Chapter Three: We Must Learn from the Past to Protect our Future
"She's married, eh? How troublesome," Tyler muttered as he leaned back in his chair.
Lee Ares watched him carefully as he focused on a picture over the blazing fireplace. He never liked that fireplace, nor the disturbing picture that hung above it. It was an original photograph, sometime in the 1940s AD. Ares had never taken much time to try and figure out where it was placed, because the site of a ship being blown to pieces and people dying all around was enough to make his stomach turn. He didn't much care about where or when it was. As long as it had nothing to do with his missions.
"Did you know America was forced into the second World War, Ares?"
"I don't believe I studied that war in my history classes, sir."
"Why not, Ares?"
"My professors all said that it was too far in the past to matter."
"Those who ignore the past are doomed to repeat its mistakes," Tyler answered the young man. "Take a close look at that picture, my friend. What does it say?"
"USS Arizona sunk on December 7, 1941," Ares read. "So?"
"I was raised in America, or what's left of it. It seems that there is the Earth and Space now, no countries. I know the history of America. In their history, it talks about the second World War. It speaks of the attack of a bay called Pearl Harbor. I suggest you do some research on that." Tyler's eyes narrowed as a cruel smile crossed his tan features. "We will attack the Earth's alliance where it will hurt them the worst. We'll attack the Atlantic."
"Sir, that's a very large ship. We are not militarily prepared to take down such a vessel."
"It's the surprise that will catch them off their guard, Captain. We will take them down. Make sure we're ready by tomorrow."
"Sir!"
"In the early '40s of the 20th century AD, the Japanese took quite a while preparing for their attack. This is 201 AC. I suggest you be ready when I tell you to, Captain."
Ares swallowed hard. "Yes sir." He turned to leave, then stopped. "Sir?"
"What is it, Ares?"
The young man hesitated before asking, "Sir, doesn't the Atlantic have civilians on it now?"
A cruel chuckle came from Tyler. "Yes. Yes it does, Captain. Be ready."
(A/N: Just a quick little comment: Tyler is NOT a good man. In fact, he's very evil. He does not have that picture of the Arizona up there as something good. Not at all. He likes to look at the destruction from the ship on daily basis. REALLY SCREWED UP. Just a little side note ^_^) (A/N2: I was rereading this while editing and the thought came to my mind that we received a picture much like I described in this story, but after I had written down the description. It frightened me a little when I saw the poster lol. Tyler's come to get me!)
Chase plopped down in the open chair next to the blue-haired swordsman. He glanced over towards her for a moment, then returned his eyes to stare out the window. She glared. "You could at least talk to me."
"I don't want Heero to think I'm making a move on you again," he replied shortly.
The petite woman glared. "You didn't have to come. You could have sent a message with the information."
"And it could have been intercepted by the enemy," he replied coldly.
"Or maybe you just wanted to see us!" Chase yelled, not really meaning to. "I know I wanted to see you."
This caught the half dragon's attention. "Excuse me?"
The green eyed woman sighed. "It's not as if I hate you, Ryuujin. Please don't do this." Her voice was pleading as she looked up at him.
"I'm sorry," Ryuujin whispered.
Chase smiled. "Do me a favor, ne?"
"What?"
"Fight with us. We're going to need all the help we can get in this war. Your help would be appreciated."
Ryuujin nodded. "Okay, Chase-chan."
"Well I thought I'd at least have to twist your arm for it," the younger assassin complained.
The half dragon laughed at this.
Profile: 03
Name: Unknown Code Name: Trowa Barton Age: 21 Height: 6'3'' Weight: 180lbs Hair Color: Brown Eye Color: Green Gundam: Heavyarms Custom Past: Grew up as a soldier. Nothing else known.
Heero sat up in bed, listening to Trowa and Quatre tell of what they had found. His blue eyes watched Lady Une's every movement as she devoted her attention to the two young men before her.
"If I remember the man correctly," Trowa continued, "he had a fascination with history. He took the idea of learning from history so that it didn't repeat itself to the fullest."
"So you think that he will use something out of the past to cause us trouble?" Heero mused aloud. His dark eyes met Trowa's. "Do you realize how little that narrowed it down?"
