That's Childish, So Childish…
Chapter Seventeen: Let Them Watch With Amazement…
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Disclaimer—No, I don't own Gundam Wing. Do you think I would have let the series end if I did? *Evil grin* Oh, by the way—fish update. That suicidal, antagonistic Betta? I got two more fish to replace his "troops"—gouramis. BIG mistake. Those two new guys purely hate each other (they got along in the pet store!), and pick on poor blue Betta (tho they don't try to kill /him/). So the Betta is now called Treize… *Sighs* Why do /I/ always get the insane fish?!?
Warnings—Glomphing. Mental torture. Bruised shins. Near suffocation. Limping Treize. I don't think that warrants raised ratings, though.
The gang goes to Sanc… and meets Noin and Sally and Pagan. You can bet the greetings are rather interesting…
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Zechs gazed out the window of the Raven glumly, mask in his lap, watching clouds flutter by over the ocean.
//But /I/ wanted to fly!// he moped.
Well, it was one minor irritation. To tell the truth, something else bothered him more. And it was more apparent to him with each passing day. Nor was it very comforting.
//I'm regressing…//
Resting chin on hand, he sighed softly, too weary of it to fret over it anymore.
//I suppose I should just be glad I'm still sane… Shouldn't I? It could be worse. There are worse things than thinking like a kid. Like thinking like… like… what did I call those three again? No, I don't want to remember them! No, just let it rest… Not much else I can do, is there? Accept it, deal with it… but not change it, no.//
"Penny for your thoughts?" Treize asked beside him.
Zechs glanced over at his old friend, purposely avoiding looking at the empty command chair which used to be his. Duo and Heero had taken the pilot seats, and Quatre and Trowa had taken the two seats on the opposite side of the plane. Rashid was elsewhere, directing the rest of the squadron of mobile suit planes with the Maganacs and Treize's Aries troops… an escort service, of sorts.
Treize looked a bit more comfortable than he had the day before, now that his pants weren't glued to his skin. The hair was still a flaming, almost biting scarlet however. Not that Treize pretended to notice. His men, however, had been giving the General second-glances when he wasn't looking, sheer confusion and incredulity plain on their faces. Glimpsing that bright hair, Miri couldn't help but smile…
"Zechs," Treize sighed, clearly guessing what was creating that smile simply from where those eyes were focused.
"You have to take inflation into account, Treize. Plus I need the revenue. I'm jobless right now," Zechs admitted, not looking away from his triumph. //You would really stand out in a crowd, Treize… Not to mention do a fair job as a landing beacon in a thick fog.//
"A quarter?" Treize smirked, amused by the conversation.
"That doesn't get you a pack of gum these days."
"Hmm. True. Usually your thoughts aren't so expensive, though." The ex- Oz General's eyes were gentle, but worried.
Zechs glanced back out the window, watching clouds puff over a blue-grey sea, as if echoing the tiny crests of the waves far below. //I guess I'm nervous… I don't want to see a doctor. Especially an /Alliance/ doctor. Especially… like this. I'm more vulnerable like this. And… I'm afraid I'll be utterly useless if this regressing thing continues much further.//
"Just wondering… what if she can't make me normal again," he murmured quietly.
Treize remained silent a long moment, before offering softly, "Then you finally have a normal childhood, I guess. If a permanent one."
Miri snorted, one hand touching the glass of the window, so cool to the touch. "Not with... I remember too much, Treize."
The older man remained quiet for a long moment.
//It bothers you, too. You remember a lot, too—but not so vividly. For that, I'm glad. Nobody should have seen what I saw…// Zechs closed his eyes sadly. //Thank you, Treize… for caring.//
"Your friends will stay by you, Zechs. On that you can count."
"I know… I don't deserve it, but… thank you."
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The gunmetal-blue plane landed on the water, scaring away seagulls as it entered the cliff-base entrance of the underground facility in Sanc. The secret base's sheer practicality did seem to impress the Gundam pilots a bit—not a hint would show on radar or satellite photos, yet from its size, it could keep them all safely hidden. It suited the new alliance's plan of staying as Relena's wild card perfectly.
/If / she was willing…
//I don't know whether I want her to say yes or no… Yes, and watch her risk her life and Sanc? I might get another premature heart attack! Or no, and struggle to find a secondary plan that could work at all? Or… take it on myself, all of it? No, that last is too much… Someone would end up rending me limb from limb—I would be a hypocrite, and hypocrites don't live long in the political world, nor do most live after it at all!//
Miri felt a thrill of apprehension as they descended from the plane to the underground dock, his meager belongings slung over a shoulder in a leather satchel. A couple extra pairs of clean clothes—gifts from the townsfolk back in Africa—and a forlorn teddy bear. The mask hid most of his face again. He was acutely aware of the weight, the limits to his vision, though it was comfortable still—the Maganacs had done a good job repairing it…
//War. I need to remind myself who—and what—I am now. Not Milliardo! Zechs Merquise—cool, silent killer… Killer… Killer…// The word echoed terribly. He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath before quickly taking the steps down to catch up with Trowa. //A killer… Get used to it, damn it! You have to protect Relena, remember? You can only do that… as Zechs.//
A glimpse ahead told him that Noin wasn't alone by the passage heading deeper into this lair— she had company, and both seemed quite awestruck (or dumbfounded) by Treize's nearly-glowing hair, or so their open jaws made it seem. But his own party got in the way before he could truly distinguish the braided blonde figure waiting with her.
//I /hate/ being short…//
Slowing his steps as he caught up and the two parties faced each other, he peered around the tallest Gundam pilot to watch the introductions. Even as Noin stepped forward to meet Quatre, who, as the most social of the Gundam pilots, had taken the lead for the new alliance, Rashid and a handful of Maganacs walked up behind Zechs, watching the proceedings over his head. A quiet hum of activity began behind them, as the other Maganacs and Treize's loyal troops began unloading suits and getting things in order.
"Welcome to Sanc," Noin offered, voice quiet but warm. "I'm Lucrezia Noin—just call me Noin…"
When she hesitated, Quatre turned his smile on full-beam and took the initiative, carrying out the introductions. "I'm Quatre Rabera Winner, the pilot of Gundam Sandrock. I'm sure you know Mister Treize…"
Treize inclined his head politely to Noin, who nodded back with a slightly uncertain smile—an incredulous glance at the fuchsia hair—and the quiet acknowledgement of, "Your Excellency." Her blonde companion just eyed the hair quizzically.
"…Duo Maxwell, pilot of Gundam Deathscythe…"
Duo flashed her a broad grin and the two-finger peace salute around Quatre's shoulder. "Shinigami, at your service," he admitted proudly.
Noin blinked. "'Scuse me?" she asked, bewildered.
The braided Gundam pilot chuckled, and shrugged nonchalantly. "'God of Death', or 'Angel of Death'—that's what we say 'Shinigami' means on L2."
//Guess I'm not the only one with a dark fighting persona,// Zechs mused, a slow smile touching his lips. It felt good to have that in common. //Sometime I'll have to ask him how he got his… But then, I'm not anxious to explain mine, either, so asking him might be presumptuous of me.//
Noin merely smiled and shook her head, her dark-blond companion chuckling softly.
