Chapter 11

"Did she see your face?" asked Dr. B once Anni had finished the story.

"Yeah. But does it make a difference? She promised me that she wouldn't tell anyone, and I believe her."

The woman sighed, and took off her glasses. Rubbing her eyes, she got up and went to the window. "I just think that you should be more careful with whom you reveal yourself to. That's all I'm saying."

"I didn't think it would make a difference. She could help me in the future, who knows?" Anni answered back. She yawned and thought to herself I haven't even had an hours sleep. "I'm going to bed. Wake me if I'm needed."

Dr. B nodded and walked back to her chair. The new newspaper had just arrived, and the front cover was about the return of Relena. The article said nothing about Anni or Gundam Revelation, so she sighed with relief. A piece of cold metal touched the back of her neck. "If you come with me quietly, then we won't have any problems."

She looked behind her, and saw a man, roughly around the age of twenty, wearing an Oz uniform. "Fine, I'll cooperate, but I won't tell you anything."

The man smiled. "We'll see about that."

Grabbing her arm, he walked toward the door, still aming the gun at Dr. B. Another soldier placed a white note on the dresser, in a conspicuous place where Anni was sure to find it. He turned and headed out the door as well.

Hours passed, and it was dark outside. Anni looked at the clock and groaned. 2 o'clock. "What a horrible time to wake up. Can't I have one good night's sleep without nightmares or just waking up?"

She looked in the living room. The light was still on. She sighed and got out of bed. "Are you still up B? It two in the mo--" The room was empty.

The apartment wasn't that big, so she checked all places. "Where the devil is she?" Then she saw the note on the dresser. Slowly, she opened it up, and read word for word.

Hello, Taaria. By now, I am sure you are wondering where your faithful mentor is. Well, so you won't go around trying to find answers, I'll give it to you nice and straight. She is with us. At a location that I am sure you are most familiar with. Its name... is New LunarClyte. Yes, your hometown is once again a secrect Oz base. Don't bother trying to tell Earth or the colonies of our existence, because if you do, than all of them will be blown up by our newest weapon. A beam cannon that is more powerful than Libra's own. So anyway, here's the deal. We have two of your closest friends. They are Doctor B and Maude Tanner. I do hope that you will join us once again, Taaria. But if you don't.. well let's just say you could kiss your friends' life away. Are we clear?

-Rasam Tanner

Anni dropped the note onto the floor, and ran out of the apartment to her Gundam. I'll kill you Rasam, if it's the last thing I'll do.

Heero was up and on his laptop. He originally wanted to have a talk with Relena about the person who saved her, but it was too late for that. So he decided he would do it another time. But then, right in the middle of his research, a notice popped up on his screen.

Bip Bip Bip Bip Bip Bip Bip "Guys! Come look at this!"

"Heero.. it's too early to be watching you play on your laptop. Show us in the morning," complained Duo. Heero had kicked him in the stomach while he was sleeping, and he doesn't enjoy that. Heero kicked him again once more, and sent Duo flying on top of all the other pilots. "Get off me Maxwell!" yelled Wufei.

"Come here," ordered Heero once more, but his time dangerously. All of the pilots groaned and crowded around Heero. They had all rented a hotel room together, and it only had one bed. So there were once sleeping bodies scrambled all across the room before they were woken up.

"No guys, this is serous. My computer had located Gundanium Alloy flying off into space."

"Could it be one of our Gundams?" questioned Quatre.

"No. I set Zero to go off if the garage door was opened of blasted off. So it has to be a different Gundam."

Duo's tiredness had gone away, and now he was interested. "Where is it right now?"

Heero told him a series of numbers and letters. Duo got up, and ran for the door. "Duo!" called Quatre. "Where are you going?"

"Probably to the Gundam that demolished the Oz base. We might as well follow him before he gets killed," answered Trowa.

They nodded and ran out the door as well.

Dr. B awoke to a cool liquid rolling down her face. Water? she thought. Opening her eyes, she saw the face of a woman, around the age of fifty, dabbing a washcloth on her forehead. "I'm glad your ok," she said with a smile. But B knew she wasn't really happy.

"Are you here willingly or captured?" she asked.

"I.. was kidnapped. Because, well because...."

"you have a relation towards Anni," she finished for her.

The woman looked down in remorse. "How is she? I haven't seen her for so long? Is she in trouble?" The woman paused. "I'm sorry, you have just woken up and here I am bombarding you with questions. I'm Maude. Maude Tanner."

Dr. B raised an eyebrow. "Tanner? You aren't the mother of Anni, or is the last name just a coincidence?"

"I took on her last name when we were living together. We were happy. When that man came and asked Anni for a job, I knew it was time for her to leave and explore the world on her own. That day was the last time I saw her, and my last day of freedom..."

Both women sat in silence for a couple minutes. Dr. B looked around her surroundings. She felt like they were holding her again. Actually, I am being held by them, she told herself. "How do you know Anni, Mrs....?"

"My name is Dr. B. I know Anni because I am her mentor in teaching her the ways of the Gundam."

"So she has fulfilled the desire of her father has she...."

