12: Zero Hour (part one)
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Jin rushed through the entrance of the mobile suit hangar with his feet pressing down onto gas as the motorcycle sped up leaving all of the rebels in the dust behind him. He grinned devilishly as he rounded a corner surprising five unsuspecting soldiers in the process.
Jin watched as they leapt out of the way or backed themselves up against a wall to avoid being hit by a speeding two-wheeled vehicle with a young man riding upon. Behind him he could hear his peruser's demanding he stop the motorcycle or they would open fire: A chill rushed up his spine at the thought of being shot in the back, it surely wouldn't be a pleasant feeling to experience.
Jin was smirking all the way through his ride through the corridors of the mobile suit hangar enjoying the gentle breeze combing into his hair when out of nowhere, came an Aries mobile suit landed in the middle of the ground blocking Jin at all sides.
Thrown into a panic, Jin hit the breaks and the motorcycle swerved to its side skidding to a halt in a sideways position. His braid wrapped itself around his neck like a lynching rope giving him the sinking feeling that he was caught for sure and there was no escape.
Nice moving Jin, you've gone and got yourself caught! Jin scolded himself as the rebels he evaded came up from behind him at top speed with looks of anger and revenge. Biting the side of his lip Jin began to scan the area around him searching for the right opportunity to escape just as soon as he found a crack to slip through.
"Blast," He grumbled watching the armed soldiers surround his motorcycle leaving not space for escape. Reaching up slowly he removed his braid from around his neck holding his breath in the process. One of the rebels wrapped his fingers around the 11-year-old's wrist he immediately pulled him off the two-wheeled machine almost knocking it over.
Jin grunted in protest and with one swift movement he twisted his wrist out of the man's grasp and kneed him in the stomach while using his elbow to knock the hand gun out of the rebel's hand. Without hesitation a second rebel soldier raised his gun aiming for a part of Jin's arm below his shoulder and opened fire.
The sound of gunfire rang through the air catching Jin's attention the eleven year old jerked his head toward the rebel catching a glimpse of the man smoking barrel before looking down at his arm just as the bullet ripped through his arm. Everything after that moment moved in slowmotion. Jin watched helplessly as the bullet ripped through the air and shredded through his arm throwing him backward twisting his arm into an awkward position.
He hit the ground everything seemed to be going at its' normal pace once again but to the young man's dismay so did the pain caused by the bullet: A roar of pain escaped Jin's mouth as he clutched the bullet wounded arm tightly to try and stop of the pain from consuming him.
The soldier he knocked down climbed to his feet holding his hand against his stomach watching the young man roll around on the ground in pain with a cynical smile on his face. The tears the man saw sliding down the boy face disgusted him to no end in sight, raising his foot up from the ground and brought it down hard onto Jin's injured arm along with his hand.
The sound of bones crunching beneath the pressure of his foot reached his ears Jin cried out louder in volume, more blood oozed profusely from the bullet wound as the 11-year-old child began to loose consciousness. His screams soon began to die down against the dryness of his scratchy throat the tears that poured from his eyes began to lessen gradually as he began to focus his attention less on the pain and more on the conversation above him.
"What should we do about this kid...? He's a bloody mess."
"Introduce him to Phareil of course, she'll love to see this one."
"Him??! This kid?"
"Yeah, about a week ago my friend Tomeki reported he recruited a kid that looked just like this one."
"Tomeki eh??"
"Yeah, Tomeki told me the kid (whatever his name is) said he wanted to leave because he wanted to find his family or something like that. Tomeki gave him a pummeling, right before somebody intervened and knocked Tomeki out. I can't remember what else they told me. That's about it."
"[Scoff], Looks he made a deal with Death, wouldn't you say?"
"Hardly. But I wouldn't put it past him.... if he survived a beating from Tomeki, then he just might have."
Jin boiled over with anger at the sheer mentioning of Tomeki's name. The jerk would have left him there to die from the injuries he inflected on him if not for......"Duo," He said hoarsely to himself barely above a whisper remembering why he came to his God forsaken place in the beginning. To retrieve the Wing Zero Gundam that lay hidden somewhere within this facility.
Slowly Jin began to turn himself around with the use of his uninjured arm pushing himself off the ground realizing he had to come up with some cover for his escape before the two sad excuses for rebels (who happened to be engrossed in their conversation) above him noticed he was moving around.