"…Heero Yuy, pilot of Gundam Wing," Quatre continued cheerfully.
Heero just grunted. Nobody seemed very surprised, not even the two women under the close scrutiny of those Prussian-blue eyes. They simply smiled at him in amusement. Heero glowered back, not making a single additional sound. Apparently he was trying to be antisocial, not a source of entertainment… and not succeeding as much as he liked.
A delicate cough drew attention back to Quatre. "Trowa Barton, pilot of Gundam Heavyarms…"
The quiet green-eyed Gundam pilot nodded silently but politely at his name.
Quatre turned around to finish the rest of the introductions… and hesitated, a bit at a loss as he looked right at…
//Just get on with it, Quatre. There /is/ no good way to introduce me like this…// Zechs sighed softly.
The blonde Gundam pilot echoed the boy, turning back to Noin and the tall blonde woman. "I think you might recognize Zechs… for the most part, at least," he offered hopefully.
Gathering his courage, Miri set his pack at his feet and stepped forward, offering a wry smile and extending a hand to Noin's companion companionably, hoping it would be accepted as a gesture of peace…
The hand never reached its destination. A dark blur in the corner of his eyes—and he was swept up off his feet and suffocating against something warm, soft, and familiarly smelling of lilacs.
"Zechs!" Noin sounded overjoyed.
//Erg?// Noin's reaction had surprised him—a little only, though, considering how she had reacted when she saw him on the visual phone. But he could barely turn his head. And when he did slightly so he could get his mouth and nose free of suffocatingly-thick blue cloth and lace, it really didn't help. She was still squeezing the stuffing out of him. //Nice to… see you, too? While most men would appreciate this view, Noin, I'm in no shape medically to do so… Air… Need air! God, Noin, just let me /breathe/ already!//
"Ack… Noin…" he wheezed feebly.
"I was so worried about you," she whispered back into his ear.
///I'm/ worried about me, right now!// Squirming, arms pinned to his sides, he didn't want to have to kick her in the leg—or groin—but his options were running low along with his oxygen supply, as he was increasingly growing desperate. //Can't you see I'm turning blue here—no, wait, guess you can't, with the mask… Oh damn it!//
Were people actually chuckling around them?
"Noin…! Need… to /breathe/…!" Miri struggled a bit harder.
He felt her stiffen in surprise, confusion, realization, then—
Abruptly she let go, and Zechs found himself half-sprawled at her feet, panting. //Yeesh… I hope you didn't crack this mask further, Noin. I don't think they can repair it again.// "Noin!" he admonished, unable to add to her name yet because he had to catch his breath.
The dark-haired young woman smiled impishly down at him. "Sorry, Zechs…"
//Yeah, right. And I'm sorry I had your favorite Aries painted that sickly green color last April Fool's!// Glaring back at her through the mask, he pointed out, "I have /not/ turned into a plushy, no matter what they did to me, Noin!"
Noin smirked smugly, eyes taking on that frightening puppy-dog look again. "But Zechs… you just look so damn /cute/!"
Miri couldn't contain a wince, and held up his hands in a warding gesture, hoping to avoid another rib-cracking hug. //Uh-oh… Keep /away/ from me!!!// "God help me," he groaned in dismay.
A low chuckle from next to Noin drew both their attention to the dark- blonde woman, whose gently laughing eyes echoed the smile tugging at her mouth. Bending slightly, she offered Zechs a hand up.
"So you're my new patient," she offered with a placid amusement hint to her voice. "I'm Sally, by the way."
Zechs eyed her offered hand warily, then glanced back up at her eyes measuringly… //She seems nice enough… I'm amazed. The Alliance didn't generally draw people like this, at least that I've seen over the years… She seems decent, but…// "You aren't going to try breaking my ribs for the hundredth time, like Noin, are you?" he asked warningly.
Sally laughed softly, shaking his head slightly, making her braids swing. "Not if it bothers you so much, no. Though Noin's right—you make a cute kid. You certainly are less intimidating as a kid, too."
Miri grimaced, but accepted her help back to his feet—and glared at Noin (who pretended not to notice). "Thank you," he offered, dignity restored. For now, anyway. //I may as well accept it. The price of this revenge isn't my soul… it'll be paid in personal humiliation.//
"Hn… Can you do anything with him?" Heero's voice broke in, as the Perfect Soldier stepped forward.
Zechs glanced over his shoulder at his allies… only to close his eyes and sigh. Heero and Sally were perhaps the only ones not snickering. But then, they were practically holding their own conversation. The rest were at it again—laughing. Not as uproariously as before, but with quiet giggles and chuckles and the occasional boom from even Rashid. //Yeah, I'm glad you were all amused by this. Thank you /so/ much for your assistance. I swear, you will have an /equally/ interesting stay here at Sanc…// Ice blue eyes flicked open and echoed the slight smile slipping beneath the mask. //Welcome to /my/ realm… Be sure to fasten your safety-belts, because this is going to be a /very/ interesting stay for you… I guarantee it.//
"I can't be sure until I have all the medical data we can gather," Sally was saying, smile replaced by a concerned uncertainty. "And even then, a solution may be more dangerous than leaving things as is."
Zechs shivered, looking up at Sally with desperate hope in his eyes. //Oh, God, don't leave me like /this!/ I don't know how many hugs like that I can take!// "Please," he whispered. //I don't know how long I can stand being unable to distance my memories… Not life-long, I'm certain.//
Their discussion seemed to have dampened Duo's mirth, at any rate. The dark-clad Gundam pilot interjected, "Memories… Whatever they did to him, all his memories are as fresh as yesterday…"
That information drew a slight frown to Heero's face and concern into those cold blue eyes as they flicked to Duo, then Zechs again.
Sally tilted her head thoughtfully, studying Zechs's half-hidden face and those wide, pleading icy eyes. "Fresh… Only recent memories? Say the past dozen years?"
"/All/ of them," Miri murmured quietly, letting his eyes beg for him. "Everything is recent now… It's torture—the worst thing they could do to me." //Don't leave me like this, please. It's kill or cure—because I can't /live/ like this, not for long!//
The ex-Alliance major nodded slowly, mouth firming in a determined line. "I'll do my best," she promised him—and he knew she meant those soft words with all her heart. Sally turned back to Heero sharply. "I'll need everything you can find out about what was done. If anyone can find out, I'm sure you can, Heero."
Wing's pilot frowned a bit deeper, then turned to Duo, who had been listening carefully. "We may have to raid the research base. You know which one?"
"Congo's Research Base," Treize threw in smoothly, joining the conversation, sharp eyes announcing that he wouldn't allow himself to miss out on aiding this endeavor. "They may have moved the project elsewhere after my visit, however."
//I hope not… I was number six. Surely there were others… Others… I wonder if they survived?// Miri gazed into space, digging through his memories after waking, hunting signs of the other test subjects…
"I can find them." Heero was coldly confident.
"How long do you think it can take?" Quatre asked uncertainly, yet still hopeful. Rashid and Trowa stepped up at either shoulder behind him, interested in the answer.
Sally looked back down at the pale-haired boy, thoughtful.
"There were others… at least ten total," Miri stated slowly, almost absently, counting closed and marked doors in that corridor replayed in his memory. //Yes… But were they still alive even then? I heard nothing… Only my own screams.// It took him a moment to rip away from the memory, and he shook his head like a dog trying to lose water from its coat, breaking back into the present.