Trowa frowned. "Hai. I'd thought of that, but if it helps any, he's from North America."
"Anywhere you know of in particular?"
"Somewhere in the United States," Trowa responded. "I don't know exactly where."
Heero nodded.
"Even with that," Lady Une said, "the United States has been around since the 18th century AD. That's quite a bit of history he could be trying to play with."
"It's been quite a while since America was a strong power, ne?" Quatre asked.
Heero chuckled lightly and received curious glances. "Nothing. Chase found that out some years back and muttered something about the End Times." He smirked slightly, leaning his head back. "Sometimes I'm led to think that her beliefs may be true, but I should debate that another time."
Trowa nodded. "Would Chase or Anna be able to help us with the history of America?"
"If anyone could from that far back," Quatre said.
"I'll find them and talk to them," Trowa said as he started for the door.
Trowa found the green eyed assassin and the blue eyed half dragon sitting and talking in the lookout bay. He hated to interrupt, but she would understand. He cleared his throat.
Chase turned and her face turned serious. "Konban wa, Trowa-kun."
"Lady Une would like a word with you, Chase-chan."
The young assassin blinked. "Whatever it was, I didn't blow it up." The innocence in her statement and wide-eyed expression made Ryuujin chuckle. She glared slightly at him.
Trowa allowed a shadow of a smirk to cross his face. He motioned and Chase stood. "We'll be back shortly," the taller man informed the half dragon.
Ryuujin simply nodded.
The two pilots entered Lady Une's office to find Quatre and Heero standing there. Chase opened her mouth to scold the Japanese man for being out of bed, but the look on his face shut her up quickly. They had a lead.
"We've been discussing Rolland Tyler, Chase-chan, and believe that you might be able to predict his next move," Trowa explained.
"Zero?"
"Zero might come into play later in this, but for now we're looking into the past. Apparently Tyler enjoys taking things from the past and replaying them in the present. He's from America."
"America hasn't fought a war in a good number of years, though."
"We think he's looking back into closer to your time, Chase-chan. That's why we need you to think about what he would do. I was trying to remember as much as I could about him, and I believe he had a fascination with the second World War."
Chase's eyes narrowed. "World War 2?" She leaned back against the wall, thinking.
Heero, Trowa, Quatre, and Lady Une exchanged glances, but said nothing that would interrupt the young assassin's train of thought.
"We're at the beginning of the war. Not even really into yet, and no one wants to be in it," Chase thought out loud. She closed her emerald orbs for a moment, but then they flashed open quickly. "Where could they hit us that would hurt us the worse in a surprise attack?"
"I'd have to check on the ships in the area, but probably the Atlantic," Lady Une said.
Chase's eyes nearly bulged. Why hadn't she thought of the Atlantic? It was their largest ship with both crew and their families on it. It had new weapons that had not yet been tested, but were expected to help the Earth's military quite a bit against any attackers. Protection against something like this.
"We have to get a hold of them immediately and send people there now," the young pilot said quickly. "I believe that Tyler will hit the Atlantic."
Lady Une nodded. "If you three will gather the rest of the pilots up, I'll contact the ship. Be ready at the docking bay when I get there."
"Hai," they said together and were off down the hall.
It took no more than ten minutes to find the remaining four pilots and get all of them into the docking bay. Noin said that she would watch Jack for Anna, and the younger woman thanked her repeatedly.
Ryuujin stepped into the chaos a bit confused. He finally caught a hold of Zechs, who happened to be the one nearest to him. "What's going on?" he demanded.
"Chase thinks that the New Revolution will attack the Atlantic," the blond man said. "We're going there."
Reflective blue eyes watches as all eight pilots scurried into their Gundams and were awaiting Lady Une's orders.
Chase stopped before climbing in and grabbed Heero's wrist. "Daijoubu?" she demanded.
"Hai," her husband answered. "Daijoubu, Chase-chan. Just keep your mind focused on what's before us."
She nodded, and climbed into her Gundam. The brunet punched in Z-E-R- O into her system. She was pulled into the system and her eyes blanked.
Blood. Too much blood. The dark liquid spilling from bodies strewn across the bridge and from the innocent families of the crew. Blood.
