11: ZERO's Rampage I
In that moment Mariemaia thought she would die, either from the bullet in Margaret's gun or the toxic fumes of Wing Zero's thrusters she was not sure. But did know for sure that Jin inside that machine piloting it; she could sense his very presnce inside the suit giving it newfound life it was missing for a long time. Zero's jade eyes seemed to darken the stronger the engines grew, Margaret stepped out of the Gundam's way as it moved its foot foward, she dragged Mariemaia across the floor nearest to Epyon and the exit behind the machine.
The thing that disturbed Margaret was Zero's head had a tenancy to follow her every movement she knew the boy was watching her probably planning to kill her as well, but as long as she had the girl in her grasp her life was spared for the moment. Mariemaia struggled against the woman's grip but could not free herself she paused noticing Zero had stopped moving and was watching their movement, the way his head turned toward them distrubed her to say the least.
If am I to get out alive, I must rally my forces! Margaret turned her head toward the few remaining men at other control panels at end of the hangar shaking in fear as their hands danced across the button on the panel. Good, she did not have to tell them what their orders were but she fear there was something they did not know. If they tried to disarm Zero with three rebuilt mobile dolls they would surely be destroyed.
With the gun still pressed against Mariemaia's thoat, Margaret shouted, "Destroy the Gundam at once, do not attempt to disarm it or it will kill you!! Activate the mobile dolls, deadly force!" She shouted to them. They nodded and their hands went to work quickly. Wing Zero pulled itself out of the remaing restraints that held it down to the ground and marched forward pulling its beam saber out from its forearm, the weapon came to life cutting through the air, the alarms were triggered and the alerting lights began to flicker uncontrollably above them.
Humming sounds soon filled the air as the walls across Zero opened up revealing the two OZ mobile suits that were destroyed by the Deathscythe; The Mercurius and the Vayeate completely reconstructed once more as mobile dolls. Wing glanced at both of them but paided no heed to them as it marched onward toward Epyon whom had also been activated. Margaret pulled Mariemaia through the escape exit and out into the cold snow, the young girl fell into the snow with a cry her ankle twisted below her making a sick snapping sound. Margaret paid no heed to this and dragged her through the snow by her organge sweater's collar.
To her dismay her cuatious thoughts came back to haunt her. Her suspsicions were confirmed he knew nothing of his mother's military project and Margaret's only regret was how she was going to explain it to her employer. She had never met him personally but his voice over the phone held just enough mallice that kept the redhaired woman from questioing the missions he assigned her to, the amount of money he offered her was far too great and the chance to get back at Rei for the nasty scar inch long on her abdomen still lingered in her mind. Besides to question him would be folly, he threatened to kill her if dare question the motives of the mission he gave her. Margaret had no intentions of dying before her rightful time, no, not at all.
Zero stood surrounded by the three mobile dolls, Epyon, the Mercurius and the Vayeate. They proved to be nothing but obsticles that kept him from getting outside the hangar. Despite this Wing continued onward toward the mobile suit exit across from where he stood. Mercurius throttled forward at top speed, weilding its beam saber Mercurius rammed Zero in the side sending the Gundam stumbling away from door into the path of Vayeate. The blue mobile doll aimed its beam cannon straight at Zero and fired at only half of the weapons power, Zero dodged the blast easily as it came at him.
Mercurirus armed its energy sheild protecting tiself from the cannon's blast It soon then charged at Wing Zero, Zero dodged the attacking mobile doll only to be bombarded by vulcan cannon fire (machine gun fire) from Epyon. Wing brought it sheild up to protect itself from the attack but once again the Gundam was attacked by the tag-tream mobile dolls. Veyeate landed a punch in Zero's face while Mercurirus brought its beam saber down onto its back, the Gundam fell to its knees but was able to block an attack by Mercurirus with his saber.
Sparks flew through the air when their weapons met Zero activated its vulcan cannon and fired on Vayeate, the blue mobile doll backed off immeidately and Wing Zero shoved Mercurirus away from him. The Gundam quickly climbed to its feet bringing its beam saber down onto Mercurirus' head splitting the doll in half. The red mobile doll was engulfed by fire of its explosion. Zero wasted no time, he charged Vayeate; the blue MD began to fire at the Gundam without taking time to recharge its beam cannon.
