Chapter Twenty-Three
Splash
"Zechs…Zechs…you there?" Trowa's voice crackled.
Zechs staring at the screen in front of him—the first full view in person he'd had of the cannon. These guys were serious. And this time, there would be no back-lash. This thing would be able to fire consecutively. However, because of the distance from Earth, it would take much more time to travel to the Earth. If they could find a way to block it…
"CW reporting," Wufei's crackled. "We're ready to go."
Zechs snapped out of it and turned to answer Wufei. "Good. Launch in five minutes. We need you out there as soon as possible. Get the beam rifle out and take that thing out."
"Sir…mobile suits coming in at seven o'clock," a technician called out.
"Trowa," Zechs snapped into another com-link. "You find anything useful in those files?"
"I haven't really looked at them yet. However, from a superficial scan I think I've got evidence to convict about five politicians for illegal dealings."
Zechs growled. Normally that would be excellent news but right now they had to fight off mobile suits and take out the cannon.
"You find any extra mobile suits in the hanger?"
"A few, but not many. I think five got away right before we infiltrated the warehouse," Trowa said, not without annoyance.
"Pick enough pilots there to take those and come help. You too. We need to keep the air clear so Wufei can take out that cannon."
"10-4," Trowa said as he blipped out.
"Wufei, get moving. Have the other pilots keep your air clear so you can take that thing out. You've got the best aim and with that beam weapon, you should be able to get it before they get us."
"Right."
Zechs closed his eyes and pleaded with lady luck.
MWMWMWMW
Tai and Duo got into the compound with no trouble. The general population of Preventor's still hadn't been alerted to the situation.
Duo walked purposefully through the halls, and Tai in his borrowed uniform, a few inches too long, skulked quietly behind him.
"Duo?"
He knew that voice. Watching Duo's back, he knew that he recognized it too. Tai tried to decide if it would be better for him to turn and look or not.
"Relena! Hi! Imagine seeing you here!" Duo chirped up, whirling around and putting a friendly arm around her.
Kiki and Marcus, standing on either side of Relena, looked startled.
When Relena saw Tai, she froze. Tai figured he had better do some fast thinking.
"I'm not a Preventor. Duo lent me this to get me inside unnoticed," he explained in a rush. Then he stopped to calm himself and keep his voice calm and unperturbed. It wasn't like him at all to loose his cool.
But Relena's shoulders relaxed. "I didn't think it would make sense for you to have joined them. Besides, I don't know how you could have found the time for it, with school," she said pleasantly, but her eyes had an odd gleam….
"What are you doing here Duo?" she said again.
"Well…you see….I'm helping out with this little project…."
Relena cocked an eyebrow at the young man now a few paces away from her. "It wouldn't happen to have anything to do with a little rebellion we're having right now would it?"
Duo grinned wider. "Can't get anything past you!" he said playfully slapping his knee. "Now, if you'll just let me be on my way…."
"No. Take me with you. I want to be able to speak with my brother."
Duo sighed. "I'm not gonna be able to talk you out of this, am I?" At the cold stare Relena gave him he nodded. "Alright. But you're gonna have ta be a good girl and not touch anything, 'kay?" he said with the falsely questioning air he gave to his children that still distinctly said, "I'm in charge here."
But Relena nodded and they all continued down the hall.
"Just out of curiosity, why are you here Tai?" Marcus asked as they got into an elevator.
"That's none of your concern," Tai answered flatly without looking over. Kiki was watching them with obvious interest.
"None of my concern? I beg to differ. I've been highly involved in this little project for quite some time and I think it is my concern if some civilian could screw something up."
The doors opened and Duo led them down a small hallway that opened into the side of the main construction room and up to the operation rooms. There were some rickety corrugated steel steps and railings that formed a platform between the too where they came in.
"If you didn't know about me, then you obviously weren't that much in the know," Tai said unperturbed.
But it was Relena who answered and made his blood turn cold. "What do you mean?" she said quietly.
Then he looked down. "I'm sorry Relena but Zechs needed help, so I gave it. He had no one else with the experience or the level of understanding and trust that he could delegate this project to," Tai told her.
"Trust with what?" Marcus asked harshly.
"I wrote the OS."
MWMWMWM
"They're coming fast sir. They're doing a good job keeping us away from Mars," said his connection from the main ship.