Chase was snapped out of the system as Lady Une's voice was heard over the comm. "Communications with the Atlantic have been cut off."
"Let's get moving then," Heero's voice flooded into the comm.
The Gundams were in space as quickly as possible. They hoped they would make it in time.
Lady Une sighed. "In five minutes we take off behind them for back up!" she yelled at soldiers who had gathered around. "Get ready!" She turned her brown eyes toward the tall half dragon. "Would you care to join us, Ryuujin?"
"Yeah," the blue haired man said and followed after her.
(A/N: Okay, people, this what I was talking about in one of my previous notes. This is about to get graphic and possible foul language from some of the pilots. Just a warning.)
The pilots weren't quite sure the amount of time it took them to reach their destination, but knew they were too late as soon as they reached it. No life was shown from the outside and looking into the thick windows. Occasionally one of the pilots would see a bit of fire reach out for the walls, but it was impossible to tell how serious it was. Debris floated around the ship. It was a slight sign that they had been able to fight back at least some.
Chase gripped her controls tightly. Her knuckles turned white from the pressure applied. "Damn it," she growled. "Let's get in there and find survivors."
"Une-sama will be here shortly," Heero said quietly. "She will have a ship large enough to take the bodies somewhere where they can be given a proper burial."
They landed the Gundams on the docking deck, which had somehow survived the attack. They climbed out with care.
Chase landed hard as she took the short way to the ground. Heero touched her shoulder lightly. "Know that not many will have survived."
To most, this would have sounded like a cruel thing for someone to say, but Chase knew the reasons for his bluntness. "I know."
The eight pilots made their way into the ship. They found no signs of bodies as they continued. Chase's mind replayed the images that the Zero System had shown her.
"You'd think they hadn't been hit at all except for the debris," Quatre mumbled as he surveyed the area.
Wufei, who had been leading, took a step back, an unusual look on his face.
"Fei-chan?" Anna whispered, touching his shoulder. "Nani." She stopped when she saw what he had: a room that had not been evacuated in time when the damage had been done. Where would they have evacuated to?
Anna covered her mouth in shock as she turned to find Duo there. He pulled her close as he saw what she had. A young baby dead in his mother's arms. Silent tears streamed down the young pilot's face.
"What if they attack the Pacific while we're here, Duo-chan?" she whispered.
"Jack's just fine," Duo answered comfortingly. "He'll be waiting when we get back. He'll be just fine."
Chase felt a shiver run down her spine at the site of the people. She heard Trowa make a commit about the air thinning out, but she did not respond. They had oxygen tanks if they needed them. Her dark eyes focused on the area ahead. She had to keep going. Someone had to have survived this awful attack. There were survivors at Pearl Harbor, weren't there? She had to find the ones here.
She felt Heero place a hand on her shoulder and pull the oxygen mask around her nose. "I don't care how fixated you are on finding them, but you have to remember to stay alive in here as well," he said quietly.
She nodded and turned to continue. He took her wrist and pulled her back. "Let someone else go first in there."
She looked up at him with curious eyes. He knew something. She wasn't sure what yet, but he knew something. She heard Quatre's gasp of horror muffled by the oxygen mask over his face. The Arabian man paled considerably as he backed away from the room. Trowa steadied him.
Chase pulled free from her husband's grasp. She knew what she was going to see there. She knew she had to look at the awful site at least once, so why not get it over with. Her stomach churned when her green eyes saw what they did. Bodies were strewn everywhere, blood covering the bridge. The captain was in the middle of the floor, dead. A pool of crimson was around him and his eyes were blank. Lifeless.
The young American gave a half cry and Heero held her shoulders. She had seen blood many times before. It was a smell that could make her stomach turn if it were plenty enough. The site hardly ever bothered her. She had seen her own far too many times to remember.
Her eyes caught glimpse of a child's hand clutching a teddy bear, the toy tightly gripped even in death. She nearly cried when she saw it. Thoughts of Heero and the little girl with the puppy. He'd never explained the thoughts going through his head that day, and she couldn't even remember him speaking of the events. All she knew was that he had nearly killed himself and there had been a teddy bear there in the snowy picture.
Chase felt her husband's arms wrap around her and she sighed heavily. He tightened his grip when they all heard footsteps.
