By: Shadow Chaser
Author's Notes:
By the time you read this chapter, Sephy and I have already separated our ways for this fic. Though she is still contributing her wonderful ideas to this story, I've decided to write up the rest of the story. And no, I'm not telling the reason and please, DO NOT go bothering her. She is a wonderful person, but please do not pester as she has other projects happening.
Chapter 5 – Hearts and the Will to LiveAdler just ran. He didn't even stop to look back at the firefight that was going on between his father, Jun, and the various personnel that had betrayed them. He just followed the orders given to him by his superiors and knew that he had to get away. Something inside of him told him that his father was going to die, sure he might get injured, but he wasn't going to die if the students captured him and faculty that had betrayed them.
But the something that told him about his father also told him that if he was to be captured, then it meant certain death. But he didn't know what would happen to Jun. Most likely his fellow soldier, friend, and almost brother was going to be executed for committing 'treason' against the government. But what government was there to rule the Unified Earth and Colonies? Adler frowned as he entered the lower levels of the Space Academy. It was mostly empty here save for a few shuttles and some maintenance crews on duty.
He hoped that the crews weren't as fanatical about shooting him down as the students and faculty were. He was running low on bullets and he hate to shoot down his fellow comrades even to save his own life. Sliding up against a wall, he peered to the other side of the hall…no one in sight. Keeping a tight grip on his gun, Adler ran quickly down to an unused shaft and climbed down. He hoped that Neo had gotten to the Earth safely and was going underground. If anything happened to her, God help those that laid a hand against her.
He had kept his Gundam hidden here in the depths of the Academy, same as he did with his shuttle. The proud and tall form of his Taliesin reflected against the moon and sunlight pouring in from some of the windows and he looked up at it. Kept in trim battle condition, he had hoped that he wouldn't have to use it again…but now…
He climbed the small hook that drew him up to the cockpit and leapt in. Grabbing the helmet that he had always kept in his cockpit, he slipped it on and closed the hatch while powering up his Taliesin. As a deep hum started to fill the cockpit, Adler glanced at the outer screens. No one had noticed him yet.
Taking a few steps forward, he dropped into the elevator shaft that was specifically designed for mobile suits doing combat training and tapped in the override password for the doors to open. Taking a deep breath, he gunned the throttle and flew outside.
Space greeted him, and along with space…many enemy mobile suits.
* * *
Trowa ducked as a bullet passed close by his face, it's trajectory leaving a quick breeze against his cheek. He reloaded his gun, noting that he was on his last clip. Things weren't too good as most of the students that had charged at him and Jun were either dead or injured severely and still they kept coming at them. Glancing over to Jun, he saw that the older man had sweat glistening on his face, and was breathing heavily from exertion.
"Jun!" he yelled as he saw his friend suddenly take a bullet to the shoulder, making him stagger back from his slightly covered position.
Trowa leapt past the firing of bullets and crouched next to his friend, dragging him back into the safety of their cover, or whatever was left of it. He pulled his friend upright and shook him. "Jun, you all right?"
"Yeah," Jun gasped slightly wincing as he glanced at the bullet…which had been an exploding one, making the wound on his arm even messier and a lot of blood was soaking into his uniform, to the point of dripping into a puddle underneath him. "Just a scratch."
"Yeah right," Trowa frowned then peered cautiously around…he suddenly snapped his head back as a bullet came flying, milliseconds from where his head was. "It doesn't look good. They want me, dead or alive, I think…probably alive so they can capture Adler and the others," he explained to Jun as he fired off a round, a wild shot.
"So then we can't let them get you, ne Trowa?" Jun laughed wheezingly, then hissed in pain as he clutched his damaged arm. "Run, Trowa…" Jun whispered and he strained his ears to hear his friend, "don't let them capture you. You're too valuable to us…to the Space Force and all those who were twisted by whatever had happened down on Earth…or maybe the colonies. As a former Gundam pilot, you should know that you can kill yourself and save the others trouble, but don't forget, you still have a son to take care of."
"Jun-"
"No, listen to me Trowa. I'm not going to make it out alive. With a wound like this, heh, it'll be a matter of hours before I become history. Live, Trowa…live and come back Heavyarms blazing. I'll cover for you…" Jun brought his gun up and smiled through the pain, "now go…my friend. Go…"
Trowa hesitated, staring at his friend and compatriot for what he knew was the last time he would see him. Jun Arakawa was a good man, and an efficient soldier. He knew that if he ran, Jun would be able to hold off whoever was trying to capture him for at least five more minutes, giving him enough time to reach the shuttles.