Sally was watching him intently, assessingly… yet concern lurked in her eyes. Lifting her gaze to meet Quatre's hopeful eyes and Noin's worried ones, she stated firmly, "Get me all the data you can from their project files, and I think I can put together something in about a month."
A breath of relief floated through the members of the strange alliance.
Miri released a breath he hadn't realized he had been holding with a soft sigh. //Something… Thank God. Better death than this way for the rest of my life…//
"It may not undo everything… but I think I can undo the worst," Sally added hesitantly. "But if something goes wrong… Just trying can likely kill you."
Zechs nodded slowly, accepting the risk. "It beats the alternative…"
//…Insanity…//
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As they walked through the halls, Quatre filled Noin and Sally in on the general plan, with the occasional interjection from Treize. The rest simply shouldered their personal luggage and trailed along behind.
Duo took in the layout of the installation as they trudged along—in part because Heero refused to contribute to any form of conversation and he'd decided to give up and just listen in on the others. //They're more interesting… I bet Heero's memorizing this place, too. It's a pretty neat layout. I'm surprised that Zechs and Noin didn't let it be turned into an Oz base, as they knew about this from before, it seems… I wonder why.//
"This passage," Noin was saying, "continues on towards a handful of exits in various ends of the countryside. It's a small country, but it will allow us to get suits out fast, unnoticed, if necessary. So we'll just turn left here, and take the stairs up to the next level… There's seven in all."
//The ten-cent tour. But you get a fair bit out of it, it seems. How did such a place as this appear here, in a pacifist nation? This must have taken decades to build—or, rather, tunnel!// So he tossed his question into the ring. "Who built this? I thought this was a peaceful nation…"
Noin hesitated, looking at Zechs, who didn't look up at her, but kept plodding methodically. With a soft sigh, she opened the oak double doors to the stairs. Marble stairs. Brass railings. /Wide/ stairs spiraling up, with delicate light fixtures…
//Good God! That must have cost a bundle!//
Even Trowa's eyes bulged at the elegant passage up. "Definitely not the military," he murmured.
"There are a couple service elevators up, too, but I think they'll be needed more for moving the mobile suits around," Noin added, a bit flushed, as if embarrassed.
"Isn't this rather extravagant for a military base?" Quatre piped up, hesitant to enter through those doors, and so blocking the rest from entering.
//Weirdest military place I've ever seen… Hey!// Duo blinked as he was elbowed roughly, and frowned down—to find Zechs not stopping even for Quatre. In fact, the boy seemed almost /determined/ to get out of here as fast as he could, short of running—and equally determined not to look at the lavish surroundings. The boy stepped past Quatre without looking up, eyes set on the floor at his feet, always the next step. //Why's he so… depressed? It's like he's trying to punish himself—or something about this place really bothers him…//
Zechs's quiet voice was harsh as he flung the answer to them, full of subdued… anger? Disgust? He strode past Noin as if she never existed… and perhaps, his memories were indeed blinding him. "It never was a base. These are the royal family's yacht docks. Above, they used to keep the helicopters and planes they traveled in… The sea is rough on such."
//This place hurts him…// Duo stared after the boy, watching that furious figure storming up the stairs.
"I'm sorry," Noin whispered softly, her gaze following Duo's after the boy. "This was his hometown… and all of Sanc loved the royal family." Her eyes tried to apologize on Zechs's behalf…
//No, change that—upsets him. Maybe, because we've brought war into a place of peace—his home.// Sighing, Duo glanced at Noin with a touch of niggling suspicion. //You know a lot more about him than we do, don't you?//
The others seemed to accept Noin's explanation, though Sally seemed to be filing away other questions, giving Noin an intrigued look that made Duo suspect she, too, had guessed that Noin knew a lot more than she was telling. Treize clapped Quatre on the shoulder and bowed for him to lead on, and the party followed in the angry youth's wake up the stairs.
//Quite the palace…// Deathscythe's pilot mused, looking about with awed eyes. Tiled inlay made up the walls… brightening their passage up so that one could easily forget they were well inside a cliff of solid rock. //How did Zechs know this was here? Watched the royals coming and going, right? Bet that must have been a sight to see…//
"Well," Noin added glumly as they continued up, ignoring various landings that appeared. "I think Zechs rather summed up the rest of the tour. There's nothing to see now, I'm afraid. The yachts rotted and floated away because the lower doors weren't closed, and the planes and other vehicles were… taken by those few servants who survived, so they could escape." She paused, head lowered a long moment, then nodded and resumed climbing the stairs. "That leaves little more than wheel blocks and cover-drapes…"
"I take it that the townsfolk didn't know about this place?" Sally asked, curious.
Noin shook her head negatively. "Not really—not how to find it, or get in. But then, not many of them survived, either. The town's called 'New Port City' for a reason, you know… Most of the old is only rubble, and a lot of that still has to be cleared away, even now."
"Like the old palace," Treize murmured thoughtfully.
Again, Noin stopped abruptly, eyeing the ex-Oz General warily a moment, then sighing softly. "I don't think anyone has the heart to try anything there… It's essentially shunned. I don't think anyone has the heart to take the chance they might uncover a body. Only those found in the safer sections of the ruins were buried, after all, your Excellency."
Duo frowned sadly at the stairs, watching his feet. //Rather like Maxwell church, I suppose. But they dug until all those bodies were found… They just never could rebuild there. Too afraid of the ghosts, I guess.//
The top of the stairs finally gave way to… a mess of rubble. Large chunks of stone had obviously been cleared to allow access to the solid steel doors of the staircase. Larger, jagged chunks rose as shattered monuments before them, however. Parts of turrets pointing upward like forgotten broken arrows, parts of roof flapping in the sea's constant wind like sad banners, jutting edges of shattered floors and fire-blasted walls threateningly sharp in the afternoon sky… It wasn't hard to guess just where they were.
//The old palace…// Duo stared in horror at the rubble, memories clashing, overshadowing, showing him bodies that weren't there, but where they must have fallen… //Maxwell Church… Sister Helen… Father…// He blinked away tears, only to realize that the group was leaving him behind.
Taking a step, he hurried through what had probably been a lovely back courtyard to catch up—only to wince at that first steps he took.
They crunched.
Looking at his feet, he shivered. Broken glass, some of it previously from stained glass windows, crunched underfoot. Chunks of scorched roof tiles lay in shattered clumps. Ash, so thick on everything that it had not yet fully been scoured away by years of wind and storms. And… something that gleamed, that caught his eye. Stooping, Duo bent to snatch up the bright object without stopping to examine it, then ran to regain the tail of the group.
//I wonder how even the servants who survived got out of that,// Duo thought with a faint shudder, as he followed the others through a couple more courtyards, over a nearly-leveled stone wall, and out into a street where a couple limos awaited.
Treize seemed pensive, and had stopped to look back at the palace, a sad light in his eyes. The other Gundam pilots and Rashid were already piling into one limo, whose driver looked familiar—Relena's droop-mustached old assistant from school.