"They're still here," Wufei said in a hushed whisper. "Too many of them."
Chase felt Heero push her firmly into a hiding place and then join her. Her view was limited to around his dark brown hair. He scooted back, muttering for her to do the same. He took a deep breath and then switched his oxygen off. "There's enough to keep us until they leave, hopefully."
Chase nodded. The oxygen providers were too noisy for this.
"Everyone's dead," a voice said from the outside. "General Tyler will be pleased."
Heero's gloved hand held Chase's wrist firmly, silently telling her that this was not the time for revenging the dead.
"It's really a shame that this is what he thinks will win his war," a new voice said. Chase's green eyes latched onto the form of a young man. She made out the dark violet hair and his small stature. His voice was slightly feminine.
"Sir?"
"If Tyler thinks he'll win this by killing innocents, he's damn wrong. This will only rouse the Gundam pilots more." The man sighed. "Though I just follow orders, ne? Let's get moving. No one's left here."
"Yes sir."
The pilots held their breaths as the men exited, and silently released it when they were gone. Chase let out a choked sob as she buried her face in her husband's space suit. She felt his strong arms go around her back and pull her closer. "No one lived," she whispered.
"I know. We'll revenge them, Chase-chan. Don't think for a moment we won't."
Chase looked up with tears in her eyes and nodded.
Lady Une's group arrived later than expected. They had been held back by multiple variables.
Ryuujin let out a low whistle as he surveyed the site. "These people were serious, ne, Chase-chan?"
The young pilot nodded silently as she knelt by one of the officers. "I hate the people that did this," she whispered darkly.
"Then heaven help them. They're dead men."
Chase nodded and stood, eyes vacant of all emotion. Ryuujin watched her walk past both him and Heero. "What's the matter with her?" the half dragon asked.
"Innocence was slaughtered today," Heero explained. "Chase can handle a lot, but it hits home for her when the victims were innocent."
Ryuujin nodded his understanding. He looked over and saw the child, drenched in blood and clutching her teddy bear. Suddenly he understood exactly what Heero had meant.
All of the pilots felt the same rage that day, but voiced it differently. Chase pulled away from the world, falling into herself and staying silent for the rest of the evening and during the clean up that lasted, for them, into the next day. Heero stayed by his wife, being her strength. Anna clung to Jack as soon as she returned back to the ship, and Duo to them both, silently overjoyed that it wasn't h is family. Somehow he did not feel guilty for feeling that way. This was all he cared about. Quatre sat staring towards the stars with a darkness that set around him. Trowa took to researching all he could of the New Revolution and did nothing else. Wufei attempted to not let the events bother him as he worked in the gym. Zechs, like the Maxwells, clung to his family. Ryuujin thought the situation over in his mind, wondering why it was effecting him so. It wasn't as if he'd never seen blood before.
The pilots took the day to mourn people they never knew, and never would know. Somehow, it had effected them more than they would have ever expected.
A/N: Okay, it wasn't as bad as I thought it might be. I think if I hadn't been so lazy and waited until quite a while after I saw the Arizona I might have still had those emotions running strong and have done more with this. Don't get me wrong, I put what I probably would have done if I were really Chase-chan. (*sobs* Alas, I'm not, but I really wish I were!!) I believe I wrote the original 3 Beats (or at least a good deal of it) while listening to the song Kaze no Uta from Fushigi Yuugi. I am, once again, listening to the song, so those emotions run through this as well. *wails* NURIKO-SAMA!!! WAIII!!!!!! (if you don't get it, you are very sad.. ^_^ That or just not a FY fan! Beautiful art.) Anyway, I did put quite a bit of my heart into that part, but sadly enough it didn't come out quite as forcefully as I had planned. Looking back on it, though, I think I might have done better. Hopefully I didn't gross any of the readers out with my descriptions (I kept them minimal!) and the cursing wasn't too bad. Chase was too dumbfounded to say anything. Lol. Anyway, this was suppose to be a very dramatic chapter. I hope it was. I hope you are crying now (if you're a girl, if you're a guy and are crying.. Wow. I've done a really nice job on this or you're strange. Let's take the former, ne? ^_~) simply because that was the purpose of this chapter. ONWARD! TBC
"She's married, eh? How troublesome," Tyler muttered as he leaned back in his chair.