Reaching into his jacket pocket he pulled out a small hand grenade which appeared to look like a deadly bomb but was really a smoke grenade but he was hoping they wouldn't know the difference between the two. Gotta time this just right..... He thought wearily as he raised his arm above his head while forcing a wry grin on his face.
"Oi! Surpise-surprise my friends!" He shouted hoarsely pulling the pen out of the small object. Thankfully Jin's prayers were answered, the rebels surrounding him jumped out of the way (some decided to just run) as he tossed the weapon across the floor careful not to exert too much energy with a bleeding arm untended to.
Sucking in what breath he could hold in his lungs he watched the smoke bomb explode in the instant releasing its' grey substance that engulfed in the entire area, rising to his feet careful not to go above the smoke Jin made his way across the ground dodging the panicking soldiers as he rounded the corner venturing deeper into the mobile suit hangar. He prayed no other misfortunes would befall him before he jumped into the cockpit of that mobile suit.
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Elsewhere inside the Corsica base' control tower and mobile suit factory building, Hilde and Relena were being dragged inside a mess hall by Stanley and the nameless man as the alarm continued to ring above their heads while Phareil headed off toward the tower to keep an eye on things outside the building.
Stanley shoved Relena inside the room with one powerful push then yanked Hilde from his partner's grasp and threw her inside the room before shutting the door behind him. The German girl scowled at the door in front of her wanting so badly to kick it down but reframed from doing so because she took into consideration that she might break her break her foot in the process.
Relena sighed cradling her throbbing arm while she watched Hilde rub her shoulder, the short-haired girl's face was contorted in a faint pained expressed as she flexed her shoulder about only pausing every-so-often. Relena knew it Hilde's bullet wounded shoulder was infected and it wouldn't be long before Hilde began to feel it completely.
Raising her head toward her friend she spoke. "How's your shoulder Hilde?" Relena asked tentatively watching Hilde stiffen at the sudden question. Hilde looked up at the honey-blonde girl with a worn look in her eyes before shifting her aquamarine eyes toward her shoulder noticing for the first time the dried blood on her once white dress shirt and her dirty khaki pants. "I'm okay I guess," Hilde replied shrugging.
Relena nodded brushing her hair from off her shoulders. "What do you suppose is going on out there?" Relena asked curiously. Hilde shrugged turning her gaze toward the door. "Its an Intruder obviously..... might even be Duo and the others..... I hope," Hilde grumbled making her way over to a chair in the corner. Relena watched her friend settle herself down in the cushioned chair relaxing her body.
Her blue eyes lowered in dismay at the thought of no-one coming their rescues as her hope slowly began to fade with each passing minute. She had been through this before with Une's foster child Mariemaia, whom wanted the ESUN under her rule before Une's sharp words aimed toward Dekim Barton got through to her changing her mind suddenly, making her think and realize what she was doing and how much pain she would cause if she went through with this.
But.....
It didn't seem to be the case with Phareil; she didn't appear to want to rule the world because of a pervasive word from an elderly man who's plan failed to be realized and Phareil wasn't doing this because of a family relative either.
Phareil was doing this because she enjoyed it, because she knew there was a slim but possible chance that she could pull off what Mariemaia and Dekim Barton could not and prove once and for all that battle and war was stronger than peace could dream of becoming. Maybe all the time she strived for peace was achieved for nothing........
"No. I don't think it was for nothing, Relena-san," Hilde's calm voice startled Relena who was unaware that she was speaking her thoughts aloud. Relena blinked at her curiously wondering what she had meant. "What do you mean?" She asked curious.
Hilde's bangs bounced when she lowered her head a smile graced her features at the same time. "Your fight for peace was not meaningless," Hilde rephrased her words. "I know, because if it was, Duo, Heero and the other Gundam pilots would not have been fighting for it so hard. Not to mention that Heero would have left you with Mariemaia if he didn't that you could bring peace Between earth and the colonies." Relena had to pause pre-scentence as she took what Hilde had told her into consideration.
She's right Relena, Heero would have left you at the mercy of that little girl and the old man if he didn't think you could bring about peace..... stop doubting yourself and your abilities and trust in those who trust you. Heero will come, if you have so much faith in him, he will come to your recuse with his friends. Her conscience piped up in Hilde's defense.
