Chapter 28

Yuri raced around like mad, throwing supplies into a shuttle. Finally, he finished.
Wiping his forehead, he quickly ran to a console and tapped in some commands. Sure enough,
it registered two mobile suits coming towards the base. Yuri smiled grimly, and looked at
his watch. "It's been fifteen minutes," he murmured, then ran back towards Aelis' cell.

On the way there, he nearly crashed into Nicolae, who was in an uncommonly good mood.
"Yuri, my dear friend!" he called out, putting an arm around the younger man. "How are
you today?"

"Good, sir. An apology for nearly knocking you over, sir," he said stiffly.

Nicolae laughed. "Oh no, my dear friend," he said smilingly. "Nothing could possibly
ruin this day for me. I've got a beautiful girl to fuck, and an annoying brat to torture.
What could possibly darken my day?" he finished as they stopped at Aelis' doorway.
Turning to Yuri, he said, "Why don't you run along and bring our little friend Geoffry
here? I'm sure he'll want to witness this!"

"Yes sir," was all Yuri said before running off.

elsewhere...

"Geoffry, get UP!"

Geoffry wearily opened an eye, then furiously opened both when he saw Yuri leaning over him.
"You again!" he growled, then took a swing at him.

Yuri barely ducked under his blow. Catching Geoffry's fist, he leaned in and said, "Look,
Nicolae's going to rape Aelis, and he wants you there. I've already dropped a leak to
your friends; they're on their way. You have to cooperate with me for now. I'm getting
you both out of this-Hey!" he finished indignantly as Geoffry tried punching him with his
other hand.

"Why should I believe YOU?!" he growled. Yuri glared at him. "Well, excuse me for
trying to give you a heads up," he shot back, then flung him over his shoulder. "Come on,
we've got to go now."

"Let me down!" Geoffry said angrily, struggling. "Don't make me call
reinforcements!" Yuri warned. "It'll only make things messy. Look Geoffry, whether or not
you believe me, this is your best bet. After he's done with both of you, he's going to
make an example of you guys, you realize that?" When Geoffry didn't say anything, he
said, "So just...cooperate, okay? You two really only have an hour to live."

a few minutes later...

"Stop struggling!" Nicolae growled impatiently, chasing Aelis around her cell.
Aelis only glared at him.

"Sir?"

"Oh good, Yuri, you've returned," Nicolae said irritably, still eyeing Aelis like a
hungry bird of prey. "Bring her brother in here, would you?"

Yuri complied, dumping Geoffry on the floor. "Geoffry!" Aelis cried, trying to reach him,
but Nicolae stood in her way. Smirking, he drew his gun. "Now dear," he said. "You'll
really have to stop resisting me, or I'm going to have to start hurting your brother."

"No, Aelis! Forget about me! Don't give yourself up to that bastard!" Geoffry
called.

Nicolae's face twisted in annoyance. Cocking his gun, he said, "Why you little-"

A blast rocked through the station. Nicolae, Yuri, and Aelis were all thrown to the floor.

"What is this?!" Nicolae demanded angrily, brushing himself off as he got to his
feet. A soldier ran in. "Sir! We are under attack!"

"What?! That's impossible!"

"No sir! The Deathscythe and the Phoenix have found us! As we speak, they are
wreaking havoc on our station, and help is on the way! From the looks of it, it looks like
Wing Zero, Seraphim, Sandrock, and Altron are all coming."

Nicolae swore under his breath. Sticking his pistol back into his belt, he said, "Fine, if
it's a battle they want, it's a battle they'll get! Send out our new dolls. I'll go out
too," and he stalked out of the room.

Yuri breathed a sigh of relief, and went over to Aelis. "Come on, this is our chance," he
said, tugging on her arm. Aelis nodded, and rose unsteadily to her feet. "Okay, let's
go."

"Aelis! Wait! You're just going to...to TRUST him?!" Geoffry said, shocked.
Aelis nodded. "Look Geoffry, this is our one and only chance."

"It could be a trap!"

"No...it's not," said quietly, glancing up at Yuri. That glance said everything.
Geoffry stared at them, stunned. "Impossible...she's really fallen for him!" he said to
himself. "Well, fine then," he grumbled, getting to his feet. "Fine, we'll go wing it
then, I guess," and the three of them ran out to the waiting shuttle.

outside...