Lee Ares watched him carefully as he focused on a picture over the blazing fireplace. He never liked that fireplace, nor the disturbing picture that hung above it. It was an original photograph, sometime in the 1940s AD. Ares had never taken much time to try and figure out where it was placed, because the site of a ship being blown to pieces and people dying all around was enough to make his stomach turn. He didn't much care about where or when it was. As long as it had nothing to do with his missions.
"Did you know America was forced into the second World War, Ares?"
"I don't believe I studied that war in my history classes, sir."
"Why not, Ares?"
"My professors all said that it was too far in the past to matter."
"Those who ignore the past are doomed to repeat its mistakes," Tyler answered the young man. "Take a close look at that picture, my friend. What does it say?"
"USS Arizona sunk on December 7, 1941," Ares read. "So?"
"I was raised in America, or what's left of it. It seems that there is the Earth and Space now, no countries. I know the history of America. In their history, it talks about the second World War. It speaks of the attack of a bay called Pearl Harbor. I suggest you do some research on that." Tyler's eyes narrowed as a cruel smile crossed his tan features. "We will attack the Earth's alliance where it will hurt them the worst. We'll attack the Atlantic."
"Sir, that's a very large ship. We are not militarily prepared to take down such a vessel."
"It's the surprise that will catch them off their guard, Captain. We will take them down. Make sure we're ready by tomorrow."
"Sir!"
"In the early '40s of the 20th century AD, the Japanese took quite a while preparing for their attack. This is 201 AC. I suggest you be ready when I tell you to, Captain."
Ares swallowed hard. "Yes sir." He turned to leave, then stopped. "Sir?"
"What is it, Ares?"
The young man hesitated before asking, "Sir, doesn't the Atlantic have civilians on it now?"
A cruel chuckle came from Tyler. "Yes. Yes it does, Captain. Be ready."
(A/N: Just a quick little comment: Tyler is NOT a good man. In fact, he's very evil. He does not have that picture of the Arizona up there as something good. Not at all. He likes to look at the destruction from the ship on daily basis. REALLY SCREWED UP. Just a little side note ^_^) (A/N2: I was rereading this while editing and the thought came to my mind that we received a picture much like I described in this story, but after I had written down the description. It frightened me a little when I saw the poster lol. Tyler's come to get me!)
Chase plopped down in the open chair next to the blue-haired swordsman. He glanced over towards her for a moment, then returned his eyes to stare out the window. She glared. "You could at least talk to me."
"I don't want Heero to think I'm making a move on you again," he replied shortly.
The petite woman glared. "You didn't have to come. You could have sent a message with the information."
"And it could have been intercepted by the enemy," he replied coldly.
"Or maybe you just wanted to see us!" Chase yelled, not really meaning to. "I know I wanted to see you."
This caught the half dragon's attention. "Excuse me?"
The green eyed woman sighed. "It's not as if I hate you, Ryuujin. Please don't do this." Her voice was pleading as she looked up at him.
"I'm sorry," Ryuujin whispered.
Chase smiled. "Do me a favor, ne?"
"What?"
"Fight with us. We're going to need all the help we can get in this war. Your help would be appreciated."
Ryuujin nodded. "Okay, Chase-chan."
"Well I thought I'd at least have to twist your arm for it," the younger assassin complained.
The half dragon laughed at this.
Profile: 03
Name: Unknown Code Name: Trowa Barton Age: 21 Height: 6'3'' Weight: 180lbs Hair Color: Brown Eye Color: Green Gundam: Heavyarms Custom Past: Grew up as a soldier. Nothing else known.
Heero sat up in bed, listening to Trowa and Quatre tell of what they had found. His blue eyes watched Lady Une's every movement as she devoted her attention to the two young men before her.
"If I remember the man correctly," Trowa continued, "he had a fascination with history. He took the idea of learning from history so that it didn't repeat itself to the fullest."
"So you think that he will use something out of the past to cause us trouble?" Heero mused aloud. His dark eyes met Trowa's. "Do you realize how little that narrowed it down?"
Trowa frowned. "Hai. I'd thought of that, but if it helps any, he's from North America."