Relena's felt as though a great weight had been lifted from her heart her blue eyes brightened slightly as she traveled over to Hilde to sit beside her, Hilde watched Relena place herself in the seat beside her with a strange look of something in her eyes. Despite this Hilde smiled returning her attention back to blaring of the alarm outside the door and the panicked shouts of the rebels.
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"There's no way we're gonna get inside this building! The entire outside is crawling with soldiers armed to the tooth with arsenal I wish we had right now!" Duo complained in a hushed tone of voice glaring at passing men. Heero groaned knowing his companion was right, it would be sheerly impossible to try and sneak past them at the present moment, no thanks to Jin and his appearance.
Gritting his teeth Heero began to try and formulate a plan before he felt Duo shift his weight from off his right arm and proceed to peer out into the open to make sure no one-else was coming. Acting quickly Heero pulled the teenager back into the shadows before anyone could see him.
Duo grunted in annoyance turning to glare at the Japanese teenager when he noticed Heero's hand was searching the wall in front of them for something. "What are you doing?" Duo asked quiet annoyed. Heero gave him a sideways glance continuing to run his hand across the wall until felt his fingers brush across something metal and rusted which was no surprise to him; anything in this corner might as well decayed, it was far too moist and wet in the small space he and Duo hid themselves in.
"I think I found a ladder...," Heero whispered trailing off. Duo turned his attention away from the outside back to Heero with an inquiring expression on his face. Heero gripped what he thought was one of the horizontal stairs upon the ladder and pulled down; to their surprise a ladder produced itself in front of them.
A jesture-ish grin appeared on Duo's face as he watched Heero place his gun back into its holster (hidden behind his jacket) and climb up the ladder through the small space. "Hurry up!" Heero whispered harshly. Duo snapped himself out of his trance and followed the Japanese preventer up the ladder praying that he wouldn't be caught halfway up the ladder.
Heero traveled upward glancing briefly at the cobwebs that got caught in his hair every now and again while Duo grumbled about the poor-air quality inside the small space. Heero grunted in amusement at his complaints as he climbed the last stair on the ladder Heero paused searching for an exit.
Duo continued climbing until he noticed his buddie had stopped glancing up at the Prussian blue eyed teen's back he blinked curiously at Heero's hand's as they searched the surface above them for a door from what the American could tell. "What's up Heero-san?" He whispered. Heero grunted in a brief response before actually speaking to his partner.
"I can't seem to find an opening anywhere on this blasted---- Nevermind," Heero grumbled changing his reply. Duo's coalbolt eyes blinked curiously before he noticed Heero pushing a trap door open with his head to take a peek above. "Whatcha see up there?" Duo asked quietly. Heero shrugged as he continued to scan the area for any rebels but could not find any around.
Not bothering to alert Duo of his movement Heero climbed up through the small entrance, his foot collided with the top of Duo's head almost causing the American preventer to almost loose his footing on the ladder. Sucking in a deep intake of breath from the momentary panic he experienced Duo climbed up the ladder quickly as he heard more soldiers passing the area they once occupied.
Heero held the door open for him, Duo pulled himself up onto the surface sweating bullets the Japanese teen rolled his eyes before shutting the door and locking it with a combination lock he brought along with him. "Watch where you place your feet next time, will ya?!" Duo hissed angrily brushing the dirt out of his hair.
Heero blinked at him rising to his feet noticing a furious breeze blowing around him, to his surprise they were standing on the building's rooftop which meant they could be easily spotted from all angels if they were to stay up here any longer. He looked to Duo who was standing up brushing the cobwebs from uniform with slightly agitated expression on his face.
"We'd better hurry or someone will spot us up here," Heero said as quietly as he could without alarming the braided-teenager. Duo looked up at with a lazy gleam in his eye before following after Heero who had decided to not wait up for him. Must he be so impatient? Duo wondered mentally following the Japanese-teenager across the rooftop with arms folded across his chest.
Heero turned to glance at his friend when the sound of something small bouncing off the ground caught his attention bringing his defensive sense up to high-alert. Duo who had heard it as well began to look in all directions for the origin of the sound as a small amount of dust rose to the air only to be swept away into the wind.