Dr. B smiled. "Yes, she has."

"I'll kill them," said Anni. "I'll kill them all this time."

She was too busy concentrating on her target, that she didn't even notice the trace of Gundanium Alloy following her. Duo was quick to notice his enemy, but was smart enough to keep a good distance away. He was serious and nothing could take his mind away from chasing this guy down.

Revelation made a beeping noise, which confirmed that a Gundam is near. She gasped and placed on her sunglasses. After that, came the bandanna around her mouth and the backward black cap. She carefully placed her visible hair inside the bandanna. Duo's face appeared on the screen. "You murderer," he said.

Duo. I told you not to follow me.... "What are you talking about?"

"You killed a friend very dear to me... I must have revenge."

He thinks I'm dead! She hid a soft chuckle, but than remembered her mission. "Look, I don't have time to play any games. There are some issues I need to take care of." With that, she threw a light cracker in the air. It exploded, and blinded Duo with a glaring light. He flinched and tried to look through the explosion. It was no use.

During this time, Anni sped off into her direction, leaving Duo behind. Please don't look for me again, she thought. It hurts bad enough to look at you.

She was satisfied with the fact that she had lost him, and slowed down. The coordinates of her former hometown were drawing nearer. It would only be a matter of minutes...

Do you see that?" yelled Quatre as the light cracker lit up space.

"Could Duo have found that person?" asked Wufei.

"Let's get there first," said Trowa.

All of them rushed to the scene, to see Deathscythe just floating there. "Duo!" called Quatre. "Duo, are you all right?"

His image appeared on each of their screens. "Yeah. I'm just a little busted up. The guy got away."

"Could you see where he went?" asked Heero.

"No. It was too bright, and they're probably out of range by now. I'll get him another day."

The four pilots smiled.

"There's no problems in sector D," said the henchman into his walkie-talkie.

"Confirmed," the receiver said.

When he hung up, Anni punched him in the stomach, knocking him out. She shuffled in his pockets for some keys, but only found his identification card. "I better keep this," she said to herself.

Swiftly moving down the hallway more, voices were heard from around the corner. She pressed her body against the wall and held her breath. Two men and a woman passed her, completely unaware of her presence. She sighed and looked in front of her. The door had a sign on it that was labeled: Prisoner Hold.

Anni smiled at her luck.

Reaching into her pouch, she pulled out three explosives. Using her chewing gum, she placed them on the door, and ran for cover. Three seconds later, the door blew off. She ran through the smoke and found Dr. B. "Hey, I told you to tell me if anything bad happens to you," Anni scolded as she broke the lock. "Now, c'mon! Before the come!"
"You always were good at picking locks, my dear...." came a voice from the shadows.

Anni squinted her eyes to see better. But then they filled with tears. "Maude? MAUDE!!!" she rushed up to give the old woman a hug. "Oh! I thought I'd never see you again!"

"Enough chat, sweetie. We have to get out of here," Maude responded once free from the hug.

"Good idea," said Dr. B, who could already hear the soldiers shouts from the venelation shaft.

The three women ran down the hall, ducking into corners every now and then. Anni looked around her and thought that this seemed familiar. I know this place! It was the same hall that her parents ran down while escaping from the explosion. "C'mon! There should be an elevator here!" called Anni as she ran down the hall.

"How do you know that?" asked Dr. B.

"Trust me!"

She was correct. There was an elevator there. Both Maude and Dr. B were in the elevator, but Anni wouldn't go. "You two hijack a ship and get out of here; I have some business to take care of..."

"Anni!" begged Maude, "please don't! I already lost you once! Not again!"

Anni meekly smiled. "I'm sorry. If I don't end this now, it'll never end."

Dr. B nodded and hit the 'close' button. Anni turned around and ran, ignoring Maude's pleading screams.

She shot three soldiers and went to look at the map of the place on the wall. "Hmmm... so if I make a right here..."

"There he is!" a soldier yelled, and shot at her head. The bullet missed, but it did hit her hat, which went flying off. Her face was revealed. The soldier stared at her and reached for his walkie-talkie. "The intruder is Lady ----" he couldn't finish the rest on account that he was dead.

Placing her hat back on, she ran down the hall again. "Just the 'Lady' part of his talk let everyone knew who she was. "Damn," she said to herself.

When she turned around the corner, a bullet pierced her arm. She fell to the floor in pain, and looked up at the one who shot. It was Duo Maxwell. "Hah. Looks like I finally tracked you down."

"I don't want to hurt you..." she warned.

"I've heard that before. Mostly from my friend you killed!!" He fired twice more, only one scraped her cheek. He smiled. "You've got some skill to move like that when injured. BUT THAT WON'T BE ENOUGH!"

BANG! His gun went flying from his hand. Anni had brought out her own gun and shot his. Looking at him, defenseless, and seeing her with a loaded gun.... the temptation was too great. She threw her weapon down and ran away from him, despite the pain in her arm and the wanting to shoot him.

But he had caught up to her, and kicked her into a wall. She countered this by pushing herself off the wall, and into his stomach. While Duo was searching for some air, she was searching for a way out. I can't fight him or Rasam injured like this.....