In a wordless gesture as for two soldiers of the battlefield long ago wiped away, Trowa grabbed his friend's shoulder and held on tight for a few seconds. He released it and then took a deep breath. In the midst of gunfire, he heard the distant sounds of students and faculty reloading. Now…he thought to himself as he pushed himself from the hiding spot and started to run. He didn't glance behind him as he heard Jun returning the gunfire that had started up with a fierce barrage and slipped down the stairs towards the hidden hanger bay.
Jun Arakawa, crouched behind the stack of plastic bullet resistant boxes heard the footsteps of his friend fading away and smiled grimly. Goodbye Nanashi…it was a good life fighting next to you when we were just simple soldiers; I, a mobile suit pilot, you…about to become a Gundam pilot.
The smile was on his face as a bullet pierced the middle of his forehead, killing him instantly.
* * *
Adler cursed silently to himself as he dodged a beam saber coming from a Leo. He retaliated by firing off round after round of bullets, making the Leo shudder and then suddenly explode. Out of the cloud of smoke that was part of the Leo, Adler blasted another Leo that was trying to come through the smoke in a surprise attack. Turning around, he fired at a crowd of Tauruses and Serpents, letting loose a barrage of missiles and bullets.
Suddenly his Gatling guns clicked empty and Adler frowned. He hated the limited amount of supply his Taliesin could carry and dropped both barrels. There would be time to build another set, and maybe this time built them with more bullet capacity. Reaching behind him he activated his beam trident and shot forward, slicing a Taurus in half. Not letting anyone else get by him, he made quick work of two other Serpents and then noticed something behind him. Glancing back he saw a shuttle launch from the general area he had launched his Gundam from and was streaking towards the colonies. A few Serpents had also noticed, but made no move to stop the shuttle. Instead they were focused solely on him.
"All right then, if it's a fight you want then you're going to get it," he whispered mostly to himself as he launched the rest of his missiles and activated his shield cloak. The thin layer of protective beam absorbent wrapped around him and he turned his trident to the highest setting and narrowed his eyes. His targeting system calculated how fast he needed to be in order to get rid of all the enemy mobile suits…
With a sudden beep, Adler shot forward, swinging his trident into the path of the mobile suits. Everything was a blur, but he could clearly see his enemy. As he decimated the path of Tauruses, Leos, and Serpents, he distantly registered the explosions in his mind.
"No! Stop! We surrender!" a voice suddenly broke into his frequency, but Adler didn't care as he growled back.
"You chose the wrong side," he said curtly as he sliced the head off of the last Serpent, not noticing the explosion that had encircled him. When the blast cleared, Adler looked around. Not even a single enemy mobile suit was left, just pieces of metal and shards of glass. Murmuring something under his breath, Adler made a course for Lagrange point 3, where he knew that he would be able to find shelter within his father's home colony.
* * *
Reyna stared out in the window at Tani's house. Though her best friend lived with her parents, she was glad that they weren't home. Tani had found her gasping for air like a fish out of water as she was carried downriver on the turbulent Seine. One hand clenched into a fist as she stared out at the cityscape of Paris. She could distantly see the tendril of smoke that was the Sweepers building burning to ashes. Apparently Severn and his goons decided to let the Sweepers burn to the ground and she felt silent tears trailing down the side of her face. Her home…her family…her memories, all-burning away.
Turning around, Reyna glanced on the bed at what was once her birthday dress…now ruined. She had lost her high heels in the river, but didn't really care. It was her birthday…no, it was her and Tarrant's birthday and it was destroyed by whatever crack head was the head of this insurrection. Clenching and unclenching her fist, she felt like pounding something into dust, but a small rational part of her mind told her that Tani wouldn't appreciate it.
So what? Tani had no right to even mention Tarrant in such a way that it bit deep down into her soul. She didn't know Tarrant…so why should she say these things. It's for you young lady, the rational part of her mind replied dryly, you're too emotional at the moment. You must become the soldier Val is. Destroy whoever did this to you and restore order. That's what a Gundam pilot does.
Val…the name echoed within her head and she bit back a cry of anguish. She didn't even know if Val had survived lest him being captured, but somehow, deep down, she knew that Val was alive and was probably planning the same thing she was.
No…I…can't let anymore of these feelings get to me. I swore to myself that I would be strong, be strong to support both Tarrant and myself if anything happened. Now I'll have to support my father and mother, support Tani, as she is a total innocent to these things but most of all, support Val. I am a Gundam pilot…I am trained to fight off whoever threatens the government, she thought fiercely to herself as she angrily wiped the tears off of her face and stared at the mirror that reflected her black clothing and long braided hair.
