WARNING: THIS IS MY LONGEST CHAPTER EVER!
Yes it's long. My disclaimer? Right. The writer doesn't own Gundam...blah blah blah, the end!
After Eve Gundam Wing: A New Heero
Chapter Thirty-Six
"Umm, sir, you better take a look at this," said a voice box in Vance's office. He had been sitting, meditating, when the disturbance arose.
"What is it?" growled Vance back at the box on his desk. "It better be important."
"It's the Gundams," said the same person. "All five Gundams are...walking up to our base. One of the pilots is waving a white flag."
Vance immediately arose from his desk. "I'm on my way."
Within a minute, Vance had hurried to the air traffic control tower, and he stood behind one of the soldiers looking out over the horizon. "They're about a mile away sir," said the officer. He gave Vance a pair of binoculars, and Vance focused on the five approaching Mobile-Suits.
He saw Jin standing on the cockpit hatch of Wing Zero as it walked, apparently on auto-pilot, in the lead. He was holding up his ornate katana with a white flag tied to it. "Give me the radio soldier," said Vance. He took the small speaking device.
"This is Colonel Vance, calling to the Gundams," he said. "Do you read me?" He looked back out and saw Jin reenter his cockpit.
"This is Jin Yuy, pilot of Wing Zero," replied Jin. "As you can see, we do not desire a fight. We wish to talk to you Vance. That's merely it."
"Very well Jin," said Vance. "We'll send out an escort MS to lead you into a secure hangar for your Gundams."
"It could be a trap," said Max from behind. "They could just be trying to sabotage us or something."
"Not likely," said Vance. "Jin isn't the type to win something by false intentions or lying. You of all people should know that he favors a fair fight. He let you go after your last encounter because you couldn't fight back." Max grunted and turned around to leave.
"Make sure we send them a manned-suit and not a Mobile Doll," said Vance. "They wouldn't like that."
The Gundams made it safely to the hangar and exited their Gundams. On the ground, they were met by ten armed guards. "Quite the welcoming committee," said Stephen. "I get the feeling they don't trust us."
"We have orders from the Commander to not let you try anything while on your visit to the Colonel," said one of the guards. "We'll take you to his office."
The ten led the five pilots down the many corridors of the base for several minutes. They were walking a while when Stephen asked. "Are we sure we can trust these guys? I mean, they're all armed, and they outnumber us 2 to 1. They could kill us all right now."
"Believe me," said another guard. "The thought is crossing my mind, so be a good boy and don't do anything foolish."
"It's to be expected Stephen," said Kreed. "We're in the enemy's territory, so they make the rules, and we have to abide by them, even if we don't like it, or else, like he said, we'll get hurt."
They arrived in front of the office door, and one of the guards stopped them. "This is his office. Now, I can't allow anyone in without removing their weapons first." Everyone looked at Jin. He was blatantly wearing his katana and two handguns on his belt. "I'm going to have to take your guns and sword Jin."
"And I'm gonna have to say 'NO'."
"Give me your weapons Yuy," said another officer. "You'll get them back as soon as you're leaving."
"Better idea," said Jin. "I'll keep the weapons, and then I won't kill you all as I'm leaving. Sounds fair to me."
The guard hit Jin in the chest with the butt of his gun, and Jin fell backwards against the wall. "JIN!" screamed Rachel. She tried to run to help him up, but another guard held a gun to her head.
"Move and I blow your head off," he said. The other guard punched him again in the chest very hard, hard enough that everyone heard a resounding crack. Jin stood up slowly.
"Worst move you'll ever make," said Jin, "is not hurting me, but trying to hurt one of my friends." Jin rolled under the guard's legs that had punched him, and unsheathed his katana. He came up right behind the officer that held Rachel at gunpoint and held the katana hard against his neck at the side, and he held one of his handguns at the forehead of the one who'd broken his ribs.
No one else had been able to see it or react. Jin was so fast, that no one else had drawn their weapon. He was in control. "Lower your guns, both of you," commanded Jin. The guards did as they were told. "Good boys." He sheathed his weapons.
"All of you are fired," said Vance. They all turned and saw him walking down the hall at them. "I saw everything. You were supposed to bring them all here unharmed." Jin spit a mouthful of blood on the floor. "Obviously someone was harmed."
"But sir, I was just trying to get-
"No excuses private," said Vance. "Leave, all of you. I don't want you in my sight. You're lucky Jin isn't trigger happy."
The guards all turned tail and left. "You may all enter my office," said Vance. "Jin, I'll get you to the medical labs."
