A young brunette woman glanced at her clipboard, deep in thought. It was bad enough that she couldn't figure out how to deal with her dying patient, but having the only love she ever had in her mind right then made it even worse. It had been two years since the last letter from Domon, two years of worrying about him, but although burdened with all the sorrow her one and only bestowed upon her, she was still very attractive. Bright, beautiful, and sweet. She could've married her ex-boyfriend Seitte and never have to work again, but that didn't work out. Seitte was a famous scientist, rich, dark, tall, and handsome, but there was something missing. It was Domon whom Rain wanted.

"Uhh. . . Rain? We need to get this done now."

With that, Rain snapped out of her thoughts. There were three doctors in the room, her father and his associates. Dr. Mikamura frowned at her daughter's lack of attention towards the task at hand. He sighed subconsciously.

Young people are so foolishly in love. . . how am I going to break the news to her?

After the operation, Dr. Mikamura scurried to the doctor's lounge. Since the hospital was always busy, there was practically no one in the room. He sat down at the table near the vending machines and started on the diagnosis of the current plague that has spread throughout the Colonies. A few moments later, the lounge door opened and Rain slipped in.

"Father," she greeted.

Dr. Mikamura, whose eyes were set on his paper, nodded his head in acknowledgement of his daughter's presence. Slowly, he lifted his head up to see what his daughter was up to. It was abnormal for her to take breaks because she was so hard-working. But his daughter's actions surprised him. She was staring out the window with a handkerchief covering her mouth to stifle the sound of her sobs. Immediately, Dr. Mikamura went over to comfort her.

"Daughter, what is wrong?"

"I-It's nothing. I'm acting unprofessionally. I am sorry."

With her best efforts to fight the inevitable tears, she straightened her posture and wiped her eyes. Dr. Mikamura looked pained to see her daughter be broken. And even worse, it was he who had to break the silence and tell her daughter about her friend's demise.

Rain, who noticed her father deep in thought, spoke.

"What is it, Father?"

Dr. Mikamura opened his mouth to speak. A soft gurgling soft escaped his throat, but nothing else followed. Embarrassed, he turned away and walked towards the window. The lounge was located on the twenty fifth floor and provided a great view of Earth. Right adjacent to the hospital was the new Shinra building. Dr. Mikamura tilted his head as he remembered his childhood.

Shinra. . . it was said to be the wave of the future. With their cutting edge technology, it was possible that they would end the feud between Earth and the Colonies. But instead of helping to find a resolution, they started their own little war against Earth. Their actions harmed Earth more than the Gundams, but they were also a very big producer of Mobile Suits and Gundam parts.

"Rain," Dr. Mikamura commanded. "I need to speak with you."

Rain looked puzzled at her father's sudden change of mood but went over to him nonetheless.

"Yes, Father?"

Dr. Mikamura held his breath to brace himself for dropping the bomb on her daughter.

"I'm sorry to have to be the one to tell you this, but Domon is dead."

The words hit Rain like a bucket of ice water. Her eyes were wide and shocked, her whole body stiff and rigid, her mouth opened in horror, her delicate soft hands shook, and her brain unable to function. So that's why I've been thinking about him lately . . . it's because he's dead.

"I'm sorry, Rain," her father said, gently taking his daughter's hand and caressing it lightly. "He had talked about joining SOLDIER, am I correct?"

Rain nodded her head slowly, but other than that, she remained still.

"Yes, well,  Shinra's troops were thwarted with the combined strength of Earth's forces. Bodies everywhere. . ." Dr. Mikamura shook his head sadly, shuddering slightly at the thought of the battleground. Tens of thousands dead. . .

"It's because of Shinra that Domon's dead," Rain whispered. "It's because of Shinra that Earth is about to die. It's because of them that Mother died of that heart virus. . ."

Stunned, Dr. Mikamura went over to the table and picked up his research.

"Patients diagnosed with an overexposure to radioactive substances. Areas of the affected are quartered near Shinra's reactors. . . Ailments include shedding of skin, physical mutation, heart and respiratory defects. . ." Dr. Mikamura read. Then, setting down the papers, he grabbed her daughter by the shoulders.

"You've got to get out of here. Before they find out you know as well." He jerked his head in the direction of the Shinra branch nearby. He reached into his pocket and handed Rain the ignition key to his space pod. Just at that moment, someone started pounding on the door.

"Dr. Mikamura! Let us in!"

He turned to his daughter. "Go. Before they find out."

Rain nodded and pulled on a loose marble on the floor and eased herself in the gap. The door burst open. Soon, the whole room was filled with Shinra soldiers. Soon after the ambush, three men walked into the room. One was short and fat, the other young and tall, and the last had silver hair tied up into a ponytail. Rain soon identified the three people as the president of Shinra, his son, and the Great Master Asia.

"Ah, Dr. Mikamura. So good to see you again!" remarked the President.

"What do you want?" he asked, slowly backing to the table to hide the report but Master Asia already had it in his hand. Soon, the President's face contorted and he looked at Rain's father angrily.

"Who else did you show this to?"

"I am the only one who knows. And I have kept it a secret, as you so kindly, uh, requested the last time we met."

His face relaxed after hearing Dr. Mikamura's words. "Hmm. I guess I can trust your sense of judgment. After all, you don't want your daughter to be sucked into this little arrangement, correct?"

Dr. Mikamura nodded, trying his best not to look at the place where Rain was hiding.

The President turned to walk out of the room, but before leaving, he snapped his fingers. "Kill him."

What?! No!!

That was the last time Rain ever saw her father alive. . .

 

To be continued. . . . .