"I am a Gundam pilot," she whispered to her image and then glanced down at the desk and saw a pair of scissors. Picking it up, she opened it and held it close to her head. I can't stay like this, not when I look a lot like my father, she thought to herself as she grabbed a part of her braid and ran the scissor through it.
With a scratching sound, she pulled the scissor through and then let go of the braid. Her hair fell to the ground with a soft thump, the braid still intact, but her hair was now a jagged mess that only fell to her shoulders. Her once long beautiful brandy brown hair was no more and she glanced at herself in the mirror.
"My name is Reyna Maxwell, daughter of Duo and Hilde Maxwell. I am the pilot of Hellfire and I will become Shinigami to those who have wronged my family," she spoke to her image, placing the scissors down and picking up a black cap and stuffing her now shoulder length hair into the cap.
Glancing towards the door that lead to the living room and other parts of Tani's apartment, she whispered, "I'm sorry Tani, but I'll have to go alone for now. Thank you for your support, but I cannot involve you any further."
Turning towards the window, she avoided looking at the skyline where Sweepers headquarters was burning and opened it, making the room fill with the loud sounds of Paris. Climbing out, she made her way down towards one of the alleyways and ran off in a northwest direction from Tani's apartment.
There was a hidden bunker beneath one of the old government buildings near the Seine and that was where she had kept her Gundam. Though she didn't have a gun on her, Reyna knew that no one would check the spot where she hid her Gundam.
What she didn't know was that another pair of eyes was following her every move as she made her way towards the resting spot of the Hellfire.
* * *
Damon Hallsfield steeple his fingers and smiled slightly as he watched on the monitor screens the imprisonment of the former Gundam pilots. What irritated him the most was the fact that all of the Gundam pilots' children had eluded him, especially Vailo Yuy and Reyna Maxwell. He had personally sent Severn, one of the best soldiers in the employment of the late Locke Dabnerba, to capture those two. Except Severn had botched up the operation, leaving Heero Yuy injured and letting the two children escape.
A sneer came to his face as it wiped out the smile and he resisted the urge to crush something within his hands. He returned his attention to the screens, which showed Heero Yuy, Duo Maxwell, Relena Peacecraft-Yuy, Zechs Merquise, Ione Winner, and Lucrezia Noin. The people up in the Space Academy had also botched up their operation and let Trowa Barton, Adler Barton, and Neo Winner go. It should have been easy enough as the Space Academy had a limited amount of placed to hide, but he didn't count the fact that there was hidden hanger bays and such.
"I think fretting about it wouldn't be too wise," a deep voice spoke gently from the door to the Senate room in Geneva, Switzerland.
"And when do you ever see me fretting, Xylon Riyet?" Damon composed his face into a neutral mask as he kept a tight rein on his emotions.
"Then why the frown," the young man countered, walking up towards him and stopping by his chair, casually looking at the screens, "Severn didn't complete the mission did he?"
"You told me he was the best. Both of you were the best," Damon replied neutrally, but let a hint of disappointment slip into his voice along with a warning.
"We are, but sometimes the best fail," Xylon simply shrugged, letting his black hair fall over his eyes.
"Be sure not to fail again. I want you to send your teams out to search and destroy those kids. Find where Trowa Barton and Wufei Chang went. They're vital to our plans," Damon shut the screens off and spun the chair to face Xylon who was wearing a dark green-black uniform. "Do not fail me, this time."
"As ordered Mr. President," Xylon replied in a monotonous voice and saluted then spun around and left the door shutting behind him.
Damon turned back around and rubbed his temples then glanced out into the empty space where the Senate had sat only a few hours ago. A few hours ago, Mariemaia Kushrenada had been in control…now he, Damon Hallsfield, was in control and it was time that the legend of the Gundam pilots be put to naught.
He pressed a button on the control panel his seat controlled and looked at the cameras that showed a lab, scientists milling around what looked to be a skeletal body. Perfect…soon it will be ready and I will destroy the Gundam pilots one by one.
* * *
Author's Notes:
I had to end it there because saying more will spoil. Sorry if the chapters seemed short at the moment. I'm trying to get to a good spot. Next part will probably be featuring Neo and her transition into the enemy lines and probably something to do with Anima, though I'm not too sure at the moment. Oh yeah, maybe a few prisoner interaction with Relena and the rest of the women that were captured. ^_^ Shadow Chaser signing off…10/21/02.