//At least the limos they sent for us aren't /pink/,// Duo decided with a broad grin. Turning, he looked back at the palace one past time…
Sally, too, was staring at the ruined palace, but also passing small glances at the General, clearly curious about his scrutiny of the place.
"I remember when my parents brought me here during a visit," Treize murmured abruptly, voice reverent. "It was so beautiful…"
//So, he met the royal family…// Duo rubbed the back of his head as he studied the remains of the beautiful building, trying to imagine what it had looked like. Not enough remained to supply any kind of picture to his mind, however, and he sighed, feeling the sorrow of the place sinking into his soul. //This place probably isn't very good for Quatre… though I'd like to look around it sometime. Meet some ghosts that are like those back home, I suppose. No wonder Zechs is set on getting revenge for these people. Look at what the Alliance did to them… Look at what they did to /me/… We're very alike… But this is worse. This is worse…//
"Hey, Duo, we're going!" Noin called, smiling, from the driver's seat of the limo behind him.
//Oops! Can't get left behind!// "Hey, you can't go without me!" he laughed, diving for the open door.
Clambering into the back, he wriggled past Treize and Sally and found a seat by the glass partition, flashing Noin a bright grin. "Hey, where's Zechs?" he inquired. "Bet the other car's squished with so many—especially Rashid, the guy's as big as a rhino."
Noin, focusing on the battered road, pulled the car away from the decimated palace, and didn't look at him. "He probably decided to walk… He knows the way. He probably knows this area better than anyone else. We're not going very far, Duo." There was something gently unhappy in her voice, however. Not worried—only… maybe concerned. Sympathy perhaps.
Duo glanced at the dark-haired woman uncertainly, curiosity perking. //She really /does/ know stuff he doesn't talk about.// "Is that safe for a kid, on these streets?" he asked. //Not in most cities, it isn't!//
"He can handle himself here," she assured quietly, confident. "The trip really /is/ shorter on foot, but all of you had so many bags…" A shy smile touched her lips. "I thought it would be more hospitable to roll out a welcome wagon."
//In short, drop the subject. Fine… I'll do that… For now.// Duo nodded, and settled back in his seat, back towards the glass partition. Recalling the object he'd picked up, he lifted it up before his eyes for scrutiny. Cold. Metal. Smelled faintly familiar…
//Gunpowder. A shell-casing. Handgun?// He frowned at it, examining the marks, faint as they were, on the brass shell. //Alliance…//
Glancing up, he found Treize and Sally gazing at him with interest—especially focused on what lay in his hands.
"How did they die?" Duo asked Treize quietly. //He knows. He knows what happened here. And, likely, why.// Deathscythe's pilot was certain of that as he stared firmly into those blue eyes. //And you regret it, too, right, Treize? It bothers you that your kin—Dermail—gave the order for such a horrible thing.//
"I'd like to know, too," Sally added very softly, voice nearly a whisper.
Treize bowed his head over his hands, closing his eyes. "Very well… A section of Alliance military stormed the palace. They shot the King and Queen, and anyone else they came across. But you saw the palace—it's huge, easy to just get lost on the grounds… Inside was equally easy to be lost in. So the troops set fire to the main floor once they cleared it—and took up a perimeter around it. And shot any who tried to escape the flames."
Duo could hear Zechs's words echo in his head… //"I /know/ this tactic… I know it well." Flushing people into a killing gauntlet. Did you witness the soldiers making their perimeter?//
Sally blinked, then frowned. "Everyone? I thought… Well, the Peacecrafts were said to be a rather large family…"
Treize nodded firmly without cracking an eye. "Everyone. Even the two royal children—who were barely old enough to walk."
"Oh God," Sally whispered, hand going to her mouth as if she were about to be sick.
Duo stared down at the shell in his hand, feeling a pang of sorrow. //I wonder if the bullet from this killed someone that day. The King, perhaps. A child, maybe… Cold blood… How could they?!? How could they be so heartless, those soldiers? I'd have rebelled against my superiors!//
"They waited until the fire had grown enough that nobody likely could have stayed in it and lived… then left the area," Treize continued. "That's when they strafed the whole town with bombs, leveling almost everything, destroying the evidence… Even as you said, Miss Noin. Townsfolk, already drawn outdoors by the confusion and horror of the events at the palace, barely escaped. Many did not escape with their lives… It was a terrible tragedy. The Alliance returned the next day to 'make order and protect the people of Sanc'… Of course, very few knew they themselves were responsible—perhaps only those involved in it knew that for a fact. There were no eyewitnesses from the events at the palace, after all…"
"Then how do /you/ know what happened there?" Duo demanded sharply. //Obviously word got out somehow! Zechs /must/ have seen! That's the only explanation for why he's so dead set on destroying them! He /must/ be an eyewitness of what the Alliance did!//
Treize's eyes opened, and he glared at Duo. "My whole family has been leaders of the military, Duo. Secrets that are for the leader's ears only were passed down where I could easily hear them…" Then, surprisingly, his eyes tore away to look out the window guiltily. "My father heard the news the night it happened… He was furious, and called a lot that night—including to Duke Dermail, who admitted that he ordered it… 'To silence that damn man and keep the rest of that annoying meddling family out of the way of progress for good this time,' he said," the dignified man ended bitterly.
Sally eyed him warily. "You seem to disapprove of what he did…"
//She's testing him… Probably not certain he's a good guy,// Duo decided. //You know… I like this Sally person!//
Treize sighed quietly. "It's one thing to kill the man who opposes you… but another to wipe out a whole ancient lineage and a country to boot… and children with them. Too many innocent lives died that night, and for /nothing/… No, I don't approve. I think if anyone is truly human, they can't accept that kind of decision… and I assure you, Miss Po, I am quite human." He looked out of the corner of his eyes at her blandly.
//Hey, that's progress. You're getting a /little/ less stuck-up, General. Are we rubbing off on you, maybe?// Duo chuckled to himself. "Are you /sure/, Treize?" he asked mischievously, mouth cracking into a broad grin. "You tend to act rather—"
"Modest?" Treize supplied playfully, smiling slowly at them.
"Pompous?" Sally tried, smirking.
"Annoying?" Duo mimicked.
"Aloof," Noin offered from the driving seat, sounding certain.
The ex-Oz leader just sighed in mock surrender, a smile tugging his lips. "Outvoted. A shame."
Duo shook his head, smirking, and settled back in the seat, to stare at the shell in his hand… which stole that smile, replacing it with a sad, thoughtful expression.
//Who were you, Zechs? How did you learn so much about events back then? How much did you witness? Were you like me—simply lucky to be in the wrong place at the terrible time, and first to find the results? These tantalizing hints are getting too much. I need to end this mystery before the curiosity eats me alive!//
Turning the casing over between his fingers nimbly, Duo nodded slightly to himself, confirming his resolve to find answers if nobody would give them to him voluntarily. //Fine, I take the harder route. I know just who to turn to for help, too…//
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To be continued.
Thanks for reviewing, guys! Glad you're enjoying it. My main problem is picking one way out of many for Dermail to die. It'll have to be simple, I fear. Knife, bullet, fall from a height… Hrm, how to choose, how to choose… suggestions?
Zechs is angry—at himself, and at having to use the family "garage" for weapons of war. He's not being purposely rude. He's being merely a kid and having a minor temper tantrum.
