I've built a little empire
Out of some crazy garbage
Known as the exploited working class.
- They Might Be Giants
Duo held the paper in his hands, barely believing the words. Why would Moira do this? How could she be so stupid?! He ignored the concerned looks of Quatre and Hilde and read the note again:
Dearest Duo and Quatre,
I'm very grateful for what you've done for me. Words cannot adequately express my thanks. However, I've decided to take my leave of you. I have some unfinished business to attend with Oz. I've decided, noting your lack of action, to take matters into my own hands and destroy Oz from within. Do not worry for my safety. I am perfectly capable of handling this.
Sincerely,
Moira
"She's a complete idiot!" Duo exclaimed as he crumpled the note in his fist.
"What are you going to do?" Hilde asked, softly placing a hand on his shoulder. She did her best to hide the tears forming behind her lids. She couldn't stand to see him like this, so...fragile.
"Do?" Duo snickered. "Nothing! The kid wants to be a hero? Let her!"
"Duo!" Quatre scolded, "We can't leave her out there thinking she can defeat Oz! How ridiculous are you? Now," he continued, more softly, "I know you're worried. You loved Moira."
Duo sat down. "No way. Besides, didn't you read the damn note?" He looked away apathetically. "She's perfectly capable f handling this."
Quatre sat down on the couch, next to Duo. "She's a child." This was all he said, but it was all that was needed.
Duo said nothing. Then, slowly, an angry gasp slid out of his throat. "She's gonna die."
Quatre stood up and headed for the door. "Not if we do something, and do it now."
Duo was silent for a moment. He then stood and wrapped his jacket around his shoulders. "Oh, she's dead. Cuz when I find her, I'm gonna beat the life outta her."
*
Moira stood outside the train stop. She didn't have any money, and no ticket, but she knew what she was doing. She sat upon the bench, waiting for train 13 to dock. It was going straight to an Oz base of operations. All she had to do was show up and wait. She sighed and laid her head back against the painted wood. She wasn't quite sure what she would do then. But she knew she was valuable to Trieze. Since he was running OZ, she knew she could bargain some deal with him. Her head for a few colonies freedom. She opened up her little Hello Kitty bag (that Hilde had bought for her as some sort of peace offering...pft) and stared at the cold blade that lay within. If Treize refused...well, Oz would lose something, one way or another.
She raised her head to the sound of the train. It reeled to a stop. She waited, weighing her options. Fate helped her out a little, though. Just as she was about to give up and return to the junk yard, she noted a woman with several small children running about her legs. "Thank God," she said, "I don't know what would be worse, Oz or Duo right about now." She pushed off the bench and sped over to the woman. As the woman handed the tickets to the conducter, the children ran ahead onto the train. No one noticed that she was harboring a stowaway.
Moria sat in front of two young woman, one with flaming red hair and the other with soft violet. She did her best to pay no attention to the other passengers, hoping to get the same, but she couldn't help but feel dread inside her. She knew there was something wrong with the girls behind her. Whenever she was in a group of people, the thoughts came pouring in, a million little voices. But, from these two, there was nothing. Dead air. She had gotten that from a few stupid people, but nothing like this. There was a barrier set up there, as if they knew she could read minds. This confused her, so she began to observe a blonde boy they where talking to. "Normally, I don't do this..." she whispered to herself. She closed her eyes and channeled the boy's mind.
The images were shocking. This boy was obviously twisted. He kept imagining the death of someone, some old guy in an Oz uniform. Moira was so disturbed by this she almost broke contact, but then softer thoughts began to ooze into his violent dreams. A dark and beautiful woman came into view.
"Mother..."
The boy was crying now, but only inside his soul. "Mama, I'll kill Dermail. I'll avenge you. Oz will fall at my hand. Not long now..." he thought as he began to drift off into slumber, "Next stop..."
*
Trieze stood, facing Dermail. "Sir, Project Destiny is a vital experiment. None of the other test subjects can even rival her success rate. She's only comperable to the first subjects who invented the Gundam designs." Trieze faltered when he observed Dermail nonchalantly staring out the window. "Sir," he continued, with more zeal, "We must retrieve the girl! Test indicate that any normal human that she chooses to interact with wcould be affected."
Dermail turned to him. Calmly, he spoke. "And what, Mr. Khushrenada, are said side effects?"
Trieze flipped through the pages of the report he was holding. "Dreams, visions, nightmares so real it actually caused one of our men to die from fright." He studied himself. "Sir, there is another, more personal reason I wish for the child to be retrieved."
"And what is that, Mr. Khrushrenada?"
"The girl is actually a valuable component in controlling the Zero system. Most humans cannot handle the system, but if she is hooked into the system from a mainframe set at a different location and channels the pilot in control, the Zero systems faults should completely cease."
"Should, Mr. Khushrenada, or will?"
Trieze sighed, but maintained his composure. "Sir, the only gaurantee would surely result in the death of the child."
Dermail turned once again to the window. "And that's a problem?"
Trieze was stunned. "Sir," he stammered, "She's only a child!"
"No," Dermail answered, "She is a test subject. The Romefellar Foundation places very little importance on concepts such as 'mercy' and 'care'. You don't gain power by politely asking for it, you know." His voice became dark, thoughtful. "You have to grab it from the common people and rule it over them. Choas comes from the common man attempting to rule himself. Mankind is far too stupid. If a few children die, what of it?"
Trieze fell back. "Sir!"
Dermail waved a hand. "Silence! I will fund your recovery of this 'Project Destiny', as you call it, but I want a 100% success rate. Anything less, and you yourself will die! Am I making myself quite clear, Mr. Khrushrenada?"
Trieze wavered, glowering. Slowly he pulled himself into a submissive bow. "As you wish, Mr. Dermail."
