AN: This is my next chapter… hope you like it! I haven't had time to plan this one though…so, this chapter will go along as I write…could be bad…
Chapter Two – Protection"We'll go ahead and contact a rescue team," said Sally pulling out a phone from her back pocket. Quatre and Ari were heading back, as her father's jet zoomed above them. The whole gang stayed silent as they pondered at what happened.
It was a peculiar thing. Nothing has happened like this for two years now. Actually, as far as they know, there hasn't been an existing mobile suit since two years ago. In the distance, there was a faint sound of helicopter blades.
Relena looked up, and in the dots of light, a gray object hovered towards them. As it neared them, it became clear that it was a helicopter come to rescue them.
"Here they come," said Duo.
Sally turned to Ari, face concerned. "Where's your father?" She yelled over the helicopter's sound.
"He…he left," she replied.
"Was that his jet that passed by a minute ago?"
"Yes…um…he probably thought I was on it already." There was doubt in her voice.
"Do you want to contact him?" She handed out a cell phone.
Ari nodded, taking it into her hands. The helicopter gently landed, sweeping dirt and dust across the group's faces. Relena climbed in first, with the help of Heero, who climbed in second. The rest followed, cramping themselves into the small compartment.
Sally and Ari were left, as Ari waited impatiently on the line. "Is he picking up?" Sally asked.
"No," replied Ari, "the signal's probably lost." For a moment there, she almost believed her lie.
"Well, we can't leave you here. Climb aboard."
The two remaining joined the stuffed group, as the helicopter hovered above the ground. "Where we headed?" The pilot asked, focused on the horizon.
"Head to the lab station," replied Relena, "we need to examine what happened here, and do something before pandemonium breaks loose."
The helicopter's blades turned rapidly, heading to the central part of town. They all sat quietly, strong winds blowing at their intent faces.
The station was surrounded by many of the government buildings. It was hidden beneath its tall neighbors. The pilot spotted the helicopter pad on the roof, and smoothly headed for ground. The eight of them hurried out, heading inside.
The station was an open building, many pipes and tubes along the walls. The roof was high above the many machines laying on the tiled ground below. In the center stood a small staircase, which led to a narrow platform. On it were many computers, and monitors lighted by the red laser underneath.
Without saying a word to each other, the group ran though the vast area, heading to the narrow platform. The walls echoed with their footsteps and anxious breaths.
Sally sat in the middle, facing a huge monitor, which switched on to reveal green grid-lines. Slowly, as she typed on the raised buttons, an outline of a picture appeared. Gradually, it cleared to reveal an event that happened just hours before.
A mobile was stooped over pummeling on a huge column of poles. Sally zoomed in on the picture. The pixels adjusted to the new size, as she repeated the same process five times. The only part of the picture to be seen now were the printed numbers on the shoulder of the mobile suit.
"Look at this," said Sally. They all huddled together around Sally, searching for what she pointed out.
"These numbers," continued Sally, "are not familiar with the database. These models are not from here. And look," she shifted the picture to the right, "this is obviously a doll."
Ari squeezed through, and squinted her eyes at the picture. "Can I see the numbers again?" The picture shifted to left. She looked intently at it, mouthing something in her head. She repeated the numbers out loud, "40T32, why does that sound so familiar?"
She searched through her mind, and gasped as she figured it out. "That code is similar to Centauri's models!" They all looked at her.
She stared back at them. "Centauri is an old rival of Polaris's. Only one could come to Earth when we both resided on the asteroid, Trumek. We obviously one that fight, so it makes sense that they are attacking us. But that was years ago, why are they attacking now?"
"So," said Heero, arms crossed, "what you're basically saying is that Centauri is coming out of the blue, destroying many lives and buildings, to take revenge on Polaris?"
"Um…I guess," she replied.
Before anyone could reply, Relena noticed a call coming through the screen. She pressed a button, and the picture blinked. It was blank for a few seconds, until the President's face popped up.
His hair was dark with traces of gray, combed back to cover baldness. Small spectacles rested on the bridge of his sharp nose. His green eyes slanted slightly, wrinkles covering his face. As he spoke, his thin lips crawled along his skin.
"We have been able to trace your location. Do you have my daughter?" He asked, voice flowing with formality.
Ari faced the screen and faced her father. "Ah, Ari," he began, "I'm glad you are safe. You are in the hands of good people, I believe. They were the ones who helped Earth be what it is today."
The group looked sheepishly at him, except Heero, Trowa, and Wufei. "Are you coming to get me?" Ari asked.
"Unfortunately, I'm sure you've figured it out, but those were Centauri models. I don't know what they're doing here, but I need you to be safe for at least two weeks, until we figure it out."
"What do you want me to do?"
"Everyone, I ask you a favor to take her into custody for the designated time frame."
"You mean, as in her bodyguards?" Duo asked.
"Yes. We will come for her afterwards. Two weeks is plenty enough time for my colleagues to figure out what's going on. Now, I ask of you another favor: do not look into this anymore. Leave it to us, I don't want any interference. Forget what you already know, and leave it to us to remember. Is this understood?"
They answered in agreement, and the President switched off, leaving the screen blank again.
"Well, you heard him," said Sally, eyeing Ari curiously, "you're under our custody now."
"Are we all gonna protect you together?" Quatre asked.
"You mean take turns in keeping her alive?" Trowa said, in his bland voice.
"That can't be, we can't just throw her from place to place, treating her like some type of object," replied Relena.
"So what do you propose we do?" Asked Wufei, irritancy unnoticed in his voice.
"Only one person should keep her," said Heero, "and I'm not going to be the one responsible for her."
"I can't do it," said Duo, "I promised Hilde that I was gonna help her with some operations stuff involving old machinery used in the war."
"Once word spreads on the whole attack, the government's going to be the one responsible to keep things in order," said Relena, "I'm needed."
"I can't leave Catherine alone to take care of the circus," said Trowa, still no emotion in his voice.
"Well, I don't care what your dad says, but I'm heading to Polaris HQ, to look more into this," said Sally.
"And I'm just as interested as her," said Wufei.
The party turned to look at Quatre, who shifted in his position. "I'm not busy," he replied to their stares.
"Well, then, it's settled," said Duo, "you, girl, are staying with good ol' Quatre."
"My companions at my house will come to get me tomorrow, Ari," said Quatre, "is that okay?"
"Yeah," she replied, "it's fine."