Chapter Seventeen: Let Them Watch With Amazement…
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Disclaimer—No, I don't own Gundam Wing. Do you think I would have let the series end if I did? *Evil grin* Oh, by the way—fish update. That suicidal, antagonistic Betta? I got two more fish to replace his "troops"—gouramis. BIG mistake. Those two new guys purely hate each other (they got along in the pet store!), and pick on poor blue Betta (tho they don't try to kill /him/). So the Betta is now called Treize… *Sighs* Why do /I/ always get the insane fish?!?
Warnings—Glomphing. Mental torture. Bruised shins. Near suffocation. Limping Treize. I don't think that warrants raised ratings, though.
The gang goes to Sanc… and meets Noin and Sally and Pagan. You can bet the greetings are rather interesting…
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Zechs gazed out the window of the Raven glumly, mask in his lap, watching clouds flutter by over the ocean.
//But /I/ wanted to fly!// he moped.
Well, it was one minor irritation. To tell the truth, something else bothered him more. And it was more apparent to him with each passing day. Nor was it very comforting.
//I'm regressing…//
Resting chin on hand, he sighed softly, too weary of it to fret over it anymore.
//I suppose I should just be glad I'm still sane… Shouldn't I? It could be worse. There are worse things than thinking like a kid. Like thinking like… like… what did I call those three again? No, I don't want to remember them! No, just let it rest… Not much else I can do, is there? Accept it, deal with it… but not change it, no.//
"Penny for your thoughts?" Treize asked beside him.
Zechs glanced over at his old friend, purposely avoiding looking at the empty command chair which used to be his. Duo and Heero had taken the pilot seats, and Quatre and Trowa had taken the two seats on the opposite side of the plane. Rashid was elsewhere, directing the rest of the squadron of mobile suit planes with the Maganacs and Treize's Aries troops… an escort service, of sorts.
Treize looked a bit more comfortable than he had the day before, now that his pants weren't glued to his skin. The hair was still a flaming, almost biting scarlet however. Not that Treize pretended to notice. His men, however, had been giving the General second-glances when he wasn't looking, sheer confusion and incredulity plain on their faces. Glimpsing that bright hair, Miri couldn't help but smile…
"Zechs," Treize sighed, clearly guessing what was creating that smile simply from where those eyes were focused.
"You have to take inflation into account, Treize. Plus I need the revenue. I'm jobless right now," Zechs admitted, not looking away from his triumph. //You would really stand out in a crowd, Treize… Not to mention do a fair job as a landing beacon in a thick fog.//
"A quarter?" Treize smirked, amused by the conversation.
"That doesn't get you a pack of gum these days."
"Hmm. True. Usually your thoughts aren't so expensive, though." The ex- Oz General's eyes were gentle, but worried.
Zechs glanced back out the window, watching clouds puff over a blue-grey sea, as if echoing the tiny crests of the waves far below. //I guess I'm nervous… I don't want to see a doctor. Especially an /Alliance/ doctor. Especially… like this. I'm more vulnerable like this. And… I'm afraid I'll be utterly useless if this regressing thing continues much further.//
"Just wondering… what if she can't make me normal again," he murmured quietly.
Treize remained silent a long moment, before offering softly, "Then you finally have a normal childhood, I guess. If a permanent one."
Miri snorted, one hand touching the glass of the window, so cool to the touch. "Not with... I remember too much, Treize."
The older man remained quiet for a long moment.
//It bothers you, too. You remember a lot, too—but not so vividly. For that, I'm glad. Nobody should have seen what I saw…// Zechs closed his eyes sadly. //Thank you, Treize… for caring.//
"Your friends will stay by you, Zechs. On that you can count."
"I know… I don't deserve it, but… thank you."
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The gunmetal-blue plane landed on the water, scaring away seagulls as it entered the cliff-base entrance of the underground facility in Sanc. The secret base's sheer practicality did seem to impress the Gundam pilots a bit—not a hint would show on radar or satellite photos, yet from its size, it could keep them all safely hidden. It suited the new alliance's plan of staying as Relena's wild card perfectly.
/If / she was willing…
//I don't know whether I want her to say yes or no… Yes, and watch her risk her life and Sanc? I might get another premature heart attack! Or no, and struggle to find a secondary plan that could work at all? Or… take it on myself, all of it? No, that last is too much… Someone would end up rending me limb from limb—I would be a hypocrite, and hypocrites don't live long in the political world, nor do most live after it at all!//
Miri felt a thrill of apprehension as they descended from the plane to the underground dock, his meager belongings slung over a shoulder in a leather satchel. A couple extra pairs of clean clothes—gifts from the townsfolk back in Africa—and a forlorn teddy bear. The mask hid most of his face again. He was acutely aware of the weight, the limits to his vision, though it was comfortable still—the Maganacs had done a good job repairing it…
//War. I need to remind myself who—and what—I am now. Not Milliardo! Zechs Merquise—cool, silent killer… Killer… Killer…// The word echoed terribly. He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath before quickly taking the steps down to catch up with Trowa. //A killer… Get used to it, damn it! You have to protect Relena, remember? You can only do that… as Zechs.//
A glimpse ahead told him that Noin wasn't alone by the passage heading deeper into this lair— she had company, and both seemed quite awestruck (or dumbfounded) by Treize's nearly-glowing hair, or so their open jaws made it seem. But his own party got in the way before he could truly distinguish the braided blonde figure waiting with her.
//I /hate/ being short…//
Slowing his steps as he caught up and the two parties faced each other, he peered around the tallest Gundam pilot to watch the introductions. Even as Noin stepped forward to meet Quatre, who, as the most social of the Gundam pilots, had taken the lead for the new alliance, Rashid and a handful of Maganacs walked up behind Zechs, watching the proceedings over his head. A quiet hum of activity began behind them, as the other Maganacs and Treize's loyal troops began unloading suits and getting things in order.
"Welcome to Sanc," Noin offered, voice quiet but warm. "I'm Lucrezia Noin—just call me Noin…"
When she hesitated, Quatre turned his smile on full-beam and took the initiative, carrying out the introductions. "I'm Quatre Rabera Winner, the pilot of Gundam Sandrock. I'm sure you know Mister Treize…"
Treize inclined his head politely to Noin, who nodded back with a slightly uncertain smile—an incredulous glance at the fuchsia hair—and the quiet acknowledgement of, "Your Excellency." Her blonde companion just eyed the hair quizzically.
"…Duo Maxwell, pilot of Gundam Deathscythe…"
Duo flashed her a broad grin and the two-finger peace salute around Quatre's shoulder. "Shinigami, at your service," he admitted proudly.
Noin blinked. "'Scuse me?" she asked, bewildered.
The braided Gundam pilot chuckled, and shrugged nonchalantly. "'God of Death', or 'Angel of Death'—that's what we say 'Shinigami' means on L2."
//Guess I'm not the only one with a dark fighting persona,// Zechs mused, a slow smile touching his lips. It felt good to have that in common. //Sometime I'll have to ask him how he got his… But then, I'm not anxious to explain mine, either, so asking him might be presumptuous of me.//
Noin merely smiled and shook her head, her dark-blond companion chuckling softly.