"Is it just me, or do these things feel way too familiar?!" Thomas snarled, trying
to slice through some mobile dolls who were doing a good job avoiding him.

In Seraphim, Giselle grit her teeth in frustration. "Yes, I feel it too. Somehow, I feel
as if I recognize this fighting technique!"

It was Rayan who finally hit it. "Hey! Wait a minute! These things fight just like
Aelis and Geoffry!"

"What?! But that's impossible!"

"No...of course!" Wuli said, realizing. "They've taken their flight data!"

"No way! Oh great, so now we're fighting fifty Aelis' and Geoffry's?!"

"Hate to break this up, but speaking of which, we still have to find them!" Jerry
broke in. "And how are we going to find them in this mess?!"

"Thomas!"

"Huh? What? GEOFFRY?!?!"

"What?! Where?!" everyone else demanded.

"Here, right here!" Thomas crowed, pointing to the lone shuttle in the fray and
grinning at the image on the screen in front of him. "Geoffry, buddy! You're alive!"

"Yeah, until one of you guys hits us!" he called out. Thomas nodded. "Yeah,
you're right. Everyone, hold off for a sec-What?!"

Nicolae's leering face popped up on screen. "I don't know how you escaped," he snarled,
"but I'll make sure you don't survive!"

"That's what you think!" Wuten retorted, drawing his trident. "Come on! Let's
go!"

While Nicolae and Wuten battled it out, Giselle flew in up close. "Everyone else, cover
for me! I'll bring them back!" And with the shuttle safely flying close under one of its
wings, the Seraphim made a mad dash back towards Preventer Headquarters.

Inside the shuttle, Aelis hugged Yuri. "Thank you..." she whispered. Yuri smiled down
at her. "You're welcome," he said. Geoffry gave out a cough. "Well, I STILL don't
trust you," he grumbled, but he grudgingly stuck out his hand, "but I guess everything
went like you said, so...thanks."

Yuri took it, and they shook hands.

back at the battlefield...

"DAMN!" Nicolae exploded, watching the shuttle escape. "This is a waste of time!
Everyone, retreat!" And just like that, all the dolls peeled off. The Gundam pilots
breathed a sigh of relief. "That...was too close," Rayan admitted. "Nicolae's good, and
we barely managed to avoid those dolls...Dammit! Why'd Aelis and Geoffry have to be such
good pilots anyway?!"

"And to top it off, it seems as if the Neo-Rommefeller is capable of mass-producing
those dolls," Wuli mused thoughtfully. Something's not right, he thought to himself.
Those dolls...they didn't just FIGHT in a familiar style, but they LOOK kinda familiar
too...

"Wuli?"

Wuli shook himself out of it. "Sorry, Wuten. Daydreaming. Let's all go back now."

back at Preventer headquarters...

"You're BACK!!!" Riko shrieked, flinging herself at Aelis and sobbing. "Oh Aelis,
I was so terrified for you! Are you...okay?" she asked tentatively.

Aelis was crying too. Clinging onto her cousin fiercely, she nodded and said, "Yeah, I'm
okay. He didn't touch me."

"Oh, I'm so glad!"

"AELIS!!!"

"REENA!"

Mariko quickly extricated herself from Aelis' embrace to allow Reena to hug her sister.
Sniffling, Reena said, "I'm so sorry, Aelis! If I hadn't been captured-"

"Don't say anything else! Reena, I love you so much!"

"I love you too, Aelis! I'm so glad that you're back!"

Meanwhile, everyone else had gathered. As the crowd milled around, Zechs and Noin
ran up to the shuttle. "Oh, Aelis," Noin said, hugging her daughter. "I'm sorry...I'm
so sorry..."

"Mom...don't be. We're okay now."

"No no, you don't understand," Noin said softly, but Aelis didn't hear her.

Zechs, in the meantime, was frantically looking for his son. "Geoffry? Geoffry, where
are you?!"

"FATHER!"

Geoffry appeared in the doorway, leaning heavily on Yuri. "Father, I'm here!" he called,
hobbling his way over to Zechs. The two stared at each other for a moment, then
Geoffry's face crumpled. "Dad...I'm sorry!" and he flung himself into Zechs' arms.

Zechs felt tears running down his face as he held his son. "Geoffry...I forgive you. Can
you forgive me?"