Zechs glanced at a screen to his far left; it mapped out the entire battle area having downloaded information from the big ship. The enemy had been pouring out of four surrounding colonies, attempting to block them from Mars path to Earth. "Well, it's official. That must be some kind of launcher on Mars. Makes sense-it's a steady anchor to put a monstrous gun. That was one of the weaknesses of the one we had in the White Fang. Because it was on a ship, and not on something like a planet, it was unsteady, couldn't be as big as we wanted it. On Mars, there'd be no limit," a commander near Zechs said, unnecessarily. But nobody even looked up, they were too focused on their jobs.
Zechs paused to think a moment. "SATO!" he yelled at his contact.
"Yes sir?"
"Status on the ship?" his eyes were darting over his many displays.
"We have two down, sir."
"What!" Zechs swore spectacularly. How could that be? "Are the pilots alive?"
"I'm not sure sir. But their autopilots have kicked in and are repairing some damage. I think they must have been jarred and knocked unconscious, unless they lost their oxygen supply," Sato told him.
"Wufei," Zechs said over a link, "You almost there? We need this down now!"
"Don't worry. I won't let such weaklings destroy the Earth!" Wufei characteristically yelled over the link.
"Zechs," Trowa said over another link.
Answering in his usual curt voice, Zechs said, "Yes?"
"We've secured two of the colonies."
"Good. Keep on working."
"Well, we've reached a little hitch…"
Zechs groaned inwardly. "What kind of little hitch?" he asked warily.
"They're threatening to destroy the other two colonies."
Considering for a moment, Zechs answered succinctly, "Keep skirting around them. I want to see if I can get a ship back in here. If we can get it going again, then we can send someone over there and into a colony and disarm them. They probably have it linked to some central computer system. If we can figure out which of the colonies that is on, then we can get it and shut if off."
"Well, we have one from either side. They were both just huge warehouses and building compounds. Do you have any pictures of the others?" Trowa asked.
"Let me look into that."
MWMWMWMW
"How's it looking?" Duo asked as he walked into the room.
"Not so good. We're suffering quite a bit. They keep coming and coming. And now they say they'll blow up a couple colonies while they're at it," a young technician said, exasperated. "The Colonel is looking for a way to sneak in and disarm it but they're already having trouble getting though to blast the cannon away."
"Let me look at it," Tai said, elbowing his way to the computer. He scanned it a couple times. "Do you have any of the simulators still hooked up?"
"Yes. We have all five in the back room," the young man said quickly.
"With full video cameras and comm. links?" Tai pressed.
The man looked confused, but answered anyway. "Yes. Exact working duplicates of the shuttles, to practice with the OS on."
"Do you have any telephone cable?"
Understanding dawned. "I'll get some now!" and he sprinted away.
"Are you suggesting what I think you are?" Duo asked from behind him.
Tai didn't look but seated himself at the computer and began setting up a com link.
Duo groaned. "You are insane, man. I keep telling you that and you never get it. Geesh!" he yelled, throwing up his hands. "Why do I even bother?"
"No. I don't think you're going to do anything," and unfamiliar voice said. Everyone who didn't have heavy earphones on turned to see one of the operators holding Relena at gun point. "Get away from the computer, slowly. And keep your hands in the air where I can see them."
Tai flinched at the close proximity of the man to Relena. The man could grab her if he wanted to from his range. But he was watching Tai and Duo carefully. Tai let his hand brush along the desk, grabbing something and carefully held it in the crease of his palm and he raised his hands.
"We knew it. We knew there had to be a leak somewhere," Marcus growled in frustration.
"Naturally," the man said with unpleasant condescension. "Now, keep walking toward the door."
"You know, last time someone held Relena at gunpoint, the attacker ended up with two holes in their body," Tai said calmly.
Duo nodded vigorously, catching on. "I don't like bad guys attackin' pretty ladies after all…" he trailed off suggestively.
But the man snorted. "What can you do from over their, eh? NOTHING!"
"Are you so sure?" Duo queried, moving a step closer to the man.
He looked slightly panicked and made to grab Relena, but Tai was faster. In a millisecond, Tai had rushed on him and flung a pen at the man's gun hand. It pierced the skin between his thumb and forefinger causing him to yell and drop the weapon. Tai grabbed the man and flung him to the floor, catching him in a secure choke hold, arm swept around his neck from the back, elbow aligned with the man's chin.
