Astra: *new chapter dance*
Shizuko & Astra: *Applaud* Thank you all out reviewers!
Chapter Five
Heero and Wufei crouched on the rocks outside Crest Falls. All was quiet. That was what was so disturbing. "I don't get it," murmured Heero. "The place is always swarming with activity by this time of morning. Something's not right."
Wufei nodded. "But the compound seems completely intact. How strange…wait, look!"
A dark cloud was descending on the base. Heero sucked in his breath. "Dragons!" They watched as the perfect formation landed and approached. They spied movement beside the gates. "So not everyone is gon—" Heero broke off abruptly. Whoever was there was opening the gates.
Wufei viewed the scene, betraying no emotion of any kind. "Looks like we've found where the enemy is based for now."
Heero nudged him suddenly and pointed to a dark figure coming slowly towards them. Wufei nodded and they both drew their daggers. Then Heero stopped. "Hilde!" he called out softly. The figure's head turned in their direction, and then began stumbling towards them. She was about to collapse, so Heero helped her to their hiding place. She looked at him, confused. "Who are you? How do you know my name?"
He smiled slightly. "We've met before, but you were unconscious. I believe you know my partner, Duo Maxwell. I'm Heero Yuy."
Hilde sat up and frowned. "Oh, him. Don't tell me you work with him voluntarily."
Heero looked up from checking her bandages. They hadn't been changed in a while and were nearly soaked through. "Actually, yes. You get used to him over the years."
Hilde shook her head in disbelief, and then winced. "Ow. Does it look like it's gotten better?"
Heero began wrapping new bandages around her arm. "Still pretty bad, but the infection's gone down."
"Thanks."
Wufei, feeling very impatient, broke in suddenly. "Enough of this idle talk! I want to know what's happened down at the base."
Hilde nodded. "Hey, me too."
"You mean you don't know??"
"Not really, but I'll tell you what I saw—though it wasn't much."
*
SPLASH!! Quatre mumbled something unintelligible and sat up. Duo stood there smirking with a dripping bucket in his hands. "Well, whaddya know, it works on you too!"
Quatre put a hand to his forehead. "Wha…what happened? Where am I?"
"You fell off your horse. Are ya feelin' okay?"
Quatre blinked a few times. I feel like I've heard that voice before…a lot before. It dawned on him. Oh no…
"What's going on?"
"We're pretty close to the Wide Plains base. I think we can reach there even with this slight delay."
"Gomen…" Quatre stood and pulled a map from his saddlebags. "Hey, wait…there's still a full day's journey to go."
"What?"
"See?" Quatre pointed to the map. "You must have read it wrong."
Duo scratched his head. "I guess I did. Hn…I don't usually do that…"
Quatre shrugged and smiled. "It's okay. My sisters live around here. We can stay at their place for the night. I haven't dropped by for a while."
"Great. Are they younger than you?"
"Nope. All of them are older."
"All? How many do you have?"
Quatre counted on his fingers, silently going through the names. "Uh…twenty-ei—no, twenty-nine."
"TWENTY-NINE???"
"Yep." They rode the next ten miles with Duo in shocked silence, much to Quatre's relief.
*
Relena rushed outside, hastily pulling on her shirt and a jacket. A flock of huge dragons swooped down towards them, knife-like teeth glinting evilly. There was a twang and hum as Midii and several other archers loosed arrows at the attackers. They bounced harmlessly off the tough scaled. Suddenly, Midii called, "The eyes! Aim for the eyes!" She raised the bow again, holding it steady, and shot. One dragon swerved, spitting ice shards awry as the arrow hit its mark. The other archers tried to follow suit, but the attack was too far under way. Even Midii was only able to make one more shot count. Blasts of solid frigidness rained down, making little craters wherever they hit. Suddenly, Trowa had all but bodily flung her to the ground. A glowing blue explosion flashed where she had been standing. As soon as she had regained her balance, he grabbed her wrist and Midii's and was dragging them to a small gate in the wall.
"Trowa! What are you doing?!"
"You coward!" Midii half-screamed, tears of fury and terror streaming from her eyes. "Let me go and fight!"
Trowa said nothing, but shoved them both through. Once outside, he led them swiftly up a path to a place where they crouched for what seemed an eternity, their eyes glued to the scene below.
*
"So, as Field Doctor Catalonia was attacked, you snuck out the window?" Wufei asked.
"You make it sound like I betrayed her or something!" Hilde snapped.
"Well, from your narration that seems to be what happened. Anyway, it doesn't matter. Obviously, someone we don't want is holding the base, and we have to get it back." Wufei said.
Hilde looked at him skeptically and said, "The three of us? Did you hear that, THREE. AND I'M INJURED! YOU seem to think you're a know it all, and…and…he…" she looked at Heero then continued, "…well, I don't know about him. But YOU seem fairly incompetent."
Wufei looked at her calmly, "However 'incompetent' you may see me, I am still a higher ranking officer…"
"Who says you're higher ranking? You don't know what rank I am. Maybe I'm higher!"
"Unless you happen to be general of the entire state, you are not higher than me. I happen to be a commander and know for a fact that you are only lieutenant."
Hilde looked abashed and then looked at him suspiciously, "How'd you know that?"
"When I was assigned to my new base I was looking through the files of people I could enlist to work underneath me. Yours was one of them. I passed it up."
Hilde glared at him mouth working. Before she blew, Heero stepped in.
"As fun as this is, shouldn't we get to work?"
"As long as she's done."
Hilde looked at Wufei and stuck her tongue out, but didn't say anything.
"Good," Wufei began. "Here's the plan."
Shizuko: Sorry…it's a little short…but at least it's here!
Astra: *shrug*