"…Heero Yuy, pilot of Gundam Wing," Quatre continued cheerfully.
Heero just grunted. Nobody seemed very surprised, not even the two women under the close scrutiny of those Prussian-blue eyes. They simply smiled at him in amusement. Heero glowered back, not making a single additional sound. Apparently he was trying to be antisocial, not a source of entertainment… and not succeeding as much as he liked.
A delicate cough drew attention back to Quatre. "Trowa Barton, pilot of Gundam Heavyarms…"
The quiet green-eyed Gundam pilot nodded silently but politely at his name.
Quatre turned around to finish the rest of the introductions… and hesitated, a bit at a loss as he looked right at…
//Just get on with it, Quatre. There /is/ no good way to introduce me like this…// Zechs sighed softly.
The blonde Gundam pilot echoed the boy, turning back to Noin and the tall blonde woman. "I think you might recognize Zechs… for the most part, at least," he offered hopefully.
Gathering his courage, Miri set his pack at his feet and stepped forward, offering a wry smile and extending a hand to Noin's companion companionably, hoping it would be accepted as a gesture of peace…
The hand never reached its destination. A dark blur in the corner of his eyes—and he was swept up off his feet and suffocating against something warm, soft, and familiarly smelling of lilacs.
"Zechs!" Noin sounded overjoyed.
//Erg?// Noin's reaction had surprised him—a little only, though, considering how she had reacted when she saw him on the visual phone. But he could barely turn his head. And when he did slightly so he could get his mouth and nose free of suffocatingly-thick blue cloth and lace, it really didn't help. She was still squeezing the stuffing out of him. //Nice to… see you, too? While most men would appreciate this view, Noin, I'm in no shape medically to do so… Air… Need air! God, Noin, just let me /breathe/ already!//
"Ack… Noin…" he wheezed feebly.
"I was so worried about you," she whispered back into his ear.
///I'm/ worried about me, right now!// Squirming, arms pinned to his sides, he didn't want to have to kick her in the leg—or groin—but his options were running low along with his oxygen supply, as he was increasingly growing desperate. //Can't you see I'm turning blue here—no, wait, guess you can't, with the mask… Oh damn it!//
Were people actually chuckling around them?
"Noin…! Need… to /breathe/…!" Miri struggled a bit harder.
He felt her stiffen in surprise, confusion, realization, then—
Abruptly she let go, and Zechs found himself half-sprawled at her feet, panting. //Yeesh… I hope you didn't crack this mask further, Noin. I don't think they can repair it again.// "Noin!" he admonished, unable to add to her name yet because he had to catch his breath.
The dark-haired young woman smiled impishly down at him. "Sorry, Zechs…"
//Yeah, right. And I'm sorry I had your favorite Aries painted that sickly green color last April Fool's!// Glaring back at her through the mask, he pointed out, "I have /not/ turned into a plushy, no matter what they did to me, Noin!"
Noin smirked smugly, eyes taking on that frightening puppy-dog look again. "But Zechs… you just look so damn /cute/!"
Miri couldn't contain a wince, and held up his hands in a warding gesture, hoping to avoid another rib-cracking hug. //Uh-oh… Keep /away/ from me!!!// "God help me," he groaned in dismay.
A low chuckle from next to Noin drew both their attention to the dark- blonde woman, whose gently laughing eyes echoed the smile tugging at her mouth. Bending slightly, she offered Zechs a hand up.
"So you're my new patient," she offered with a placid amusement hint to her voice. "I'm Sally, by the way."
Zechs eyed her offered hand warily, then glanced back up at her eyes measuringly… //She seems nice enough… I'm amazed. The Alliance didn't generally draw people like this, at least that I've seen over the years… She seems decent, but…// "You aren't going to try breaking my ribs for the hundredth time, like Noin, are you?" he asked warningly.
Sally laughed softly, shaking his head slightly, making her braids swing. "Not if it bothers you so much, no. Though Noin's right—you make a cute kid. You certainly are less intimidating as a kid, too."
Miri grimaced, but accepted her help back to his feet—and glared at Noin (who pretended not to notice). "Thank you," he offered, dignity restored. For now, anyway. //I may as well accept it. The price of this revenge isn't my soul… it'll be paid in personal humiliation.//
"Hn… Can you do anything with him?" Heero's voice broke in, as the Perfect Soldier stepped forward.
Zechs glanced over his shoulder at his allies… only to close his eyes and sigh. Heero and Sally were perhaps the only ones not snickering. But then, they were practically holding their own conversation. The rest were at it again—laughing. Not as uproariously as before, but with quiet giggles and chuckles and the occasional boom from even Rashid. //Yeah, I'm glad you were all amused by this. Thank you /so/ much for your assistance. I swear, you will have an /equally/ interesting stay here at Sanc…// Ice blue eyes flicked open and echoed the slight smile slipping beneath the mask. //Welcome to /my/ realm… Be sure to fasten your safety-belts, because this is going to be a /very/ interesting stay for you… I guarantee it.//
"I can't be sure until I have all the medical data we can gather," Sally was saying, smile replaced by a concerned uncertainty. "And even then, a solution may be more dangerous than leaving things as is."
Zechs shivered, looking up at Sally with desperate hope in his eyes. //Oh, God, don't leave me like /this!/ I don't know how many hugs like that I can take!// "Please," he whispered. //I don't know how long I can stand being unable to distance my memories… Not life-long, I'm certain.//
Their discussion seemed to have dampened Duo's mirth, at any rate. The dark-clad Gundam pilot interjected, "Memories… Whatever they did to him, all his memories are as fresh as yesterday…"
That information drew a slight frown to Heero's face and concern into those cold blue eyes as they flicked to Duo, then Zechs again.
Sally tilted her head thoughtfully, studying Zechs's half-hidden face and those wide, pleading icy eyes. "Fresh… Only recent memories? Say the past dozen years?"
"/All/ of them," Miri murmured quietly, letting his eyes beg for him. "Everything is recent now… It's torture—the worst thing they could do to me." //Don't leave me like this, please. It's kill or cure—because I can't /live/ like this, not for long!//
The ex-Alliance major nodded slowly, mouth firming in a determined line. "I'll do my best," she promised him—and he knew she meant those soft words with all her heart. Sally turned back to Heero sharply. "I'll need everything you can find out about what was done. If anyone can find out, I'm sure you can, Heero."
Wing's pilot frowned a bit deeper, then turned to Duo, who had been listening carefully. "We may have to raid the research base. You know which one?"
"Congo's Research Base," Treize threw in smoothly, joining the conversation, sharp eyes announcing that he wouldn't allow himself to miss out on aiding this endeavor. "They may have moved the project elsewhere after my visit, however."
//I hope not… I was number six. Surely there were others… Others… I wonder if they survived?// Miri gazed into space, digging through his memories after waking, hunting signs of the other test subjects…
"I can find them." Heero was coldly confident.
"How long do you think it can take?" Quatre asked uncertainly, yet still hopeful. Rashid and Trowa stepped up at either shoulder behind him, interested in the answer.
Sally looked back down at the pale-haired boy, thoughtful.
"There were others… at least ten total," Miri stated slowly, almost absently, counting closed and marked doors in that corridor replayed in his memory. //Yes… But were they still alive even then? I heard nothing… Only my own screams.// It took him a moment to rip away from the memory, and he shook his head like a dog trying to lose water from its coat, breaking back into the present.