"I guess we forgot to tell you that Tai here was her attacker the first time," Duo said from behind with relish. Marcus made a choking sound from behind.
The man sputtered and gagged for breath. "Is there anything you would like to tell us" Tai asked.
Struggling to shake his head no, Tai pulled harder. "Are you sure" Duo prodded.
By now Tai's captive was turning blue. "The le-ft…" the man choked out. Tai loosened his hold slightly. "I'm sorry, what was that"
"The…moth..er station is cough on the left."
Duo by now had some electrical ties and came to relieve Tai of his burden, binding him to one of the steel railings.
"Okay, well, let's get moving" Duo said cheerfully.
They both ran to the simulators and began running the telephone wires from the simulators to the main station. A few minutes later Zechs was yelling at them, wondering what was going on.
"Zech, Tai…"
"You mean Heero" Tai told corrected him.
Duo looked confused, but shrugged and answered anyway"I mean, Heero and I are here and we thought we might make a couple make-shift mobile dolls. Can you hook us up" Duo asked.
"We don't have any suits to spare. We've already lost three pilots."
"Au contraire mon frere. Remember? The have self repair systems and you've had mechanics working on them correct? If you can get those working Heero and I can take care of the rest."
Zechs was quiet a minute, thinking. "Give me a few minutes to determine the status of the suits. I'll get back to you."
By now Marcus was looking ready to explode. "He can't pilot anything! He's just a civilian"
Tai didn't even look up as he continued to play around with the simulators.
Duo just laughed and Relena looked like she was going to be ill. Kiki looked as though she was furiously interested but pretending not to be. She had been uncommonly silent, excepting occasional kicks to the ribs of the spy.
A few minutes later Zechs came back on-line. "We've got you set up. You'll both be working on the same ship. Do what you can."
"Great, oh yah, we got a little tip that the colony we want is the left one" Duo told him.
"Thanks. You take care of that cannon. We'll get the colony."
"Make sure you got someone good"
"Trowa good enough"
"Excellent."
Turning back to the simulators, Duo clapped his hands. "Aaaaaalrighty then. Let's get this show on the road" he said as he jumped in. Tai quietly climbed up in his and began to set some things up.
"So who's pilot" Duo asked nonchalantly.
"Me."
"Hell no! I am! I've been piloting a lot more than you have. You're all rusty."
"Then why did you ask" Tai asked, deadpan.
"Well, I thought that I'd be polite and I figured you had brains enough to let me do it."
"To bad. You asked."
"You can't do that"
"Watch me."
"Hey but you've got better aim than me, right" Duo tried to flatter him.
"Hey Zechs, you sure you can't get another ship running. I don't know if I can take piloting with this bozo again" Tai said into the comm.
"Hey! Who you callin' bozo" Duo sputtered.
"They're like little kids" Kiki muttered from the background, a hand pinching her forehead.
It was just then that Tai realized Relena was still there, looking at him. "Good luck Relena," he smiled. Obviously she wouldn't just stand there and watch him and Duo work. She was mostly likely planning on something.
He was listening hard for an operator to finish the wireless hook-up to the plane. Suddenly Relena cried out his name, his old name, and ran over to him. She roughly pushed the headset away from his face and kissed him soundly. Tai temporarily forgot where he was and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her closer. He hadn't realized that his hands had been shaking slightly before, but holding her stilled them. Somewhere in the back of his mind he vaguely hoped that this steadiness would continue into his piloting.
It was Duo's voice that reminded him what he was doing a minute later. He hadn't even heard the operator come back and report that he'd be connected. Relena was much more absorbing.
"Heero, eh? You're starting to confuse us all!" Duo exclaimed. "Can't you just decide on a friggin' name?"
Still looking at Relena, eyes sparkling a little, he answered, "It is a code name, remember?"
"Right. You ready?" Duo wondered.
"Prepare yourself," Tai said ominously as Relena looked back one last time and fled from the room.
He felt a small jerk as he took command of flying, the battlefield popped up on the screens.
"You got it?" Duo asked.
"Yup."
"Great. Let's get rid of these bastards." Duo let out a blood curdling battle cry they flew straight through a huddle of three mobile suits.
MNMNMNMN
Relena kept her eyes focused on the empty hallway in front of her as she walked as quickly as her injured leg allowed. Marcus and Kiki kept close on her heels.
"Relena, what's going on?" Marcus demanded.
