The sound resonated through the cavernous room. When its echoes had
died down, the group heard the distinct sounds of pursuit from the tunnel.
Withdrawing behind one of the piles of various mobile suit parts that lay
about, they had a quick meeting about what course of action to take
regarding the soldiers that were coming. Heero produced another flashlight,
and he and Duo melted into the shadows near the outer edge of the room.
Trev continued to walk through the piles, pointing his beam around,
exclaiming all the while as though he were just a teenager gloating over a
newfound treasure. TJ followed behind him, playing the part of a very bored
girl to perfection. Because I am bored...
As they climbed up one particularly unsteady pile, they noticed a flash of light from the direction of the tunnel. They glanced at each other pointedly. "I hope our friends are in position."
"I'm sure they are by now. You do have your gun this time?" TJ lifted her skirt off her leg slightly to reveal the ankle holster. "And," she waved away his next question, "I'm suitably dressed to ditch the dress and run through the jungles. Don't worry so much."
Trev nodded and turned back towards the back wall. "Did I mention that you look beautiful in that dress?" TJ stared at the younger boy, mouth agape. "What?!"
"Hush!"
Carefully, TJ wound her way off of the pile of parts and stood on the cold cement floor. As she brushed off the skirt of her dress, a beam of light pierced the blackness, illuminating the vicinity that she and Trev were in. She could see Trev scurrying to get down off the pile just as a hand gripped her arm, startling her. She felt herself spun around, and leaned away from the face behind. Another light was turned on, and in its glow she could make out Trev, standing still glaring at the man that held her. A second soldier stood behind him, gaze cold, one hand on the boy's collar.
"Hey, it's pretty in a dress, wonder -" Trev lunged forward, dragging along the soldier holding him. His glare promised death. "Don't even think about it!"
* * * * *
The single soldier standing in the background holding a light on the scene stiffened. He'd been watching the scene in front of him when someone grabbed his neck and pressure pointed him. His hand went limp and he dropped to the floor. The flashlight didn't waver much, and Duo grinned in the dark as he gripped the flashlight taken from the fallen man. Trust Heero to be quick and efficient. He held the light steady and glanced back to where Heero was dragging the dead man away. Returning his gaze to the front, he smiled grimly, those soldiers wouldn't know what hit them; they were too busy keeping their hands on the two they were holding.
* * * * *
As Trev continued to struggle forward, the man who was gripping onto his shirt dropped his light and shifted his free hand to better hold the boy. He glanced at his partner while jerking the kid backwards. "Cut it out; you know the Captain doesn't like to be kept waiting. Besides, there were two more, and I can't see them at the moment."
TJ's captor gripped her arm tighter. "Where are the others?" She turned her face away in disgust, and looked at Trev, still struggling to get at the man behind her. He grimaced as his arm was twisted. "They saw something outside the cave and left us alone."
Twisting harder, the soldier asked again, "Where are they?" The boy glared ahead defiantly, even as he winced because of the pain. "We are down in a cave! I don't know where they are, except that they're in the area around the cave."
The soldier yanked again as the kid lunged forward, and suddenly found himself on his back. The kid had used his own momentum against him, and now had pulled free. Stunned, his hand flew to his gun, only to find that it had come free when he fell. He groped for it, and not finding it, crawled towards his fallen light. He glanced up to see the other light getting larger as it drew nearer. Good, Franz finally got around to moving. He'd always been a slow idiot. Loyal, but an idiot.
Suddenly the lights in the cavernous room flashed on, revealing the scene before his eyes. He got a very distinct impression of a long braid behind him and the girl rolling behind a pile of scrap while clutching her ankle, while the kid he'd been holding still grappled with his compatriot for a gun. His own pistol lay a few feet away, and he dove for it, reaching it just as the girl reappeared with a gun in her hands. The soldier grabbed his pistol and rolled away from the hail of bullets that were unleashed in his direction. Scrambling behind a piece of junk of unknown origins, he peered cautiously around to determine what the situation was.