"Something tells me that was a bullet," Duo murmured coming to Heero's side his hand firm on his gun which laid against his hip inside its' holster. Heero eyes widened in mock-realization as he scanned the area for the supposed sniper before he realized they were in direct sights of the tower across from them on the left. "Something tells me, we should leave before we're killed," Heero grumbled picking up the pace he lost.
"Oi wait up!" Duo cried in the lowest tone of voice he could muster while at the same time trying to get Heero's attention. The American young man trotted across the roof top after Heero tossing his braid over his shoulder so it would dangle in front of him instead of behind him.
There was no telling what would happen if his braid was unattended to while in the line of fire. Meanwhile Heero was busy trying to pick the lock on the rooftop door with an old but dependable lock-pick Duo came up to his side panting with a look of fatigue and panic on his face. "What's wrong?" Heero mumbled never taking his eyes of his business.
Duo shook his head barely managing to regain his breath his coalbolt eyes darted in every direction. Heero was so engrossed in his work that he didn't even feel Duo's foot collide with the door breaking the lock in the process. Heero realized that his lock-pick was not in his hands instead when he looked up he found Duo with his hand gripping the door half-way inside the building with a smug look on his face.
Heero's eyebrow twitched in annoyance. "Well, it's open isn't it?" Duo asked in an almost childish manner. "You had better hope that didn't trigger an alarm" Heero turned to Duo with an irritated look about him. Duo gave him an apologetic shrug before taking off down the stairs his gun bounced against his hip like a lifeless doll almost.
Staring at the broken latch on the wall where the door's lock once was Heero broke into a run after the braided young man slamming the door behind him. That was too close of a close call for my liking..... Heero's thoughts trailed off as he caught sight of Duo's braid vanishing around the corner. He had better wait for me at the end of stair way.....
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Trowa and Wufei had hidden themselves amongst the bushes in front of two unsuspecting guards who happened to be wearing Oz's uniforms despite the fact that all the other rebels were wearing outfits that resembled Oz's uniform but with more of a navy look about them.
Trowa wondered if they were ever going to get inside the building without being spotted, though he knew that feat would be impossible due to the clothes they wore. He figured every one of them knew what a Preventer dressed like and they would be shot on sight if spotted. Ducking behind the bushes once again he turned to Wufei with a look of doubt on his face.
"What's wrong?" Wufei asked. Trowa jerked his thumb toward the two men in front of them before he pulled out a bottle of chloroform from his jacket, Wufei never gave the bottle a second glance, he removed it from Trowa's grasp pondering on how they should put the bottle of liquid to good use.
"Do you have a cloth of some type Barton?" Wufei grumbled unscrewing the top, careful not to inhale any of the fumes. Trowa nodded fervently revealing two cloths from his back pants pockets with a sly smirk. Chang didn't bother to question the origin of those cloths.
He removed one from his partners grasp folding it over once to ensure none of the chloroform got on his hands and pressed it against the mouth of the bottle letting the chemical soak his cloth. Trowa did the same when Wufei handed him the bottle. His green eyes shifted toward the unsuspecting men above them with a worried expression praying no one would notice the two were gone.
"Are you ready Wufei?" Trowa whispered as low as he could. Wufei glanced skyward for a moment before answering the Latin American's question. "Hai. Lead the way," He replied. With a nod Trowa in his crouched position made his way across the dirt ground his feet landing silently upon the ground as he neared his target. Wufei was the closer to his target than Trowa was, unable to wait any longer the Chinese preventer sprang from his crouching pose bringing his arm around the man pressing his cloth-occupied hand over the man's face and pulled him into the bushes.
The man on the right gasped startled by the rustling of the bushes realizing his comrade was not on the other side and was ready to sound an alert until a cloth covered his face up to his nose, he was then pulled over into the bushes before he could warn any one of the enemy presence. Trowa held the struggling man down on the ground with his knee in the man's stomach, he watched as the soldier's retaliation became less and less indicating the effects of the chloroform was taking hold.
After a while the man had stopped struggling completely, he had fallen unconscious. Trowa breathed a sigh of relief before tossing the cloth aside. "What now?" Wufei asked. "Now we take their places, we have to get inside that MS factory building and this would be the easiest way," Trowa explained pulling the jacket off the man. "Just put them on over your Preventer uniform." Wufei nodded reluctantly nodded and began undressing the man.