Out of some crazy garbage
Known as the exploited working class.
- They Might Be Giants
Duo held the paper in his hands, barely believing the words. Why would Moira do this? How could she be so stupid?! He ignored the concerned looks of Quatre and Hilde and read the note again:
Dearest Duo and Quatre,
I'm very grateful for what you've done for me. Words cannot adequately express my thanks. However, I've decided to take my leave of you. I have some unfinished business to attend with Oz. I've decided, noting your lack of action, to take matters into my own hands and destroy Oz from within. Do not worry for my safety. I am perfectly capable of handling this.
Sincerely,
Moira
"She's a complete idiot!" Duo exclaimed as he crumpled the note in his fist.
"What are you going to do?" Hilde asked, softly placing a hand on his shoulder. She did her best to hide the tears forming behind her lids. She couldn't stand to see him like this, so...fragile.
"Do?" Duo snickered. "Nothing! The kid wants to be a hero? Let her!"
"Duo!" Quatre scolded, "We can't leave her out there thinking she can defeat Oz! How ridiculous are you? Now," he continued, more softly, "I know you're worried. You loved Moira."
Duo sat down. "No way. Besides, didn't you read the damn note?" He looked away apathetically. "She's perfectly capable f handling this."
Quatre sat down on the couch, next to Duo. "She's a child." This was all he said, but it was all that was needed.
Duo said nothing. Then, slowly, an angry gasp slid out of his throat. "She's gonna die."
Quatre stood up and headed for the door. "Not if we do something, and do it now."
Duo was silent for a moment. He then stood and wrapped his jacket around his shoulders. "Oh, she's dead. Cuz when I find her, I'm gonna beat the life outta her."
*
Moira stood outside the train stop. She didn't have any money, and no ticket, but she knew what she was doing. She sat upon the bench, waiting for train 13 to dock. It was going straight to an Oz base of operations. All she had to do was show up and wait. She sighed and laid her head back against the painted wood. She wasn't quite sure what she would do then. But she knew she was valuable to Trieze. Since he was running OZ, she knew she could bargain some deal with him. Her head for a few colonies freedom. She opened up her little Hello Kitty bag (that Hilde had bought for her as some sort of peace offering...pft) and stared at the cold blade that lay within. If Treize refused...well, Oz would lose something, one way or another.
She raised her head to the sound of the train. It reeled to a stop. She waited, weighing her options. Fate helped her out a little, though. Just as she was about to give up and return to the junk yard, she noted a woman with several small children running about her legs. "Thank God," she said, "I don't know what would be worse, Oz or Duo right about now." She pushed off the bench and sped over to the woman. As the woman handed the tickets to the conducter, the children ran ahead onto the train. No one noticed that she was harboring a stowaway.
Moria sat in front of two young woman, one with flaming red hair and the other with soft violet. She did her best to pay no attention to the other passengers, hoping to get the same, but she couldn't help but feel dread inside her. She knew there was something wrong with the girls behind her. Whenever she was in a group of people, the thoughts came pouring in, a million little voices. But, from these two, there was nothing. Dead air. She had gotten that from a few stupid people, but nothing like this. There was a barrier set up there, as if they knew she could read minds. This confused her, so she began to observe a blonde boy they where talking to. "Normally, I don't do this..." she whispered to herself. She closed her eyes and channeled the boy's mind.
The images were shocking. This boy was obviously twisted. He kept imagining the death of someone, some old guy in an Oz uniform. Moira was so disturbed by this she almost broke contact, but then softer thoughts began to ooze into his violent dreams. A dark and beautiful woman came into view.
"Mother..."
The boy was crying now, but only inside his soul. "Mama, I'll kill Dermail. I'll avenge you. Oz will fall at my hand. Not long now..." he thought as he began to drift off into slumber, "Next stop..."
*
Trieze stood, facing Dermail. "Sir, Project Destiny is a vital experiment. None of the other test subjects can even rival her success rate. She's only comperable to the first subjects who invented the Gundam designs." Trieze faltered when he observed Dermail nonchalantly staring out the window. "Sir," he continued, with more zeal, "We must retrieve the girl! Test indicate that any normal human that she chooses to interact with wcould be affected."
Dermail turned to him. Calmly, he spoke. "And what, Mr. Khushrenada, are said side effects?"
Trieze flipped through the pages of the report he was holding. "Dreams, visions, nightmares so real it actually caused one of our men to die from fright." He studied himself. "Sir, there is another, more personal reason I wish for the child to be retrieved."
"And what is that, Mr. Khrushrenada?"
"The girl is actually a valuable component in controlling the Zero system. Most humans cannot handle the system, but if she is hooked into the system from a mainframe set at a different location and channels the pilot in control, the Zero systems faults should completely cease."
"Should, Mr. Khushrenada, or will?"
Trieze sighed, but maintained his composure. "Sir, the only gaurantee would surely result in the death of the child."
Dermail turned once again to the window. "And that's a problem?"
Trieze was stunned. "Sir," he stammered, "She's only a child!"
"No," Dermail answered, "She is a test subject. The Romefellar Foundation places very little importance on concepts such as 'mercy' and 'care'. You don't gain power by politely asking for it, you know." His voice became dark, thoughtful. "You have to grab it from the common people and rule it over them. Choas comes from the common man attempting to rule himself. Mankind is far too stupid. If a few children die, what of it?"
Trieze fell back. "Sir!"
Dermail waved a hand. "Silence! I will fund your recovery of this 'Project Destiny', as you call it, but I want a 100% success rate. Anything less, and you yourself will die! Am I making myself quite clear, Mr. Khrushrenada?"
Trieze wavered, glowering. Slowly he pulled himself into a submissive bow. "As you wish, Mr. Dermail."