Sally was watching him intently, assessingly… yet concern lurked in her eyes. Lifting her gaze to meet Quatre's hopeful eyes and Noin's worried ones, she stated firmly, "Get me all the data you can from their project files, and I think I can put together something in about a month."
A breath of relief floated through the members of the strange alliance.
Miri released a breath he hadn't realized he had been holding with a soft sigh. //Something… Thank God. Better death than this way for the rest of my life…//
"It may not undo everything… but I think I can undo the worst," Sally added hesitantly. "But if something goes wrong… Just trying can likely kill you."
Zechs nodded slowly, accepting the risk. "It beats the alternative…"
//…Insanity…//
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As they walked through the halls, Quatre filled Noin and Sally in on the general plan, with the occasional interjection from Treize. The rest simply shouldered their personal luggage and trailed along behind.
Duo took in the layout of the installation as they trudged along—in part because Heero refused to contribute to any form of conversation and he'd decided to give up and just listen in on the others. //They're more interesting… I bet Heero's memorizing this place, too. It's a pretty neat layout. I'm surprised that Zechs and Noin didn't let it be turned into an Oz base, as they knew about this from before, it seems… I wonder why.//
"This passage," Noin was saying, "continues on towards a handful of exits in various ends of the countryside. It's a small country, but it will allow us to get suits out fast, unnoticed, if necessary. So we'll just turn left here, and take the stairs up to the next level… There's seven in all."
//The ten-cent tour. But you get a fair bit out of it, it seems. How did such a place as this appear here, in a pacifist nation? This must have taken decades to build—or, rather, tunnel!// So he tossed his question into the ring. "Who built this? I thought this was a peaceful nation…"
Noin hesitated, looking at Zechs, who didn't look up at her, but kept plodding methodically. With a soft sigh, she opened the oak double doors to the stairs. Marble stairs. Brass railings. /Wide/ stairs spiraling up, with delicate light fixtures…
//Good God! That must have cost a bundle!//
Even Trowa's eyes bulged at the elegant passage up. "Definitely not the military," he murmured.
"There are a couple service elevators up, too, but I think they'll be needed more for moving the mobile suits around," Noin added, a bit flushed, as if embarrassed.
"Isn't this rather extravagant for a military base?" Quatre piped up, hesitant to enter through those doors, and so blocking the rest from entering.
//Weirdest military place I've ever seen… Hey!// Duo blinked as he was elbowed roughly, and frowned down—to find Zechs not stopping even for Quatre. In fact, the boy seemed almost /determined/ to get out of here as fast as he could, short of running—and equally determined not to look at the lavish surroundings. The boy stepped past Quatre without looking up, eyes set on the floor at his feet, always the next step. //Why's he so… depressed? It's like he's trying to punish himself—or something about this place really bothers him…//
Zechs's quiet voice was harsh as he flung the answer to them, full of subdued… anger? Disgust? He strode past Noin as if she never existed… and perhaps, his memories were indeed blinding him. "It never was a base. These are the royal family's yacht docks. Above, they used to keep the helicopters and planes they traveled in… The sea is rough on such."
//This place hurts him…// Duo stared after the boy, watching that furious figure storming up the stairs.
"I'm sorry," Noin whispered softly, her gaze following Duo's after the boy. "This was his hometown… and all of Sanc loved the royal family." Her eyes tried to apologize on Zechs's behalf…
//No, change that—upsets him. Maybe, because we've brought war into a place of peace—his home.// Sighing, Duo glanced at Noin with a touch of niggling suspicion. //You know a lot more about him than we do, don't you?//
The others seemed to accept Noin's explanation, though Sally seemed to be filing away other questions, giving Noin an intrigued look that made Duo suspect she, too, had guessed that Noin knew a lot more than she was telling. Treize clapped Quatre on the shoulder and bowed for him to lead on, and the party followed in the angry youth's wake up the stairs.
//Quite the palace…// Deathscythe's pilot mused, looking about with awed eyes. Tiled inlay made up the walls… brightening their passage up so that one could easily forget they were well inside a cliff of solid rock. //How did Zechs know this was here? Watched the royals coming and going, right? Bet that must have been a sight to see…//
"Well," Noin added glumly as they continued up, ignoring various landings that appeared. "I think Zechs rather summed up the rest of the tour. There's nothing to see now, I'm afraid. The yachts rotted and floated away because the lower doors weren't closed, and the planes and other vehicles were… taken by those few servants who survived, so they could escape." She paused, head lowered a long moment, then nodded and resumed climbing the stairs. "That leaves little more than wheel blocks and cover-drapes…"
"I take it that the townsfolk didn't know about this place?" Sally asked, curious.
Noin shook her head negatively. "Not really—not how to find it, or get in. But then, not many of them survived, either. The town's called 'New Port City' for a reason, you know… Most of the old is only rubble, and a lot of that still has to be cleared away, even now."
"Like the old palace," Treize murmured thoughtfully.
Again, Noin stopped abruptly, eyeing the ex-Oz General warily a moment, then sighing softly. "I don't think anyone has the heart to try anything there… It's essentially shunned. I don't think anyone has the heart to take the chance they might uncover a body. Only those found in the safer sections of the ruins were buried, after all, your Excellency."
Duo frowned sadly at the stairs, watching his feet. //Rather like Maxwell church, I suppose. But they dug until all those bodies were found… They just never could rebuild there. Too afraid of the ghosts, I guess.//
The top of the stairs finally gave way to… a mess of rubble. Large chunks of stone had obviously been cleared to allow access to the solid steel doors of the staircase. Larger, jagged chunks rose as shattered monuments before them, however. Parts of turrets pointing upward like forgotten broken arrows, parts of roof flapping in the sea's constant wind like sad banners, jutting edges of shattered floors and fire-blasted walls threateningly sharp in the afternoon sky… It wasn't hard to guess just where they were.
//The old palace…// Duo stared in horror at the rubble, memories clashing, overshadowing, showing him bodies that weren't there, but where they must have fallen… //Maxwell Church… Sister Helen… Father…// He blinked away tears, only to realize that the group was leaving him behind.
Taking a step, he hurried through what had probably been a lovely back courtyard to catch up—only to wince at that first steps he took.
They crunched.
Looking at his feet, he shivered. Broken glass, some of it previously from stained glass windows, crunched underfoot. Chunks of scorched roof tiles lay in shattered clumps. Ash, so thick on everything that it had not yet fully been scoured away by years of wind and storms. And… something that gleamed, that caught his eye. Stooping, Duo bent to snatch up the bright object without stopping to examine it, then ran to regain the tail of the group.
//I wonder how even the servants who survived got out of that,// Duo thought with a faint shudder, as he followed the others through a couple more courtyards, over a nearly-leveled stone wall, and out into a street where a couple limos awaited.
Treize seemed pensive, and had stopped to look back at the palace, a sad light in his eyes. The other Gundam pilots and Rashid were already piling into one limo, whose driver looked familiar—Relena's droop-mustached old assistant from school.