"No," said Jin. "I'm fine...I think. Let's just get inside and finish this."
"But your ribs," said Vance, "they're broken."
"I'll be fine," said Jin. "Come on."
"Very well," replied Vance. "If it makes you feel safer, you may keep your weapons. I am unarmed myself." He led them all into his office, and he sat down in his chair behind the desk. Jin leaned against the wall. Every breath he took in was short and painful. It was obvious that he certainly was in need of the medical attention.
"So what brings you children to my base today?" asked Vance smoothly. The pilots all looked at him incredulously. He seemed to be truly clueless.
"Maybe you can tell us what the hell you did today," said Kreed. "Why in the hell would you destroy our home?!"
"Do what?" asked Vance in surprise.
"You know what," said Anita.
"Our home," added Stephen. "You destroyed it."
"The house on the beach?" asked Vance.
"That's it," said Kreed. "It was your missiles. And now Howard is dead because of you."
"So are you happy Vance?" asked Anita. "There was no reason to attack an old man's home like that."
"I assure you that I authorized no use of our cannons today," said Vance.
"Well check your records or something," said Jin, "because Howard's home is incinerated... And before that a group of your new Mobile Dolls had attacked Varsity too."
"That's absurd," said Vance. "No one's supposed to have seen the new Gemini suits. They're practically still in development. We haven't even completed them all."
"Well they were complete enough to do some damage to Varsity," said Stephen. "They're pretty clever, those new Dolls."
Vance picked up his phone, and he spoke into it. "This is Colonel Vance," he said. "I need to find out if any Mobile Doll troops were sent out today...There was...Who was leading the attack?...Lieutenant Blanc...Has he and the Gemini returned yet?...No?" Vance looked up at Jin.
"That would be our doing," said Jin with a smirk. "Talented Dolls, but not good enough."
"Not surprised," said Vance. "Who signed for the attack on Varsity?...Max?... And was our weapon used today?... Two missiles... Who approved of this? MAX?" Vance slammed the phone down on its hook so hard that it cracked.
"Sounds like there's some dissent amongst your ranks," said Stephen.
"I can't believe he did this," said Vance. "He attacked Varsity, and then your house without reason."
"You mean to tell me..." said Jin, "that your Commander Max Marquis did all this on his own without your approval?..." Vance nodded while looking out over the ocean from his window. "You have to be joking."
"GUARD!" shouted Vance. An officer immediately entered his office. "Bring me the Commander. I want him here immediately. If, for any reason, he doesn't comply, you may shoot him on sight. Tell him I said that."
The man saluted and left. "Pathetic," said Jin. "You can't even keep...your officers in line. You may have...military superiority, but you can't lead your people very well."
"You're right Jin," said Vance. "I guess I'm not very good at this kind of thing."
"Oh just can the bull shit!" shouted Jin suddenly. "What kind of a monster are you?!...You are... the biggest hypocrite... that I've known! You didn't seem to have any moral values when you killed my parents ad started this unholy war...but now you think you do? What the hell is wrong with you?"
"Jin, I am in no way proud of any of the things I have done," said Vance. "I'm no proud of having killed your parents, or any of the other pilots. I'm not proud of starting this war. I'm not proud of where the war's going. And I'm not proud of having abandoned my family..."
"Father," said Rachel.
"Please don't call me that Rachel," said Vance. "You're better off like your brother. Forget you even know me. I'm not worthy of being your parent."
"That's nonsense," said Rachel. "Father, you have to fix the wrongs you've done, instead of just feeling sorry about them. If you want things to get better, you have to do something about it."
"Rachel, I don't think I can just fix everything like it never happened," said Vance. "Why do you continue to try and talk me out of this?"
"Because, though you've done some horrible things, I still love you, and I don't want to see you in such a terrible state anymore," said Rachel.
"How can you love me?" asked Vance.
"I'll always love you," said Rachel. "That's why I want you to stop this war. Only you can stop it. If you don't stop this war on your own, it will go on and on, until there's nothing left to fight for."
"Why do you bother going on with this war?" asked Jin. "Is it for revenge? Are you...trying to avenge your wife's death or something from all of this?"