Geoffry said nothing, only nodding mutely as he clung onto his father tightly.

"HEY! GEOFFRY!"

The other gundam pilots had returned, and Thomas was the first out. Leaping out of Wing,
he nearly tackled Geoffry. "Geoffry! You're finally back!"

Geoffry winced. "Ow...that hurt," he admitted. Immediately, Thomas backed off, concern
on his face. "Geoffry...what'd they do to you?" he asked slowly, studying his friend.
Rage replaced the happiness on his face as he took in all his scars and bruises on his
friend. "My God! They're gonna PAY for this!" he seethed.

"Um, Geoffry? Who's that?"

Geoffry and Thomas turned around. Eva had made her way through the crowd, and so far, she
was the only one who had noticed Yuri. But at her words, everyone stopped talking to
stare. Grimly, Zechs went up to him, Heero and Wufei not far behind. He stopped, and
said icily, "Who are you?"

"My name is Yuri. I am a Baron in the ranks of the Neo-Rommefeller."

"If that's the case..." and Wufei walked up, "you are now under arrest for your
war crimes. Do not try to resist; you're hopelessly outnumbered."

Yuri nodded. "I know," he said simply. "So...where do I go?"

Wufei and Zechs exchanged glances at his casual attitude. Immediately, Heero said, "I'm
searching that shuttle for tracers," and he went inside.

Outside, they turned their attention back to him. "Do you have any idea as to what you're
doing?" Wufei asked skeptically. Yuri nodded. "Yes. I knew this would happen."

Meanwhile, Aelis and Geoffry exchanged glances. They walked up to Zechs and Wufei.
"Tousan...please be kind to him," Aelis begged. Zechs, surprised looked down at his
daughter, then at his son. Geoffry nodded slowly. "Well, if-"

A scuffle interrupted them. Heero reappeared in the doorway, looking grumpy. "Did you
find tracers?" Wufei asked.

"No...just a stowaway," he growled, shoving a figure forward. Yuri's jaw
dropped. "Will?! What the hell are you doing here?!"

Will gave his trademark grin and scrambled to his feet. "Hehe, and you actually thought
that you would get rid of me that easily, eh?" he smirked.

Everyone else stared. "Now who's THIS?!" Noin sputtered, staring. "Just how many
surprises are we going to get today?"

"Mom, this is Will," Aelis said quickly. "He's a friend of Yuri's; he helped us
too."

Wufei groaned. "Well then, YOU'RE under arrest too, then," he said sternly, unnerved by
Will's easygoing attitude; it reminded him of Duo. "Yeah, I kinda figured that," he said
glibly, throwing an arm around Yuri's shoulder. Grinning, he said, "Hehehehehe...NOW,
we're on even footing now, right? No more lording over me because you're some Baron!"

"Hey, I rarely ever lorded over you as it was! And besides, Will, do you have
ANY idea how much trouble you're in right now? You've walked right into their hands...
and voluntarily too, you big idiot!"

"Yeah, well, you just did the exact same thing. And I've got my reasons too. And
while we're on the subject, what ARE your reasons...and don't try using the 'I'm your
superior so get your nose out of my business' thing!"

At this, everyone else also stopped talking to listen. Yuri cast an annoyed glance around
him at the sudden silence and firmly pressed his lips shut.

Aelis saw his look and sighed. She walked up to him, and, much to the shock of everyone
around her, gently took his arm and laid her head on his shoulder. "It's now or never,
Yuri," she said quietly.

Yuri looked down at her and sighed. Kissing her on the top of her head, he finally said,
"I would like to request an audience with Mrs. Relena Peacecraft Darlian Yuy."

At that, Heero bristled and looked at the crowd, where Relena was. "Do you know him?" he
mouthed. She shook her head, confused. Turning back around, he said cooly, "We will
consider your request. And you?" he said, turning to Will.

Will reached in his jacket. "Yeah, well, my mother gave me this a long time ago, before
she died. She asked me to give it to, er, let's see...the ink's kinda faded..." and
he stared at the letter in his head. "Oh right...She told me to give it to a person
called 'NoName.'" He shrugged. "Dunno if he's HERE, but she told me to get it to the
gundam pilots; they would know, so...here ya go!" and he cheerfully stuck the letter in
Zechs' dumbfounded hand as he and Yuri were escorted out.