"Anywhere you know of in particular?"
"Somewhere in the United States," Trowa responded. "I don't know exactly where."
Heero nodded.
"Even with that," Lady Une said, "the United States has been around since the 18th century AD. That's quite a bit of history he could be trying to play with."
"It's been quite a while since America was a strong power, ne?" Quatre asked.
Heero chuckled lightly and received curious glances. "Nothing. Chase found that out some years back and muttered something about the End Times." He smirked slightly, leaning his head back. "Sometimes I'm led to think that her beliefs may be true, but I should debate that another time."
Trowa nodded. "Would Chase or Anna be able to help us with the history of America?"
"If anyone could from that far back," Quatre said.
"I'll find them and talk to them," Trowa said as he started for the door.
Trowa found the green eyed assassin and the blue eyed half dragon sitting and talking in the lookout bay. He hated to interrupt, but she would understand. He cleared his throat.
Chase turned and her face turned serious. "Konban wa, Trowa-kun."
"Lady Une would like a word with you, Chase-chan."
The young assassin blinked. "Whatever it was, I didn't blow it up." The innocence in her statement and wide-eyed expression made Ryuujin chuckle. She glared slightly at him.
Trowa allowed a shadow of a smirk to cross his face. He motioned and Chase stood. "We'll be back shortly," the taller man informed the half dragon.
Ryuujin simply nodded.
The two pilots entered Lady Une's office to find Quatre and Heero standing there. Chase opened her mouth to scold the Japanese man for being out of bed, but the look on his face shut her up quickly. They had a lead.
"We've been discussing Rolland Tyler, Chase-chan, and believe that you might be able to predict his next move," Trowa explained.
"Zero?"
"Zero might come into play later in this, but for now we're looking into the past. Apparently Tyler enjoys taking things from the past and replaying them in the present. He's from America."
"America hasn't fought a war in a good number of years, though."
"We think he's looking back into closer to your time, Chase-chan. That's why we need you to think about what he would do. I was trying to remember as much as I could about him, and I believe he had a fascination with the second World War."
Chase's eyes narrowed. "World War 2?" She leaned back against the wall, thinking.
Heero, Trowa, Quatre, and Lady Une exchanged glances, but said nothing that would interrupt the young assassin's train of thought.
"We're at the beginning of the war. Not even really into yet, and no one wants to be in it," Chase thought out loud. She closed her emerald orbs for a moment, but then they flashed open quickly. "Where could they hit us that would hurt us the worse in a surprise attack?"
"I'd have to check on the ships in the area, but probably the Atlantic," Lady Une said.
Chase's eyes nearly bulged. Why hadn't she thought of the Atlantic? It was their largest ship with both crew and their families on it. It had new weapons that had not yet been tested, but were expected to help the Earth's military quite a bit against any attackers. Protection against something like this.
"We have to get a hold of them immediately and send people there now," the young pilot said quickly. "I believe that Tyler will hit the Atlantic."
Lady Une nodded. "If you three will gather the rest of the pilots up, I'll contact the ship. Be ready at the docking bay when I get there."
"Hai," they said together and were off down the hall.
It took no more than ten minutes to find the remaining four pilots and get all of them into the docking bay. Noin said that she would watch Jack for Anna, and the younger woman thanked her repeatedly.
Ryuujin stepped into the chaos a bit confused. He finally caught a hold of Zechs, who happened to be the one nearest to him. "What's going on?" he demanded.
"Chase thinks that the New Revolution will attack the Atlantic," the blond man said. "We're going there."
Reflective blue eyes watches as all eight pilots scurried into their Gundams and were awaiting Lady Une's orders.
Chase stopped before climbing in and grabbed Heero's wrist. "Daijoubu?" she demanded.
"Hai," her husband answered. "Daijoubu, Chase-chan. Just keep your mind focused on what's before us."
She nodded, and climbed into her Gundam. The brunet punched in Z-E-R- O into her system. She was pulled into the system and her eyes blanked.
Blood. Too much blood. The dark liquid spilling from bodies strewn across the bridge and from the innocent families of the crew. Blood.
Chase was snapped out of the system as Lady Une's voice was heard over the comm. "Communications with the Atlantic have been cut off."