"I've got to make a statement about this. I've got to stop this whole thing before anyone dies…before….before Tai has to kill anyone."
"About that, you feel like enlightening us? Who is he?" Marcus's face was exhibiting the ripple of anger he felt as he flushed red.
Relena smiled sadly as she hit a button in an elevator, different from the one that let them up from the garage. "A very kind boy with a very unfortunate fate."
She sighed as the elevator opened again. "Marcus, I need you to set up a press conference room for me, so I can…make a statement…."
"Only if you tell me who Tai Iwasato really is," he said stubbornly as they got off the elevator. Kiki had remained quiet the entire time, and though she kept her face down it was shining with curiosity and protectiveness.
Relena sighed. He'd asked for it, well, he was going to get it. "What part do you want to know? That he's a brother, son, uncle, best friend, and a lover? That he's a medical student? That he's brilliant and there's nothing he isn't capable of?" Then hot, angry tears began to roll down her cheeks. "That he was kidnapped before he can even remember? That his family searched for him fruitlessly while he was trained to be an assassin? That he was used and manipulated to become a mass murderer at age fifteen? That he killed a plane full of pacifists accidentally? That he survived leukemia and saved his twin's life from terrorists? What else do you want to know? All his names? All his faces? What do you want?"
Kiki and Marcus were staring at her opened mouthed then Marcus shut his in disbelief. "If he was really all that I'd have heard of him!" he said stubbornly.
"Well, guess what, you have! Gundam Pilot Zero One!" She glared at Marcus as her words sunk in. Her fists were shaking at her sides. She hadn't lost it like that in public for a while now. "Now get me that conference," she whispered icily.
Marcus was completely still, his face white. Kiki look thoughtfully at the ground.
"Did you hear me?" Relena asked again in the same deadly whisper.
"Hey, what's that down there?"
"Something's powering up—it's on my infrared."
"I can't get through!"
"There're too many!"
"Heero! What's wrong with you? Hit the darn cockpits!" Duo yelled over the other pilots talking amongst themselves.
"No. I won't kill anyone if I can avoid it."
"And how exactly are they going to live, floating around space with dead suits? They're gonna die anyway!" Duo yelled. "You're being too careful when you aim! It's taking too much time. Just blast them all already!"
Tai had taken the beam cannon and shot a safe distance below the mobile suit's feet in order to preserve the cock pits, then he shot the hands until they were useless.
"Quit playing a saint!"
"I won't kill again," Tai said firmly.
"You're mental. They'll kill us!"
"Will you two quit bickering? We've got to come up with a plan, to break their ranks otherwise they'll finish whatever they've got on Mars," Wufei yelled at them having made his way over. "It's looking awfully hot down there."
"Wufei actually wants to play with someone else? This is new!" Duo snapped.
But before Wufei could respond to Duo, Tai's voice interrupted. "Quit arguing both of you. We'll never get anywhere like this. We're doing exactly what we were doing in the Eve Wars-being too independent. We've got to come up with a unified strategy, as much as I hate to say that."
"Well, I happen to like being independent, because then I can actually hit my targets!" Duo yelled, obviously aiming his remark at Tai, who had just shot the arm off another suit. He, as the driver, couldn't do anything.
"Stuff it, Duo," Wufei responded. "What do you want us to do, Heero?" Duo groaned. Wufei would listen to Tai.
"Um…well…they're obviously blocking us from Mars," he said suddenly very sharply. He had a plan. "Duo and I will barrel through. They'll start flying at you, Wufei, so then you need to fly after us and fill up the hole we've made so that we don't get caught. AL can cover you from behind."
"I changed my mind. Heero, you drive. I want that stupid gun so we can hit the thing!" Duo sounded pouty.
"No, Heero's got the best aim. If anyone can hit that thing from this distance, it'll be him," Wufei reasoned.
"Yah, and he's been doing a great job tonight," Duo grumbled. "He's nearly killed us about ten times!"
"But he's beat every suit without a single casualty," Wufei said quietly, respect evident in his voice. "Okay, let's go. Duo, Heero—NOW!" Wufei yelled, impatient to get going.
Duo turned the shuttle—he'd been going the opposite direction to throw the enemy off. He spiraled through the center of the suits pushing his acceleration to the max. Tai covered them the best he could with the guns. Tai couldn't see anyone in front of him—he didn't take the time to look.