Duo swore fluently to himself as he ducked behind an ancient mining suit arm. The suddenness of the flood of light had been a surprise to everyone, and wasn't exactly for the best when you're trying to sneak up on someone. At first he thought Heero had done it, but a dark head disappeared behind a standing mobile suit when he glanced in the direction Heero had taken with the body. The body lay along the wall. On the other side of the room a woman in OZ uniform had just removed a pair of night vision goggles. A row of switches extended from the wall beside her. So that's what happened!
He raised his arm to fire when movement arrested his motion. He ducked under the hail of fire, cowering behind the arm. Damn! Forgot about him! The second OZ soldier had finally recovered himself long enough to pin Duo down. How the heck do we get out of this one?
* * * * *
TJ had been pinning down the first soldier, but now she was forced to shift positions as the new player came into the game. She threw herself into a roll and made it behind another pile of parts before any of the soldiers could fire. Peeking out, she could still see Trev and the burly guy rolling around with the gun. Then a bullet ricocheted above her head and she ducked back into cover. Argh!
* * * * *
Trev found himself rolling around the floor with the soldier who'd been holding TJ, trying to keep from getting shot, and both of them a perfect target for anyone who chose to shoot at the pair. When the man had jerked him back, he'd launched himself into the pull, getting enough momentum to knock the soldier off balance. When he'd hit the ground, Trev rolled off and lunged for the big guy.
As he half expected, the man shoved TJ away and went for his gun. And, although he was quicker than the soldier, in this rolling, shoving battle for control of the gun, weight counted for more than agility. Trev winced as the soldier shoved an elbow into his chest. He hoped something would break loose soon; he couldn't hold onto the weapon much longer, and he needed a way out of this winner take all.
The soldier jerked his arm again, and his finger inadvertently pulled the trigger. The pistol fired, causing everyone to duck out of sight. As soon as the gun quite spitting bullets, Trev let go and rolled away from his antagonist. He headed for the far wall.
But the OZ soldier wasn't about to let him get away that easily. The big man pulled himself off of the ground and lunged at the boy, knocking him to the ground. Trev rolled on impact, and ended up on his stomach. A quick glance over his shoulder caused him to scramble forward as quickly as possible. There was rage showing in the eyes of his pursuer. A sudden hail of fire enable him to reach a mobile suit reactor shell. He rolled behind and stood to his feet.
A hand holding a knife lashed out at him. Ducking, he executed a series of backwards somersaults towards the wall. Spotting Duo and TJ, he gestured toward a group of battered Leos. "Run!"
They started towards the suits, then stopped as the group suddenly toppled. The Wing Gundam towered over the small figures on the ground. Its eyes flashed green, and the scene seemed to freeze for a moment. Everyone stared at the impressive suit.
Then a shout rang out. "Gunthar, Stromwell, get out!" The two OZies finally shook off their shock and rushed towards the door they'd entered through. Hurrying into the hole, they followed their captain as she sprinted towards the exit. "We've got to call in the Aires, that was a Gundam back there!"
Grasping the ropes that they had descended from, they pulled themselves to the surface. Once there, the Captain grabbed the radio and Stromwell grabbed the wheel. "Get us out of here!" Gunthar was scrambling into the passenger side, knife still in hand. The Captain turned to him for a second. "And put that knife away!" He hurried to comply.
"Echo squadron, can you read me."
Static sounded for a moment, then a male voice came through. "Echo squadron here, affirmative Captain, you're coming in loud and clear."
"Echo, get the hell over here, we've got a Gu...oh-my-god. GET OVER HERE NOW!"
The Captain had just started her message to the squadron when a grating noise sounded behind the jeep. The occupants looked back in time to see the Wing Gundam rise from the underground shelter.
Heero glared at the small vehicle that was the forerunner of trouble. Turning Wing almost casually, he fired his vulcans and the jeep disappeared in a small explosion. A totally black suit rose up behind him, and Duo's voice came over the com.
"Hey man! Ready to kick some ass?"
"Hnn." That American would never know how he sounded to others. The console blinked and Heero turned his attention back to the task at hand. The Aries were coming.