Wing Zero rammed Vayeate in the lower torso and sent it crashing through the wall of the hangar and slding through the snow. Margaret jumped at the sound before realizing that the Vayeate was heading her direction gathering Mariemaia up in her arms she made a mad dash to saftey out of the way of the battling mobile suits. Mariemaia screamed out of fear as she was brought to the ground with Margaret who fell on top of her, snow was sent through the air like a spay of mist when Vayeate came to a halt at the edge of the cliff.
Zero stormed out of the entrace he created placing his beam saber back into its rightful compartment before grabbing the handle of his beam rifle that was hidden by his shield, Vayeate turned its head toward Zero whom was approaching him in a slow matter as if he had all the time the world. The machine struggled to get to its feet but he was quickly brought back down to the ground by Wing's foot and before the mobile doll could react Wing Zero fired a small dispurse of energy from the rifle into the Vayeate's chest.
The mobile doll exploded underneath the Gundam's foot, Mariemaia pushed an unconscious Margaret from off of her and watched Zero's head shift toward the make-shift door Vayeate had created, a maroon blur flashed past her eyes there was a thunderous boom where Wing Zero stood or rather used to be standing afterward; Mareimaia watched in horror as Zero's counterpart Epyon pulled it down over the cliff along with it, she watched them frozen with fear until they were out of sight.
"Wing Zero.....," She uttered climbing to her feeet. The orange-red haired girl rushed over to the edge of the cliff bringing herself to a halt, she peered down and saw nothing but darkness below. Placing her hands at the sides of her face she began to shout Jin's name out of despration, each time she call silence would be her only answer. She ran her hands through her hair fighting back rage and tears.
You can't be dead Jin..... if you anything like Heero, you can't be dead...... please don't be dead...., Mariemaia unsure of Jin's fate, had no desire to stick around waiting for someone to come and kidnap her again Mareiamaia struggled through the snow on her feet despite her injury, she let her tears fall down her cheeks hoping the direction that she as going in was the way back to the cabin. The young girl never looked back once to see if anyone was following her.
Dorothy winced in pain as Trowa dabbed the white cotton ball across the broken part of her skin upon her ankle in a most indelicate way. Trowa seemed to be oblivious to her sounds of pain and the way the recoiled her foot because he always seemed to get back into his grasp continuing to dab at her injury roughly his hand wrapped around the higher part of her ankle. "Trowa Barton that hurts! If you still have some sort of qualm over what I had said to you before we reached the Sanc Kingdom then just say it, don't take it out on my injured ankle!" Dorothy snapped kicking him in the shoulder with her good foot.
Trowa jerked back from the kick he glanced up at the blonde woman in question, the 19-year-old just stared back with her pale blue eyes. Trowa stared for as long as he could before surrendering the battle he began to take a more gentle approach to treating her ankle, Doroth relaxed a bit. "Sorry," Trowa sighed. "I'm not angry at your Dorothy, I'm angry at me." Dorothy's eyebrows raised considerably at his words, what on earth could be angry at himself for if such a thing for Trowa Barton was possible?
"How so?" She asked intrigued. Trowa remained silent. Dorothy pouted placing her hands onto her lap leaning forward a bit. "C'mon you've got my attention, don't leave me hanging in suspence Mr. Barton," Dorothy knew that the formalty she used toward him would have him hook-line and sinker. Trowa glared up at Dorothy. "Its Trowa, miss Dorothy," He said. The platinum blonde smirked at his response, she got him. Dorothy shrugged innocently batting her eyelashes at the young man. "Don't call me Miss Dorothy, and I won't call you Mr. Barton since you think so low of yourself. Now tell why you're so angry at yourself," She sighed looking up.
Trowa's teeth shifted against each other behind his lips, Dorothy was relentless and this tenancy of hers got on not just his nerves but everyone elses she annoyed with her voice and twisted comments. He chuckled dryly. "It was silly to think she loved me," He muttered. Dorothy's smile vanished replaced with a expression of confusion. "Who?" She muttered baffled. Trowa looked up at the blonde wondering if she meant to mock him in any way necessary but the look on her face told him she didn't know who he was talking him. Tossing the bloody cotton ball into the disposable garbage can Trowa reached into the first aid kit and pulled out a pack of bandages. "Catherine," Was all he said.