"Let's get moving then," Heero's voice flooded into the comm.
The Gundams were in space as quickly as possible. They hoped they would make it in time.
Lady Une sighed. "In five minutes we take off behind them for back up!" she yelled at soldiers who had gathered around. "Get ready!" She turned her brown eyes toward the tall half dragon. "Would you care to join us, Ryuujin?"
"Yeah," the blue haired man said and followed after her.
(A/N: Okay, people, this what I was talking about in one of my previous notes. This is about to get graphic and possible foul language from some of the pilots. Just a warning.)
The pilots weren't quite sure the amount of time it took them to reach their destination, but knew they were too late as soon as they reached it. No life was shown from the outside and looking into the thick windows. Occasionally one of the pilots would see a bit of fire reach out for the walls, but it was impossible to tell how serious it was. Debris floated around the ship. It was a slight sign that they had been able to fight back at least some.
Chase gripped her controls tightly. Her knuckles turned white from the pressure applied. "Damn it," she growled. "Let's get in there and find survivors."
"Une-sama will be here shortly," Heero said quietly. "She will have a ship large enough to take the bodies somewhere where they can be given a proper burial."
They landed the Gundams on the docking deck, which had somehow survived the attack. They climbed out with care.
Chase landed hard as she took the short way to the ground. Heero touched her shoulder lightly. "Know that not many will have survived."
To most, this would have sounded like a cruel thing for someone to say, but Chase knew the reasons for his bluntness. "I know."
The eight pilots made their way into the ship. They found no signs of bodies as they continued. Chase's mind replayed the images that the Zero System had shown her.
"You'd think they hadn't been hit at all except for the debris," Quatre mumbled as he surveyed the area.
Wufei, who had been leading, took a step back, an unusual look on his face.
"Fei-chan?" Anna whispered, touching his shoulder. "Nani." She stopped when she saw what he had: a room that had not been evacuated in time when the damage had been done. Where would they have evacuated to?
Anna covered her mouth in shock as she turned to find Duo there. He pulled her close as he saw what she had. A young baby dead in his mother's arms. Silent tears streamed down the young pilot's face.
"What if they attack the Pacific while we're here, Duo-chan?" she whispered.
"Jack's just fine," Duo answered comfortingly. "He'll be waiting when we get back. He'll be just fine."
Chase felt a shiver run down her spine at the site of the people. She heard Trowa make a commit about the air thinning out, but she did not respond. They had oxygen tanks if they needed them. Her dark eyes focused on the area ahead. She had to keep going. Someone had to have survived this awful attack. There were survivors at Pearl Harbor, weren't there? She had to find the ones here.
She felt Heero place a hand on her shoulder and pull the oxygen mask around her nose. "I don't care how fixated you are on finding them, but you have to remember to stay alive in here as well," he said quietly.
She nodded and turned to continue. He took her wrist and pulled her back. "Let someone else go first in there."
She looked up at him with curious eyes. He knew something. She wasn't sure what yet, but he knew something. She heard Quatre's gasp of horror muffled by the oxygen mask over his face. The Arabian man paled considerably as he backed away from the room. Trowa steadied him.
Chase pulled free from her husband's grasp. She knew what she was going to see there. She knew she had to look at the awful site at least once, so why not get it over with. Her stomach churned when her green eyes saw what they did. Bodies were strewn everywhere, blood covering the bridge. The captain was in the middle of the floor, dead. A pool of crimson was around him and his eyes were blank. Lifeless.
The young American gave a half cry and Heero held her shoulders. She had seen blood many times before. It was a smell that could make her stomach turn if it were plenty enough. The site hardly ever bothered her. She had seen her own far too many times to remember.
Her eyes caught glimpse of a child's hand clutching a teddy bear, the toy tightly gripped even in death. She nearly cried when she saw it. Thoughts of Heero and the little girl with the puppy. He'd never explained the thoughts going through his head that day, and she couldn't even remember him speaking of the events. All she knew was that he had nearly killed himself and there had been a teddy bear there in the snowy picture.
Chase felt her husband's arms wrap around her and she sighed heavily. He tightened his grip when they all heard footsteps.