* * * * *
Thanks to everyone who's read and reviewed my work. Day's Darkness is currently undergoing a partial rewrite of some scenes in the story as I'm posting it, which is why it's been a little slow to put up. I wanted this story to be somewhat believable. Which also means that the characters that I introduce aren't going to be all-powerful, super-beings. Just ordinary people in extraordinary circumstances. Enjoy.
As they climbed up one particularly unsteady pile, they noticed a flash of light from the direction of the tunnel. They glanced at each other pointedly. "I hope our friends are in position."
"I'm sure they are by now. You do have your gun this time?" TJ lifted her skirt off her leg slightly to reveal the ankle holster. "And," she waved away his next question, "I'm suitably dressed to ditch the dress and run through the jungles. Don't worry so much."
Trev nodded and turned back towards the back wall. "Did I mention that you look beautiful in that dress?" TJ stared at the younger boy, mouth agape. "What?!"
"Hush!"
Carefully, TJ wound her way off of the pile of parts and stood on the cold cement floor. As she brushed off the skirt of her dress, a beam of light pierced the blackness, illuminating the vicinity that she and Trev were in. She could see Trev scurrying to get down off the pile just as a hand gripped her arm, startling her. She felt herself spun around, and leaned away from the face behind. Another light was turned on, and in its glow she could make out Trev, standing still glaring at the man that held her. A second soldier stood behind him, gaze cold, one hand on the boy's collar.
"Hey, it's pretty in a dress, wonder -" Trev lunged forward, dragging along the soldier holding him. His glare promised death. "Don't even think about it!"
* * * * *
The single soldier standing in the background holding a light on the scene stiffened. He'd been watching the scene in front of him when someone grabbed his neck and pressure pointed him. His hand went limp and he dropped to the floor. The flashlight didn't waver much, and Duo grinned in the dark as he gripped the flashlight taken from the fallen man. Trust Heero to be quick and efficient. He held the light steady and glanced back to where Heero was dragging the dead man away. Returning his gaze to the front, he smiled grimly, those soldiers wouldn't know what hit them; they were too busy keeping their hands on the two they were holding.
* * * * *
As Trev continued to struggle forward, the man who was gripping onto his shirt dropped his light and shifted his free hand to better hold the boy. He glanced at his partner while jerking the kid backwards. "Cut it out; you know the Captain doesn't like to be kept waiting. Besides, there were two more, and I can't see them at the moment."
TJ's captor gripped her arm tighter. "Where are the others?" She turned her face away in disgust, and looked at Trev, still struggling to get at the man behind her. He grimaced as his arm was twisted. "They saw something outside the cave and left us alone."
Twisting harder, the soldier asked again, "Where are they?" The boy glared ahead defiantly, even as he winced because of the pain. "We are down in a cave! I don't know where they are, except that they're in the area around the cave."
The soldier yanked again as the kid lunged forward, and suddenly found himself on his back. The kid had used his own momentum against him, and now had pulled free. Stunned, his hand flew to his gun, only to find that it had come free when he fell. He groped for it, and not finding it, crawled towards his fallen light. He glanced up to see the other light getting larger as it drew nearer. Good, Franz finally got around to moving. He'd always been a slow idiot. Loyal, but an idiot.
Suddenly the lights in the cavernous room flashed on, revealing the scene before his eyes. He got a very distinct impression of a long braid behind him and the girl rolling behind a pile of scrap while clutching her ankle, while the kid he'd been holding still grappled with his compatriot for a gun. His own pistol lay a few feet away, and he dove for it, reaching it just as the girl reappeared with a gun in her hands. The soldier grabbed his pistol and rolled away from the hail of bullets that were unleashed in his direction. Scrambling behind a piece of junk of unknown origins, he peered cautiously around to determine what the situation was.
Duo swore fluently to himself as he ducked behind an ancient mining suit arm. The suddenness of the flood of light had been a surprise to everyone, and wasn't exactly for the best when you're trying to sneak up on someone. At first he thought Heero had done it, but a dark head disappeared behind a standing mobile suit when he glanced in the direction Heero had taken with the body. The body lay along the wall. On the other side of the room a woman in OZ uniform had just removed a pair of night vision goggles. A row of switches extended from the wall beside her. So that's what happened!