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Afterward, Trowa and Wufei traveled through the Mobile suit factory amongst the crowd of soldier/rebels with calm impassive expressions so they would stand out of the crowd that they accompanied. Trowa kept his long unruly bangs underneath the uniformed hat just in case their was someone amongst them who would recognize him without a second glance.
Wufei turned to his partner with an utterly annoyed expression on his face, Trowa in turn returned the expression as he tired to keep the cap over his head (his bangs were retaliating against being shoved under a hat).
"Tell me again why we're doing this, Barton?" Wufei asked almost curious. Trowa gave his comrade a knowing glance before halting with the rest of the soldiers. "You know why," Trowa muttered annoyed. Wufei just scoffed halting himself into the perfect soldier's pose. Trowa scanned the dim area that reminded him of the moon base he had gone to when he was undercover as a newly recruited OZ soldier. A smile shadowed his once impassive facial features catching the attention of one rebel soldier.
The man appearing to be of Korean nationality jabbed Trowa softly in the ribs the Latin American turned in response with an inquiring expression. "You seem awful chipper about something. Is it because of Miss Phareil Catalonia? I hear she's Duke Dermail's second daughter.... I've met her before though. Darn shame."
The Korean seemed to be talking to himself rather than Trowa which gave the green-eyed teen all the more time to think about what the man had just told him. He had overheard Dorothy referring to her sister "returning from the dead" before actually realizing it her Dorothy herself, the girl has more secrets than I do, Trowa thought.
Upon this Trowa returned his attention back to the stage in front of him finding a woman standing before the mass of rebels soldiers wearing an elegant blue silk shirt accompanied by a pair of faded blue jeans and thick soled heels not too high off the ground. Her hair was a shimmering platinum blonde and eyes sparkled like a small child's on an eventful outing with her parents.
His eyes narrowed at her sly devilish smile, the way her mouth curled on the sides there was no doubting this woman was Dorothy's sister unless he was mistaken. She stepped forward in front of the microphone gracefully tossing her hair behind her with one swift jerk of her head. "Welcome my fellow soldiers," She began scanning the mass of men and women. "I have gathered you all from the farthest regions of space and earth for one reason only; to rebel against this fake peace the earth sphere unified nation is promoting with the strong but helpful influence of the vice foreign minister herself; Relena Darlain!"
Phareil smirked at the loud roar of cheers that echoed through the entire room. Like putty in my hands, She thought before resuming her speech. " Tomorrow, February 6th A.C. 198 at 11:00am, I shall declare war against the ESUN and all colonies that support this fake peace, which might as well be every single one of them and we shall create a new world order in the name of the late Duke Dermail, my father!" Trowa glanced slowly at Wufei who had a look of suspicion shadowed his features as if he knew something he didn't. Trowa returned his attention back to the preaching Phareil.
"I'd like to thank all of you that stand before me, the last remnants of many rebel organizations for helping in achieving my dream! Lastly I'd like to include that I have acquired an appropriate symbol for our retaliation; I have done what many have failed to do in the past during and after the Eve wars! I have recreated the Wing Zero and the Wing Gundam!" Phareil exclaimed with the proudest expression a woman could have.
Wufei and Trowa almost blurted out a cry of denial while the rebels cheered in victory, the two preventers watched the woman step away from microphone to the side lines as a curtain fell from the ceiling revealing the two almost identical mobile suits in all their glory.
Trowa balled his hands into fists as he fought to keep a clear head through all of it. This was bad! The rebels acquired what they always sought after for so long! But how could they've created them in such a short amount of time....?? Unless they planed this all extensively before the Mareimaia incident!?!!
Trowa's mind was spinning with a thousand questions as he looked to Wufei who had the exact same dreaded look on his face. Neither one of them could even phantom what damage the rebel soldiers could cause with both of the mobile suits combined strength. Heero has to know about this, and soon...... Trowa turned to Wufei and hand gestured him toward the empty space beside him.
The Chinese preventer made his way through the energetic crowd of people toward the Latin American. Once he was beside him he watched Trowa lean over positioning his mouth in front of his ear.
"We've got to leave this area and inform Une of what we discovered immediately," He explained. Wufei nodded with a perplexed expression on his face. "Then what?" Wufei asked. Trowa glanced toward the two Gundams with a look of anger. "We destroy the Wing Zero and the Wing Gundam," He replied sternly glaring.
TBC..... review!