Pulling out his scope, he focused on Mars, scanning the planet. There was nothing. Flipping a button, he switched to infrared. There was a huge bright red area a little to the left of the center of his scope.
"AIIIIIIII!" he heard Duo yelling behind him. If he hadn't been fighting for his life, he would have laughed at his partner. "I think I'm gonna puke! How many g's d'ya think that was?"
"I don't know," Tai said distractedly, not really listening. He was locked on. "Preparing to fire. Brace yourself."
"Hurry with that already! They're coming in!" Duo said panicked.
Tai centered it, then he heard it.
The blast threw the ship to the right and Duo swore. "They took out my side."
"That would have killed you if you'd really been there," Tai whispered. His brain had frozen. If they had been there they would have died. Duo, a father and husband, would have left his family forever.
"Hey, you guys awake? What's going on!" Wufei yelled.
"Man, I don't know—one just came out no where!" Duo was yelling back.
"I know that. I saw it. I couldn't get there in time. Heero's side should still be fine. Why isn't the ship moving?"
"Heero, what's up? You okay?" Duo had come over and shook Heero's shoulder.
But Tai didn't hear him. He was staring straight ahead, his fingers automatically flying.
Duo gasped softly. "Wufei, I think he's gone again…."
"What do you mean "gone again"?"
…..again…again…aGaIn…AgAiN…AGAiiin…
A dark, indiscriminate haze…why thank you mister, that was nice of you to bring my boy a drink, you gonna thank him boy?
Tank you…
You're most welcome. Hehe, that's pretty cute kid you got there.
Thanks. Rough hand on his head, a large grin. Gee thanks mister…thanks…for….
Screaming…more screaming…where…
He followed the dark hallway, the light was impossibly far away. Where was it coming from. He had to stop it.
There was a little boy strapped to a table…the man was close to him. The boy's eyes were bright and alive. He was terrified. He made to grab the man and push him away but fell through to the ground.
Me!
Odin! Oooodin! Why wasn't he saving the boy! Odin was supposed to save him!
Wait…of course…
A ball of metal took away his soul. Or was it the paper pieces that did that? The ones with old faces, wrinkled and used up. Pruny.
A mechanical arm pulled him away. For science, why science, why not mankind? Why not peace? Of mind?
I mind, oh do I ever mind. Why did that happen…why did I let it happen.
The dark oppressing form slipping into the dark room. Why is everything so dark.
"Heero, Heero man! Can you hear me! You in there?"
Why this?
A little girl huddled in a corner.
"What you doing here boy?" she said in a deep voice, scratchy and melancholy. No child has eyes like that. As if the world is enveloped in them but they glace over the present.
"What's that in you hands?" she asked.
He looked down to see a nebula, stars, an entire universe. "I borrowed it from a girl in white. Why, do you want one?"
"Oh that's alright. I had one but I sold it. Pretty useless if you ask me. Oh, here he comes again." And she lays down on the floor to await her whipping. Maybe that's what he was for, a whipping boy.
I'll be your whipping boy.
Was that boy ever…cold…red…black….
You want a flower? No it dissolves in my hands—I sold my nebula. I was supposed to be your whipping boy but I whipped you…that wasn't very nice of me was it?
I wasn't supposed to let that happen, and it's my fault you have glazed woman's eyes that see nothing. It's my fault your nebulas stars are worthless—I took it and traded it for a kind word that never came, empty empty hope.
But what is that...white…light…
He squinted his eyes, the dark was too dark and the light too light. Smile, love, look up a yellow flower girl knows you.
It wasn't a light, it was a girl in bright, bright white, above that of noon-day sun. His arms went out as a dark wraith made for her. Never….
I'll be your whipping boy, forever, never never never never never ever ever ever never neverneverneverneverneverevereverevernever….
A starburst, it's so pretty…golden and white and pure, yet powerful and awful and most jealous….above the noon-day sun, that's what it is…that's what it's for…
"Surrender yourselves," Zechs voice came over the intercom, shielding his eyes from the bright blast. "Come peacefully and we can minimize casualties."
A/N Sorry this has taken so very, very long. But I think I only have one chapter left and it's almost finished. I've just been so busy—and I just got busier but I will finish it! I promise. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I apologize ahead of time for my atrocious spelling, grammar, etc. I don't have a beta right now and write like I speak sometimes, my accent coming through. Sorry about that. I'll try and get the last one out soon. Thank you for readying! Toodles for now, Tygerlilee ;