack?!" Nastasha asked in alarmed surprise. Her question was soon answered when the ship rocked to the side and an explosion shook the walls, sending them both to the ground. The both jumped to their feet and Nastasha moved to run towards the other pilots, but Argo grabbed her arm before she could.
"Wait, I need to tell you-" he started, but she cut him off and smiled.
"I know Argo, I know." she said with a smile, and they quickly kissed before bolting off in opposite directions, a second explosion tipping the ship soon after.
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Domon threw out an arm and caught Rain as she fell off the bed when the first explosion hit.
"Guess we know why they haven't attacked yet!" Chibodee exclaimed as he and Allenby started for the door. The second explosion sent them all towards the floor, but Domon grabbed Rain again and Chibodee managed to get between Allenby and the ground.
Nastasha suddenly exploded through the door, holding onto the door frame for support.
"Chibodee, Allenby, follow me!" she shouted above the noise. They nodded and ran out the door with her as Domon and Rain followed, both calling fourth their Gundams.
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"What the...?!" Sai exclaimed as her jerked up in bed, whipping his head in the direction of the explosion. He stood up, taking Cecil with him, and pulled her towards the door.
Nastasha met them their, with Chibodee and Allenby behind her.
"We could use an escort," Chibodee said as he pulled Sai out the door. "we've got to go get the Gundams out of the warehouse- Rain and Domon can't hold them off for long, and we don't know where the hell George went, or even where Marie Louise is."
"Cecil, you'll have to go in the cockpit with Sai Saici. It's the safest place for you right now." Nastasha instructed as the all took off towards the hallway, Sai Saici calling out the Dragon Gundam on the way.
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"I'm sorry..." George started, holding her hands in his own. The two were standing outside, a good distance fom the ship, waiting for her limo to come. She looked down to her side and shook her head.
"No, you're right." she said with a sad smile. "Now go back inside, you need to sleep before tomorrow."
He frowned and nodded his head, then moved to kiss her forehead, but she pulled away as her eyes welled up and she backed away. The limo's headlights appeared behind her and the driver beeped the horn.
"Please George, don't." she said sadly. He looked at her with surprise, then frowned and slowly turned to leave, sticking his hands in his pockets.
'I have to do this... she is in danger as long as she's near me.' George said to himself as he walked back to the ship. He was a third of the way to the entrance when something screamed over his head and slammed into the ship, bursting into a blossom of flames. A fast, hot wind blew over him in wake of the explosion, whipping at his hair and cape.
'They're attacking?!'
A second explosion ripped through the air soon afterwards. He squinted his eyes against the hot light and brought and arm up over his eyes to shield them.
The sound of squealing tires cut through the air behind him, and George whipped around to watch the limo tear off down the road.
After that, everything seemed to happen in slow motion. A third missile tore above him, diving through the air towards the limo. It exploded into the ground directly behind it, totally destroying the back end and sending the remainder of the car tumbling end over end. George was blown backwards by the blast, landing hard on his shoulder when he hit the cement. He sat up shakily, gripping his shoulder, until his eyes widened in realization.
"MARIE LOUISE!"
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::evil cackles:: I am so mean. Sorry guys, couldn't help the cliffhanger. I think I've conquered my writers block, so next chapter should be better than this one. I feel this one kinda sucked, sorry bout that folks. Hey, I gotta tell you something...
Are you ready?
REVIEW!!!!!!!