Duo punched her square in the face, once recuperated. She fell down to the ground. Her body was weak, and she couldn't move. The braided pilot was moving in for the kill, but a couple dozen soldiers jumped him on. Rasam walked up to him and smiled. Than he walked up to Anni and crouched down beside her. "Thank you 02 for weakening this person. Now, she can't fight me back like she did before."

He brought her up on his shoulders. Anni was passed out cold by the time this was happening. Her bandanna fell from her face. "ANNI!!!!!!" yelled Duo.

He didn't know how to feel. Happy? Sad? Confused? Which one? Some many emotions to chose from that it was confusing. Suddenly, he found the right one; hurt. He had lead Anni to Rasam. He had also weakened her when she needed her strength the most. All he did was stare. He tried to talk, but he could only move his mouth. Duo looked at Anni hand his eyes fell to the ground. He couldn't bear to see Anni in such a weak and hurt position. Her eyes were closed, but her face was red from his punches. She was bleeding on her lip, and a bloody nose was forming. He couldn't take it. A tear fell from his eye, and mentally he said, "Anni.... I'm sorry."

The soldiers took Duo away. He didn't know where, and didn't quite care. He felt terrible. His body was thrown against the wall of a cold, dark cell. He just sat there, thinking and crying. How could he let that happen? Why did he do that? The soldier outside the cell pressed a button, and the bars were shocked with electricity. "Try getting through that," he said to Duo and walked away.

But Duo was in another world. He was thinking of what he should do. Actually, want would Anni want? He had found out that he had killed her father, so she probably wanted to stay away from him. He looked up through the bars. No guards. He managed to smile. "What idiots," he said and pulled some rubber gloves out of his jacket.

"We have to go back for her!!!!" cried Maude ad Dr. B pulled her into the ship. Before anything else, she closed and locked the door. "NOOOOO!!!!" yelled Maude as she began to pound on the door. "PLEASE DON'T DO THIS, B!!!!!!"

Dr. B was unaffected. She just didn't look at her. Maude's face was wet with tears. She was breathing heavy and trying to get the door open. Even with all her knowledge of unlocking doors, she couldn't open this one. B grabbed the joint stick and flew into the air. "We have to wait for her!!!" yelled Maude to Dr. B.

"She has her Gundam..."

"But what if.."

"Just don't think of the if's. Ok?" Dr. B looked at the woman. For a second she felt pity, and looked at the door. For a quick moment she was about to unlock it, but caught herself just in time. "No," she told herself.

Maude fell to the ground. She placed her head in between her legs and wept. "Anni... my Anni.."

The Gundam Pilots flew near the section of Earth where the hotel room was. "We'll be there soon, guys," said Quatre happily.

"Next time, try controlling your emotions, Maxwell," sighed Wufei. He was tired and not happy that he was woken up. No answer came after that, and he said, "Maxwell?"

All of the pilots turned around to see no Duo, no Deathscythe. "He... he didn't..." said Trowa.

Heero sighed. "He did."

"C'mon, we better go back and get him," said Quatre unhappily.

"But.... I wanted some sleep," complained Wufei. "Oh, I'm gonna kill you, Maxwell. Just you wait and see..."

Rasam looked through the window, and at his niece. She was lying down on a bed, still unconscious. He scowled and paced the room. "Can't we brainwash he subconsciously?" he asked his follower.

"No. If we do that that it will malfunction in an instant. She has to be able to know what's happening."

"Damn..." he paced the room around some more. Rasam looked back at Anni. He saw her leg slightly move. "Is she awake?"

The soldier typed in some numbers and looked at the screen. "He blood pressure and heart rate didn't change. It was probably a twitch."

He scowled once more, but then heard a beep. "Is she awake now?"

"Yes. Her blood pressure has returned to normal. Give her some time to understand what's happening..."

Anni opened her eyes and rubbed her cheek. God, Duo. Can't you hit a little lighter... Her stomach growled and she immediately clutched it. "Man, I'm either still hurting from Duo's hit, or hungry... probably both."

She looked around her and gasped. "Where... where am I?"

She ran up to the door and grabbed the handle. She was immediately shocked and fell to the ground. Anni sat up and looked at her hand. "Well that hurt...."

Rasam appeared on a television screen in front of her. He was smiling and looked amused. "Now that you know that you can't escape, maybe now you will listen to me."

"JUST LEAVE ME ALONE YOU BASTARD!" she cussed. Anni was tired of constantly being kidnapped by this guy.

He sighed and rolled his eyes. "Can't I finish a statement without you interrupting with a question?"

"NO!"

"Fine, then I'll just skip the explanation and move straight to the action. He snapped his fingers, and the door opened up. Three soldiers came in. Anni was about ready to beat them up, but before she reached them, she was shocked. They each had a rod that shocked anything it touched. They pulled her up, shocking her from time to time because she struggled, and took her into another room. Anni gasped and struggled even more, despite the shocks, when she saw the room. It was the very same one that they placed her in last time.... when she became a different person....