"Catherine Bloom? She doesn't love you?" Dorothy almost shouted. Trowa yanked at her foot, Dorothy winced getting the message she apologized silently with a nod of her head. "She loves me just, not in the way I love her though. In her eyes I'm just her adopted brother, she's become so much more to me over the years though," He explained with a child-like look about him. Dorothy blinked unsure on how to take what he was saying; he had grown fond of the knife throwing performer and not vice-versa, this was unsettling to the young woman, she was always under the impression that Catharine was the one that liked Trowa because of tenancy to flirt with young man.
But Dorothy was obviously proved wrong by Trowa's confession. "I don't know what to say to that," Dorothy said sounding apologetic. Trowa finished wrapping her injured ankle he placed a small peice of tape upon the part that would cause the bandage to unravel. He whipped his brow with the back of his hand before rising. "There's nothing to say, my feelings toward her may never change, but I'll respect her wishes. Its about all I can do," Trowa explained solemnly.
Dorothy nodded understanding she watched the tall man head back over to Ryuusei whom was trying to figure out how to put his clown's mask onto her small chubby face, she watched Trowa demonstrate the propper way of putting the mask onto the face then gave it back Ryuusei. Placing a strand of hair behind her ear she looked toward the door just as Relena came waltzing into the room with a less than happy look upon her face. Dorothy already knew the delima behind Relena's unusual expression. "Miss Relena," Dorothy pipped catching the honey blonde's attention. "I wish to know what's ailing you. Do you mind telling me?" Relena stood where she was for a moment before shaking her head Dorothy then gestured toward the empty space on the bench beside her.
Relena walked over to the older woman and placed herself beside her. Dorothy took her supposed friend's hands into her own and smiled. "Now, whatever is the problem?" Dorothy asked. Relena stared into the pale blue eyes of Dorothy for a long time. Once she would've considered Dorothy to nothing but a manpiative figure-head for the romafeller foundation sent to create chaos within the pece-oridented minds of the Sanc Kingdom's neighboring counties (despite the fact that she gave Dorothy the benifent of the doubt), but now she could see Dorothy Catalonia had changed since the last time she saw her and these thoughts no longer plauged her mind, Relena regarded Dorothy as a friend.
Sighing the blonde girl flexed her fingers in Dorothy's grip. "It's Heero...[laughs]...... I'm worried about him, I'm worried that Hilde and Duo aren't alright and I find myself wondering where Jin and Meriemaia are. I know this sounds silly but that boy makes me wonder what Heero might have been like as a child," Relena babbled nervously. "But besides all that I'm worried about Heero, did you see the way he reacted when Quatre said......" Relena trailed off. "Epyon," Dorothy finished for her. Relena nodded. "It was the strangest thing I had ever seen. Heero seemed angry almost.... at himself or at Epyon I'm not sure. He's such a mystery to me," She pulled her hands out of Dorothy's grasp and ran them through her hair. Epyon had been the mobile suit her brother had been piloting when he fought against Heero.
The last she saw of that suit and her brother at that time was the footage Noin had relayed through her lines back to MO-II. But it couldn't have been that battle that bothered Heero, no, it had to have been something else that had something to do with that demonic suit. "You shouldn't worry too much about it Relena," Dorothy said bringing the girl out of her thoughts. "He'll deal with whatever's bothering him and return with his comrades. You'll see, everything will be just fine." Relena glanced at Dorothy's opitmistic face in the corner of her eye she nodded unable to speak. On the inside of the government official prayed that Heero would returned unscathed.
Zechs traveled down a more popluated area of the preventers HQ his current desitnation was Une's office. She had sent a very annoying Eriol Wheeler to the mess hall just as he was finishing his turkey sandwhich to inform him that his presnce was requested at her office on the double. Zechs narrowed his eyes at the memory, Eriol had a tenancy to be too annoying at times and all he talked about to him was his wife Jennie because he 'suspected' there something going between Lucreiza and himself. There was but he wouldn't admit that to Eriol.