"That's how it all started," said Vance. "When they took her away from me, all I could think of was revenge and getting back at those who killed my wife. But now... I don't even no why I continue on. It all seems pointless for revenge. Revenge only breeds more war and death..." Vance took in a deep breath. "And I just realized...that it was my own desire for revenge that started your own Jin. I caused another person to fell the same feelings I had. You and I... We're both fighting to avenge our family. The difference is though, that you did nothing to me, and I was the one who cause your desires for revenge..." Vance stood up again. "I'm sorry Jin... I know that will never fill the hole in your life that I left, but I'm so sorry for putting you through this. No one should have to feel the way we do. But in my blindness... I put the same desire of hatred and revenge in other people's lives."
"You wanted to see me sir," said Max as he entered. He immediately realized the situation at hand. His eyes locked into Jin's for a moment, until he looked up at Vance, just as his face was hit by Vance's fist. The blown knocked him into the wall.
"I see you know," said Vance as he picked himself up.
"Of course I know!" shouted Vance. "Did you think I'd never find out?"
"You are in deep shit now man," said Stephen.
"Why did you use the Gemini and the Weapon?" asked Vance. Max didn't answer quick enough. Vance held him up against the wall by his collar. For being considerably older than Max, he seemed to be pretty strong.
"That house on the beach is the enemy," said Max. "It's where they keep the Gundams. I thought that I was merely doing my job in taking out the enemy stronghold."
"The Gundams weren't even there and you knew it," said Vance. "You knew they were still at the TAC base all week."
"So?" said Max. "It's still an enemy."
"You bastard," said Anita. "You killed my only father figure, and all you can say is because he was an enemy?"
"What about Varsity?" asked Kreed. "They are civilians, and your Mobile Dolls attacked the defenseless city for no reason. Many innocent people died, and they have nothing do with the war."
"That was a little different," said Max with a grin. Vance slowly let him down. "The primary target of the Mobile Dolls wasn't the city. It was you guys. I knew you were gonna be flying home, and I had them attack Varsity, a spot conveniently on your way back to your beach house."
"Well, your Gemini failed to complete their mission," said Rachel. "They lost to us. We destroyed them and Lieutenant Blanc."
"Please," said Max. "I wasn't actually expecting them to destroy you guys. All I had to do was give that idiot my old Mobile Suit and the mission orders and he charged in, thinking he could win, unaware of my true intentions."
"It was a diversion," said Jin. "You...sent them there... to distract us. You were keeping us away from home...while your missiles hit.'
"Bingo."
"You..." said Anita. "You...You Coward!"
"I've already told you," said Max. "In war, anything goes."
"Max, pack all your things and leave this base," said Vance. "You're fired."
"What?'
"I said it clearly," replied Vance. "Get out of my sight. You are dismissed... permanently."
"But sir," started Max. Vance turned his back and didn't say anything. "... You're making a huge mistake Colonel. You really have lost your nerve." Max stormed out of the room and slammed the door.
"I once again apologize everyone," said Vance. "I'm so sorry. You guys just seem to get the worst of it all the time."
"Father," said Rachel. "Have you thought about my request? Will you..."
"I've decided," said Vance, "to completely quit OZ and forfeit the war. I'm going to resign."
"You are?" asked Kreed.
"Yes," said Vance. "I'm too sick and tired of all this fighting and meaningless bloodshed. It's time for me to end this all." Vance took a knife out of his desk and cut of a patch on his shoulder. It was the symbol of OZ. "I am Colonel Vance no more. I'm just Mr. Skye now."
Rachel ran to Vance and threw her arms around him. The sudden show of affection caught the man off guard, and he stood with his arms out, as though he didn't know what to do. Slowly and uneasily, he wrapped his own arms around his daughter.
"You are prepared to end this war and suffer what will probably happen to you?" asked Jin. "You know what will happen."
"I know," said Vance. "I will no doubt be arrested and probably jailed for life, if not killed. I'm prepared to suffer the consequences for what I've done though."
"We'll find a way to help you," said Rachel. "We won't let them take you away just after you've returned."
"It's something that must be done Rachel," said Vance. "Come on everyone. Let's go up to control room, where I can announce my resigning of power from OZ and its dissolve."
End Chapter Thirty-Six
This sucker was a long one. Lots of talking, but I've found out that there are only two chapters left. But here's the thing. I'll let you all chose the ending of my story. I've written this story with a happy ending, and with a sad ending. As the last chapter, I will post two chapters separately. You can read both and chose which one you like best from there. It's kind of a neat idea a got from another writer on this site. Anyway, as always, I appreciate and desire lots of reviews, so tell me what you think. Remember, there will be a good ending, and a final ending.
Oh, and those of you who already know the endings, don't give any possible spoilers in your reviews. Someone might read them and put some clues together to determine the endings.