Chapter Two: The Deportations
Act Three: Colonel
By: Alexandria the Great {Please forgive me for not updating in so long! I've been sick and bogged down by this research paper crap and haven't gotten to do anything fun! SO STRESSED! But newayz I hope you enjoy! Thanks, Raevyn!!!}
The guys jaws all dropped to the floor.
"What?!" they cried in unison. Everybody else turned and looked at the shocked five.
"Gundam Pilots," Colonel Steed boomed, "step forward!"
Heero, who wasn't keen on taking orders from anyone but Doctor J, hesitated, but stepped forward in front of the crowd and faced them. Duo and Quatre followed, then Trowa, slowly, then Wufei. The young man Heero had bickered with earlier didn't look at all surprised. Few did.
"Alright, men!" Colonel Steed pushed a switch on the balcony that lowered it for the high ceiling to just above the boys' heads. "These Gundam Pilots have been trained by the best of the best. They are harsh disciplinarians and know what to look for in the perfect soldiers. If you can't handle being taught by intense, potentially crazy leaders and super-survivors, please leave and tell no one of what you know. The remainder of you will be thoroughly and meticulously trained. If you don't know everything they've taught you front, back, and inside out, don't expect to be able to fight. There are to be no potential deserters, as you will face execution for treason. I designed your training program personally, with the help of another who will not be mentioned at this point in time. The program will train the perfect soldier; it is not customized for weak men to be developed into stronger men; it is designed to supplement and improve the stamina, strength, and solidify the mentality of the perfect soldier." The colonel paused, and lowered the platform lower. The regal man stepped off the platform and stood by Heero. Heero recognized him and his heart beat uncertainly. The colonel pointed to Lance. "As you know, this is special lieutenant Lance Perkins, P.S.I.D. No. 8. He is my assistant, and will be assisting me in observing you. You will all be issued numbers and codes within the hour. Now, number off, one through five." The men, who'd been standing in strait lines from the beginning, numbered off accordingly. The colonel spoke again:
"Ones, Yuy. Twos, Maxwell. Threes, Barton. Fours, Winner. Fives, Chang. Dissmissed." The colonel started away. Heero took hold of his shoulder.
"Duke Dermail?" he whispered. The colonel gave Heero a blank look.
"In my office, Yuy, at thirteen hundred hours." The colonel went on. Heero turned back to see his friends' lines walking away in strait lines with his friends tagging along behind. Duo shrugged in Heero's direction and followed his flunkies, whom apparently knew where they were going. Heero made a 'go on' gesture to his men, and they filed away. Heero followed.
While his men were receiving their ids, Heero went on to the colonel's office. He knocked politely.
"Come in," the colonel beckoned. Heero entered without saluting and closed the door. He had a seat. The colonel was standing, looking at Heero blankly. Heero was positive now.
"So, Duke, where have you been?"
"I am Col. Sanderson Steed."
"You are Sanderson Dermail. You did a great job of faking your death. I believed you were dead, and I'm not gullible."
"If you were, you wouldn't be a Gundam Pilot."
"Tell me, Duke, what happened? I won't tell my comrades."
"Yuy, sometimes you just have to get away and start over. In this case, it was for the survival of planet Earth."
"What are you talking about—"
"Secrets, Yuy, secrets. I heard that Trieze was planning a come back in case he lost the war between the colonies and the earth. It was tucked away deep within OZ's computers. I was looking for something about Sally Po, when I stumbled upon information that turned me against my own OZ. I couldn't let Trieze execute his plan…it was…too harsh…"
"What was it?"
"Plain and simple: kill everyone on earth and move the people from the colonies back to their mother planet. That was Libra's true purpose, that's why Trieze built it. It's no battleship; it's a slaughter machine."
The Duke paused, letting this sink in for Heero. He continued:
"I wanted to expose Trieze, show the world that this was where the line had to be drawn, but I knew I would be assassinated by one of Trieze's specials. So, I faked my death. Only then would I be able to work in secret to stop this mania that would defiantly be carried out by devoted OZ stooges. I meant not to hurt my dear granddaughter, if that is your beef."
"No, that would be more Quatre's issue with you."
"Winner fancies my Dorothy?"
"Yep. But that's all I wanted to know. Lance was informative, but now I know what it's really like to look at a boy his age, my age, and have him tell you that you have to help him stop the apocalypse from coming."
"Sucks, huh?" the colonel smiled.
"Yeah. A lot."