Zechs always managed to kick the man out of his office with a threat to shoot him. Eriol was an over-cautious type so he left everytime Zechs reached for his gun. Yawning Zechs stepped in front of the woman's office door and knocked twice there was a muffled reqest for him to come inside from Une, he turned the knob and entered the office with a weary look on his face. Une looked up from her laptop at Zechs before leaning back into her chair. "What have you found?" She asked. Zechs blinked triedly shaking his head.
"Not a thing, the information Heero gave you lead to a dead end, but the interesting part is I found a article on senator Gabrielle Shore, says she'll be attending the merger party of Sansever and Gravitation inc," Zechs pointed out scratching the back of his neck. Une's eye narrowed in question before turning her laptop to face Zechs, the European man stared at the woman in question before walking over to the desk to get a better look at the screen just as it came life.
The full color contrast screen showed snowy terrian and trees from above before an explosion on the right side of the screen appeared the camera moved over to the origin of the distaster and Zech's eyes widened in utter shock. He watched the image of they Vayeate sliding across the ground and two spects he figured were people move out of the way, the next thing he knew he saw Wing Zero marching out of the building weilding its beam saber. Une reached over and hit the 'ENTER' button pausing the image.
Zechs stood upright again watching Une lean back into her chair with a disapproving look on her face. "It seems as though there are some people who don't ESUN's laws," Une uttered with a dark look on her face. "And I suppose you want me to take Tallgese and stop these illegal mobile suits," Zechs responded. A smirked formed on the German woman's face Zechs knew all to well what that expression meant. "Yes, yes I do," Une began with a stretch of her arms. "But first tell me what you found out on Gabrielle Shore and her involvement Sansever and Gravitation inc." Zechs nodded, he had no problem telling her about what he learned on the shifty woman.
"Miss Shore happens to one of their biggest supporters and was the one that suggest that they merge in the first place," He explained. Une's fingers intertwined she placed her elbows upon her table and her chin rested upon her intertwined fingers. "Interesting, what of this Mercenary Margaret Cypher?" She asked. Zechs looked down at his jacket pocket he stuck his hand inside and began to feel around for the paper he printed out. He handed over to Une whom opened the folded paper up, she gave a breif scanning of the paper. "......Her current location is unknown but is believed to be somewhere in the mountain region of Japan?" Une's eyes shifted from the paper to Zechs her thin eyebrows edging closer to each other. Zechs gave her a hopless shrug, Une groaned this was not going to help her case any. "Your dismissed Merquirse, head out to the area where Wing Zero was spotted in the Tallgese," Une sighed placing the paper down onto her desk. Zechs nodded his head and started towards the door.
"One more thing, Zechs," Une pipped up. Zechs turned to meet the woman's brown gaze in question. "Take Noin with you." Zechs shook his head. "Une, I'd like if she'd stay here, I'd feel better knowing she was the one with Gabrielle Shore," He replied out a respect. Une stared at him for a brief moment before nodding in agrement, Zechs was then out of her office door he vanished around the door as it closed. Une ran her hands through her hair exhaling in attempt to her calm herself down; she was steadily getting over the fact that Heero, Duo and possibly the other ex-pilots hadn't told her about Jin's whereabouts when they knew she had most of the preventers looking for him since he escape from Sally when she tried check him for injuries.
That was a year ago, to find out now was quite unsettling for her. Even Mariemaia had known where he was and she had even formed a sort of relationship with the troublesome boy; whether it was plotantic or something else Une was unsure. "They're lucky I'm forgiving," She grumbled picking up a mimi-stapler. Une began to put stamples into a blank perice of paper when she acditently stampled her finger. "Damnit!!" She cursed yanking the steel object out of her finger, the priced skin began to bleed and Une stared at her injury quizzically. You need me more than you realize Lady Une......, Une's head jerked up to the left side of the office toward an empty space near the window. Her eyes widened at the scowling woman that stood from across her.