He raised his arm to fire when movement arrested his motion. He ducked under the hail of fire, cowering behind the arm. Damn! Forgot about him! The second OZ soldier had finally recovered himself long enough to pin Duo down. How the heck do we get out of this one?
* * * * *
TJ had been pinning down the first soldier, but now she was forced to shift positions as the new player came into the game. She threw herself into a roll and made it behind another pile of parts before any of the soldiers could fire. Peeking out, she could still see Trev and the burly guy rolling around with the gun. Then a bullet ricocheted above her head and she ducked back into cover. Argh!
* * * * *
Trev found himself rolling around the floor with the soldier who'd been holding TJ, trying to keep from getting shot, and both of them a perfect target for anyone who chose to shoot at the pair. When the man had jerked him back, he'd launched himself into the pull, getting enough momentum to knock the soldier off balance. When he'd hit the ground, Trev rolled off and lunged for the big guy.
As he half expected, the man shoved TJ away and went for his gun. And, although he was quicker than the soldier, in this rolling, shoving battle for control of the gun, weight counted for more than agility. Trev winced as the soldier shoved an elbow into his chest. He hoped something would break loose soon; he couldn't hold onto the weapon much longer, and he needed a way out of this winner take all.
The soldier jerked his arm again, and his finger inadvertently pulled the trigger. The pistol fired, causing everyone to duck out of sight. As soon as the gun quite spitting bullets, Trev let go and rolled away from his antagonist. He headed for the far wall.
But the OZ soldier wasn't about to let him get away that easily. The big man pulled himself off of the ground and lunged at the boy, knocking him to the ground. Trev rolled on impact, and ended up on his stomach. A quick glance over his shoulder caused him to scramble forward as quickly as possible. There was rage showing in the eyes of his pursuer. A sudden hail of fire enable him to reach a mobile suit reactor shell. He rolled behind and stood to his feet.
A hand holding a knife lashed out at him. Ducking, he executed a series of backwards somersaults towards the wall. Spotting Duo and TJ, he gestured toward a group of battered Leos. "Run!"
They started towards the suits, then stopped as the group suddenly toppled. The Wing Gundam towered over the small figures on the ground. Its eyes flashed green, and the scene seemed to freeze for a moment. Everyone stared at the impressive suit.
Then a shout rang out. "Gunthar, Stromwell, get out!" The two OZies finally shook off their shock and rushed towards the door they'd entered through. Hurrying into the hole, they followed their captain as she sprinted towards the exit. "We've got to call in the Aires, that was a Gundam back there!"
Grasping the ropes that they had descended from, they pulled themselves to the surface. Once there, the Captain grabbed the radio and Stromwell grabbed the wheel. "Get us out of here!" Gunthar was scrambling into the passenger side, knife still in hand. The Captain turned to him for a second. "And put that knife away!" He hurried to comply.
"Echo squadron, can you read me."
Static sounded for a moment, then a male voice came through. "Echo squadron here, affirmative Captain, you're coming in loud and clear."
"Echo, get the hell over here, we've got a Gu...oh-my-god. GET OVER HERE NOW!"
The Captain had just started her message to the squadron when a grating noise sounded behind the jeep. The occupants looked back in time to see the Wing Gundam rise from the underground shelter.
Heero glared at the small vehicle that was the forerunner of trouble. Turning Wing almost casually, he fired his vulcans and the jeep disappeared in a small explosion. A totally black suit rose up behind him, and Duo's voice came over the com.
"Hey man! Ready to kick some ass?"
"Hnn." That American would never know how he sounded to others. The console blinked and Heero turned his attention back to the task at hand. The Aries were coming.
* * * * *
Thanks to everyone who's read and reviewed my work. Day's Darkness is currently undergoing a partial rewrite of some scenes in the story as I'm posting it, which is why it's been a little slow to put up. I wanted this story to be somewhat believable. Which also means that the characters that I introduce aren't going to be all-powerful, super-beings. Just ordinary people in extraordinary circumstances. Enjoy.
