Here goes the second chapter!

Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing or any of its characters, although everything else is a product of my own imagination.

LIZZIE'S STORY

CHAPTER 2 - Serenity Shattered

~That same night~

I awoke in the middle of the night with a start. Why was I awake? What was going on? All of a sudden I noticed that the ground was rumbling as if from an earthquake, and I heard booms and saw flashes of brilliant light outside my window. When I jumped over to my window to

investigate I froze. That was no earthquake, it was a machine! I can hardly begin to describe it, except that it was big. No, big doesn't cut it; it was huge; gigantic; monstrous! Not only that, but it was almost in the shape of a person. If fact, that's just what it looked like; a huge person in a very strange coat of armor holding the biggest machine gun I had ever seen in my entire life!

Quickly I came to my senses and dashed down the steps where the rest of my family had already congregated. "What is it, Father? What's happening?" I shouted above the noise.

There was a pause before Father replied: "They've come. I knew it was going to happen sometime, but I just didn't expect it so soon."



Timothy quickly presented the dilemma, "If we stay here, we'll get blown up for sure along with the rest of the house. But if we leave, they'll spot us and blast us to pieces."

"Well, there's no sense in just letting ourselves die." put in Mother.

Father sighed, looking as if he'd aged years in one night. "You're right. We're going to have to make a run for it. It's our only option."

No sooner said than done, Father had us split up inth three groups: Frederick, Allen, Jonathan, and Earnest in one, Mother, Timothy, & Cameron in the second, and Father, Alex, and I in the third.

Right before we all went our separate ways Father prayed with us for one last time. He asked, not just that we be spared from harm, or even be left alive, but most importantly that for those of us who were, that we might never forget the goodness and greatness of God and of all that He does for us. For the second time that night, I was left speechless. After all, that was not exactly the first thing you would have expected to hear, and I truly could make no sense of it at all. However, I didn't have time to think about it.

All too soon, we parted company and went our separate ways. It was quick but meaningful goodbyes that were said, and I will never forget the look in my mother's eyes as she told me goodbye. Right before she let me go she said, "Lizzy, if you make it through this, be sure to

keep on drawing, okay?" My eyes were full of tears and my voice was choked so all I could do was nod, but she understood.

We all left the house hurriedly but cautiously. Father took Alex's hands and mine in his own and led us out into the night.

It did not take long before we could see where we were aiming for. We were heading for the small forest on the east side of the house. That way there would be a lot of underbrush and it would be harder for us to be seen. Or so I thought. The first shot they made at us was so

close that I began to wonder how we could ever hide from them. Father quickly explained that we couldn't hide at all; we just had to keep on running.

As we were running, I asked Father what I was to do if something were to happen to him or Alex. He answered my immediately by saying, "Run. No matter what happens to either Alex or me, just keep on running. Don't stop for either of us for any reason. Do you understand, Lizzie?"



I paused for a moment then replied softly, "Yes, Father, I understand."

He gave me a half-smile before looking back at the forest just in front of us. All of a sudden out of nowhere I saw a flash of light coming straight at us. "Look out!" I screamed right before I saw it hit the ground in a huge explosion. I was knocked out for a couple of minutes, but when I came to I really wished that I hadn't.

There in front of me was the most horrible picture I had ever seen. Father and Alex both were terribly hurt. Neither of them could get up, but they wouldn't let me help them, either. When I went to see if there was anything I could do, Father said, "Run Lizzy, run! Don't stop, just keep on running! Please!"

I stood frozen to the spot for a moment, then turned in the direction we had been previously heading and ran as fast as my legs could carry me. Soon, it seemed that the forest thinned out into a kind of desert. After what seemed like hours I felt like I simply couldn't take another step, but I didn't stop running for fear that I might just go back. I had to run to keep myself from going in the wrong direction. I had to run to convince myself that I had the strength to keep on running. I knew that those machines were still following me because I felt their heavy footsteps shaking the ground and saw the flashes of light still coming after me from time to time.

I looked back for a moment to see if I could see them, but I jerked to a stop when a huge section of the ground seemed to open up right in front of my face! I had stopped just in time to keep myself from running into it, when I saw another one of those huge machines step out from the underground base! I didn't know what to do; if I went back, one of those monstrosities from behind would get me, but if I went forward, these new reinforcements would surely destroy me, as well. But I couldn't just stand there and let them blow me away! I had to do something, but the question was, what?

I didn't really have time to decide, for the machine that had just come out of the ground started attacking the ones that had been chasing me! I didn't know what to think, so I just stood there in awe as I watched the two machines battle each other. Amazingly, soon the ones

that I had been running from were completely destroyed and I watched in utter astonishment as I saw a man get out of the machine that had been protecting me.

The tall man walked over to me and asked, "Are you okay?"

I nodded.

He laughed at my surprise. "I guess you've never seen a mobile suit before, have you?"

I shook my head.

"Where's your family, and what are you doing out here all by yourself?"

I pointed back in the direction I had been running from. "They're that way, sir. My father and brother are back there. They're hurt very badly and they need help."

He looked me over with a troubled face, his brow furrowed. "Come with me." he said, as he led me into the section of the ground that had opened up just a few minutes before. In a very short amount of time, we were there. He had taken me to some kind of underground city. He led me to one of the identical houses and told me, "Make yourself at home. I'm going to go see if I can find your dad and brother. You say you don't know where anyone else in your family is?"

"No, we went in three different groups so it would be safer for eveyone." I replied apprehensively.

"I see. Well, I'll be gone for a little while. Don't go anywhere; I don't want you getting hurt." Then he left.



How am I doing so far? Is it getting better? I still have about one more chapter written, and then I have more of a vague idea of where I want to go from there.

For all you Quatre fans out there, I'm an ardent one of you, so I'm planning on seeing a lot of him throughout this story! :)