Hilde's feet tapped impatiently at the cold tile floor of the hospital, beside her sat Howard. He still wore his strangely shaped eyeglasses although the most noticeable thing on the man was that his skin was a bit more wrinkled and his gray hair had thined out but not so much as you could see his skull beneath the hair. Hilde stared up at the door way by the clerks office that lead to a short corridor full of doors on the right and left side, inside one of those rooms Duo resided getting 'fixed up' as Heero had put it. That man could be so callous at times, she knew this first hand since he had lived with him.
Hilde cringed at the memory where Heero had almost shot her thinking it was an assassin after Relena's life. "How are ya' holdin' up Schbeiker," Howard's voice had startled the girl out her thoughts. Hilde turned to Howard with a weary smile. "I'm fine thanks Howard," She said rubbing her hands together. "Don't worry about Duo, he's a tough lad," Howard gave her one of his rare smiles before turning his attention toward the clock up on the wall across from him. Hilde nodded weakly tapping her feet much faster catching the attention of the clerk at the desk, her aquamarine eyes shifted toward the woman whom raised an eyebrow at her as she was asking her to stop. Hilde ceased her foot tapping the woman returned to her paperwork.
After moment the sound of a door opening down that short corridor caught the German girl's attention, she saw a man appearing to be somewhere around his thirties poke his head out of the door and gestured Hilde and Howard toward the door. Hilde jumped from her seat beginning to walk forward when she noticed Howard wasn't following. Before she could turn her head toward Howard, the elderly man spoke up. "I'll be right here, I know Duo's fine," He yawned stretching his arms. Hilde gave the man a skeptic look but said nothing as she walked through the doorway and down the hall toward the hospital room where Duo resided. The doctor stepped out of the way letting her inside the room she studied Duo who did not seem to aware of her prescece.
He was staring at his arm that was placed in a sling his hand was in a cast as well restricting the movement of his entire arm despite all five of his fingers stuck out of the cast as if it were a fingerless glove (with no mobilty). Duo finally looked up when he heard the doctor close the door he sent a smile in Hilde's direction. His black sweater's sleeve had been cut, the suspenders for his snow pants laid on the hospital bed at his sides, she studied his lower torso worriedly. Duo's eyes followed hers he smirked hopping off the bed. "I'm all patched up," He announced proudly.
"I can see," Hilde laughed gently. "How's your side?" Duo used his uninjured hand to poke it he winced slightly. "Not too bad, it still hurts when I move," He said groaning. Hilde nodded as the doctor came over to her side. "He may have to stay off his feet for awhile so his torso can heal properly (stiching his wound was a tough one), it was infected quite a bit but the ointment I put on it should bring down the rate of infection left, there aslo might be some scaring. Other than that, the rest of the healing is up to the lad," The doctor said. Hilde's eyes brightened with happiness as she looked to the doctor then the American teenager who was listening in on what the good doctor was saying, there was certaintly going to be a problem keeping Duo off his feet.
When they used to live on the colony Duo would disappear for hours on end and would return at herndous hours of the night or early morning. Where he went was never discussed between them Hilde could never bring herself to ask him. Hilde no longer had to worry; there was no zero-g places Duo could wander off to without being noticed, they lived in the same bedroom she'd know when he get up. "Is it alright to go?" She asked. The doctor gave Duo a second glance before nodding hestiantly. "Yes, I believe so---," Duo cut him off with a thumbs up along with a few words of his own. "Alright then, let's be on our way Hilde! No time like the present!" He announced rather impatiently.
Hilde stepped back letting the braided teenager pass her and step outside the hospital room leaving her behind. The doctor handed her a orange bottle full of white capsule pills. "What's this?" She asked staring down at the bottle. "It's something to relieve the pain, a type of asprin if you will. Just give to him on a full stomach, otherwise he's liable to throw it up," He explained. Hilde nodded and gave her thanks to the doctor before leaving the room. She found Duo chattering with the clerk at the desk explaining the details minus the run-in with Epyon of his broken arm Hilde could hear gasps from the woman and she watched as the clerks hand shot out to touch the cast on his arm.