"They're still here," Wufei said in a hushed whisper. "Too many of them."
Chase felt Heero push her firmly into a hiding place and then join her. Her view was limited to around his dark brown hair. He scooted back, muttering for her to do the same. He took a deep breath and then switched his oxygen off. "There's enough to keep us until they leave, hopefully."
Chase nodded. The oxygen providers were too noisy for this.
"Everyone's dead," a voice said from the outside. "General Tyler will be pleased."
Heero's gloved hand held Chase's wrist firmly, silently telling her that this was not the time for revenging the dead.
"It's really a shame that this is what he thinks will win his war," a new voice said. Chase's green eyes latched onto the form of a young man. She made out the dark violet hair and his small stature. His voice was slightly feminine.
"Sir?"
"If Tyler thinks he'll win this by killing innocents, he's damn wrong. This will only rouse the Gundam pilots more." The man sighed. "Though I just follow orders, ne? Let's get moving. No one's left here."
"Yes sir."
The pilots held their breaths as the men exited, and silently released it when they were gone. Chase let out a choked sob as she buried her face in her husband's space suit. She felt his strong arms go around her back and pull her closer. "No one lived," she whispered.
"I know. We'll revenge them, Chase-chan. Don't think for a moment we won't."
Chase looked up with tears in her eyes and nodded.
Lady Une's group arrived later than expected. They had been held back by multiple variables.
Ryuujin let out a low whistle as he surveyed the site. "These people were serious, ne, Chase-chan?"
The young pilot nodded silently as she knelt by one of the officers. "I hate the people that did this," she whispered darkly.
"Then heaven help them. They're dead men."
Chase nodded and stood, eyes vacant of all emotion. Ryuujin watched her walk past both him and Heero. "What's the matter with her?" the half dragon asked.
"Innocence was slaughtered today," Heero explained. "Chase can handle a lot, but it hits home for her when the victims were innocent."
Ryuujin nodded his understanding. He looked over and saw the child, drenched in blood and clutching her teddy bear. Suddenly he understood exactly what Heero had meant.
All of the pilots felt the same rage that day, but voiced it differently. Chase pulled away from the world, falling into herself and staying silent for the rest of the evening and during the clean up that lasted, for them, into the next day. Heero stayed by his wife, being her strength. Anna clung to Jack as soon as she returned back to the ship, and Duo to them both, silently overjoyed that it wasn't h is family. Somehow he did not feel guilty for feeling that way. This was all he cared about. Quatre sat staring towards the stars with a darkness that set around him. Trowa took to researching all he could of the New Revolution and did nothing else. Wufei attempted to not let the events bother him as he worked in the gym. Zechs, like the Maxwells, clung to his family. Ryuujin thought the situation over in his mind, wondering why it was effecting him so. It wasn't as if he'd never seen blood before.
The pilots took the day to mourn people they never knew, and never would know. Somehow, it had effected them more than they would have ever expected.
A/N: Okay, it wasn't as bad as I thought it might be. I think if I hadn't been so lazy and waited until quite a while after I saw the Arizona I might have still had those emotions running strong and have done more with this. Don't get me wrong, I put what I probably would have done if I were really Chase-chan. (*sobs* Alas, I'm not, but I really wish I were!!) I believe I wrote the original 3 Beats (or at least a good deal of it) while listening to the song Kaze no Uta from Fushigi Yuugi. I am, once again, listening to the song, so those emotions run through this as well. *wails* NURIKO-SAMA!!! WAIII!!!!!! (if you don't get it, you are very sad.. ^_^ That or just not a FY fan! Beautiful art.) Anyway, I did put quite a bit of my heart into that part, but sadly enough it didn't come out quite as forcefully as I had planned. Looking back on it, though, I think I might have done better. Hopefully I didn't gross any of the readers out with my descriptions (I kept them minimal!) and the cursing wasn't too bad. Chase was too dumbfounded to say anything. Lol. Anyway, this was suppose to be a very dramatic chapter. I hope it was. I hope you are crying now (if you're a girl, if you're a guy and are crying.. Wow. I've done a really nice job on this or you're strange. Let's take the former, ne? ^_~) simply because that was the purpose of this chapter. ONWARD! TBC