//At least the limos they sent for us aren't /pink/,// Duo decided with a broad grin. Turning, he looked back at the palace one past time…
Sally, too, was staring at the ruined palace, but also passing small glances at the General, clearly curious about his scrutiny of the place.
"I remember when my parents brought me here during a visit," Treize murmured abruptly, voice reverent. "It was so beautiful…"
//So, he met the royal family…// Duo rubbed the back of his head as he studied the remains of the beautiful building, trying to imagine what it had looked like. Not enough remained to supply any kind of picture to his mind, however, and he sighed, feeling the sorrow of the place sinking into his soul. //This place probably isn't very good for Quatre… though I'd like to look around it sometime. Meet some ghosts that are like those back home, I suppose. No wonder Zechs is set on getting revenge for these people. Look at what the Alliance did to them… Look at what they did to /me/… We're very alike… But this is worse. This is worse…//
"Hey, Duo, we're going!" Noin called, smiling, from the driver's seat of the limo behind him.
//Oops! Can't get left behind!// "Hey, you can't go without me!" he laughed, diving for the open door.
Clambering into the back, he wriggled past Treize and Sally and found a seat by the glass partition, flashing Noin a bright grin. "Hey, where's Zechs?" he inquired. "Bet the other car's squished with so many—especially Rashid, the guy's as big as a rhino."
Noin, focusing on the battered road, pulled the car away from the decimated palace, and didn't look at him. "He probably decided to walk… He knows the way. He probably knows this area better than anyone else. We're not going very far, Duo." There was something gently unhappy in her voice, however. Not worried—only… maybe concerned. Sympathy perhaps.
Duo glanced at the dark-haired woman uncertainly, curiosity perking. //She really /does/ know stuff he doesn't talk about.// "Is that safe for a kid, on these streets?" he asked. //Not in most cities, it isn't!//
"He can handle himself here," she assured quietly, confident. "The trip really /is/ shorter on foot, but all of you had so many bags…" A shy smile touched her lips. "I thought it would be more hospitable to roll out a welcome wagon."
//In short, drop the subject. Fine… I'll do that… For now.// Duo nodded, and settled back in his seat, back towards the glass partition. Recalling the object he'd picked up, he lifted it up before his eyes for scrutiny. Cold. Metal. Smelled faintly familiar…
//Gunpowder. A shell-casing. Handgun?// He frowned at it, examining the marks, faint as they were, on the brass shell. //Alliance…//
Glancing up, he found Treize and Sally gazing at him with interest—especially focused on what lay in his hands.
"How did they die?" Duo asked Treize quietly. //He knows. He knows what happened here. And, likely, why.// Deathscythe's pilot was certain of that as he stared firmly into those blue eyes. //And you regret it, too, right, Treize? It bothers you that your kin—Dermail—gave the order for such a horrible thing.//
"I'd like to know, too," Sally added very softly, voice nearly a whisper.
Treize bowed his head over his hands, closing his eyes. "Very well… A section of Alliance military stormed the palace. They shot the King and Queen, and anyone else they came across. But you saw the palace—it's huge, easy to just get lost on the grounds… Inside was equally easy to be lost in. So the troops set fire to the main floor once they cleared it—and took up a perimeter around it. And shot any who tried to escape the flames."
Duo could hear Zechs's words echo in his head… //"I /know/ this tactic… I know it well." Flushing people into a killing gauntlet. Did you witness the soldiers making their perimeter?//
Sally blinked, then frowned. "Everyone? I thought… Well, the Peacecrafts were said to be a rather large family…"
Treize nodded firmly without cracking an eye. "Everyone. Even the two royal children—who were barely old enough to walk."
"Oh God," Sally whispered, hand going to her mouth as if she were about to be sick.
Duo stared down at the shell in his hand, feeling a pang of sorrow. //I wonder if the bullet from this killed someone that day. The King, perhaps. A child, maybe… Cold blood… How could they?!? How could they be so heartless, those soldiers? I'd have rebelled against my superiors!//
"They waited until the fire had grown enough that nobody likely could have stayed in it and lived… then left the area," Treize continued. "That's when they strafed the whole town with bombs, leveling almost everything, destroying the evidence… Even as you said, Miss Noin. Townsfolk, already drawn outdoors by the confusion and horror of the events at the palace, barely escaped. Many did not escape with their lives… It was a terrible tragedy. The Alliance returned the next day to 'make order and protect the people of Sanc'… Of course, very few knew they themselves were responsible—perhaps only those involved in it knew that for a fact. There were no eyewitnesses from the events at the palace, after all…"
"Then how do /you/ know what happened there?" Duo demanded sharply. //Obviously word got out somehow! Zechs /must/ have seen! That's the only explanation for why he's so dead set on destroying them! He /must/ be an eyewitness of what the Alliance did!//
Treize's eyes opened, and he glared at Duo. "My whole family has been leaders of the military, Duo. Secrets that are for the leader's ears only were passed down where I could easily hear them…" Then, surprisingly, his eyes tore away to look out the window guiltily. "My father heard the news the night it happened… He was furious, and called a lot that night—including to Duke Dermail, who admitted that he ordered it… 'To silence that damn man and keep the rest of that annoying meddling family out of the way of progress for good this time,' he said," the dignified man ended bitterly.
Sally eyed him warily. "You seem to disapprove of what he did…"
//She's testing him… Probably not certain he's a good guy,// Duo decided. //You know… I like this Sally person!//
Treize sighed quietly. "It's one thing to kill the man who opposes you… but another to wipe out a whole ancient lineage and a country to boot… and children with them. Too many innocent lives died that night, and for /nothing/… No, I don't approve. I think if anyone is truly human, they can't accept that kind of decision… and I assure you, Miss Po, I am quite human." He looked out of the corner of his eyes at her blandly.
//Hey, that's progress. You're getting a /little/ less stuck-up, General. Are we rubbing off on you, maybe?// Duo chuckled to himself. "Are you /sure/, Treize?" he asked mischievously, mouth cracking into a broad grin. "You tend to act rather—"
"Modest?" Treize supplied playfully, smiling slowly at them.
"Pompous?" Sally tried, smirking.
"Annoying?" Duo mimicked.
"Aloof," Noin offered from the driving seat, sounding certain.
The ex-Oz leader just sighed in mock surrender, a smile tugging his lips. "Outvoted. A shame."
Duo shook his head, smirking, and settled back in the seat, to stare at the shell in his hand… which stole that smile, replacing it with a sad, thoughtful expression.
//Who were you, Zechs? How did you learn so much about events back then? How much did you witness? Were you like me—simply lucky to be in the wrong place at the terrible time, and first to find the results? These tantalizing hints are getting too much. I need to end this mystery before the curiosity eats me alive!//
Turning the casing over between his fingers nimbly, Duo nodded slightly to himself, confirming his resolve to find answers if nobody would give them to him voluntarily. //Fine, I take the harder route. I know just who to turn to for help, too…//
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To be continued.
Thanks for reviewing, guys! Glad you're enjoying it. My main problem is picking one way out of many for Dermail to die. It'll have to be simple, I fear. Knife, bullet, fall from a height… Hrm, how to choose, how to choose… suggestions?
Zechs is angry—at himself, and at having to use the family "garage" for weapons of war. He's not being purposely rude. He's being merely a kid and having a minor temper tantrum.