Swallowing hard, the German girl quickly made her way over to Duo. Duo's mouth stopped moving the moment he noticed Hilde coming down hall in a quick pace holding a bottle in her hand. Great, drugs...., He thought in dispair. "What took ya'?" He asked when Hilde came up to his side. "Oh nothing, he just gave me some pain killers," Hilde proclaimed pulling Duo away from the desk through the door way. The clerk sent a apologetic smile Duo's way, the American simply waved back before he vanished around the corner. Howard rose from his spot following after the two young people. "Oi-Oi Hilde, no need to break my other arm," Duo grumbled annoyed. Hilde glared at him in a most playful way before punching hm in the shoulder.
"I'm not trying to break your arm silly," She said with a chuckle. "I'm only trying to get you to the cabin." The American smiled knowingly slipping his arm out her grasp with a sigh. Hilde didn't mind she simply grabbed his hand giving it a gentle squeeze, Duo looked her in direction with a face Heero would have made; a calm expression mixed with curiousity and question. Howard watched the two with intrigued eyes. He noticed some hestiant about their relationship that both of them knew about, but wouldn't admit it to themselves. The moment between the two was aubrptly broken when a wave of men dressed in swat-ish uniforms armed to the teeth with guns came rushing down the hall toward them.
"Gundam pilot 02, stop where you are! I repeat do not move, or we will shoot!" Without warning Duo ripped himself from Hilde's grip and rammed Howard with his shoulder sending the elderly man tumbling into a office room, he then grabbed Hilde's hand and rushed down the hall as fast as he could. He had no idea what those men were after, or why they wanted him. Hilde clutched his hand fearfully, they escaped death only to be met with another form of death. The two vanished around the corner just as barrage of bullets came their way.
Heero and Wufei rushed through the forest wiith their bags upon their backs and 50AE pistols in hand. They had returned to find the front and first floor living room in a complete shambles, Jin and Mariemaia were no where insight there were signs of obvious struggle. As they headed up the stairs to gather their things, there was a loud crash below them. Wasting no time to find out who it was the Asian duo headed to their rooms and shoved all necessary weaponry into their backpacks then snuck out of the windows of their bedrooms and headed to the back of the house where they then found a trail of oil from a car and decided to follow it while in the proccedings of escaping whomever bardged into the cabin.
The made a hasty get away following the trail of tire tracks and oil until they came to a dead end which happened to be where the van was abandoned. The next thing they knew the assailants that had came into the house were hot on their trail not too far behind them. The two then found themselves running through the snowy woodland for the longest time from their relentless attackers that would open fire on them the moment they came into view from behind the trees that provided them enough coverage to stay ahead of them. Still running, Heero wondered if there was even a seemingly possible way to escape the many attackers behind them.
He noticed Wufei was lagging a bit behind him this is what they wanted, they wanted to tire them out so it would be easier to pin them down. Heero was beginning to feel fatigued from all the running himself knowing at their curent rate there was not a chance in hell that were going to escape. Heero felt his strength dimmishing by the second, he fell to knees the moment he tried to pull himself up the steep hill before them. "Kuso.... Wufei!" He cried. Wufei had also fallen but a inch behind Heero he was barely near the hill. "Get up Wufei!.... Damnit get up!" Heero shouted climbing to his feet. He went over to his comrade, Heero lifted Wufei off the ground. He flung the man over his shoulders and struggled up-hill. Heero would not allow them to be caught by a much of terrorists lusting for their blood, he'd kill himself before that happened.
His legs ached every time he stepped up further up the hill, he gritted his teeth at the pain that would soon reach his entire body if he didn't make up the hill. Unconscously he let out a shuddering breath, he was almost at the top. Heero's hopes of reaching the top were shattered when a pain almost ailen to him shot through his entire body rendering him immobile. Heero let out a cry of pain he had never heard emitted from his mouth as he fell down into the ground sending Wufei across the hill.
Heero's body spasimed violently, the world around him began to blurr around him as a shadowy figure appeared above him. It appeared to be a woman, but he couldn't be sure, the outline of the body was too bukly to be sure. He watched the figure bring his mouth up to what Heero blelieved to be a two-way radio. "Ma'am, we've obtained Gundam pilot 01 and 05...... no ma'am, their currently tracking down 04 and and 03, the others are in persuit of 02 and the former OZ solider now...... Yes ma'am, right away....... knock them out, the less they know the better....," The male walked away and the last thing Heero saw the end of a rifle.
[TBC]