Note: Woo! Only one more chapter to go for this story :giggles maniacally:
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Point Zero
By: Lost-Remembrance (Red Tail)
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Chapter Six:
"How do you feel?" Sally looked up from her clipboard to peer at the youth who seemed to be staring off into space, eyes looking out the window. His bangs shadowed his eyes and face, a tangible depression hanging in the air.
Heero didn't turn to face her to give his reply, which was a simple, "Hn."
Sally managed to hold back her sigh of exasperation. His answers to the previous one hundred and twenty simple questions had been the same as the last, "hn."
"I can't release you until you give me a simple yes or no to these questions." She pointed out with a small smile. Her eyes glittered with amusement. Heero would do anything to get out of a hospital; the memories of when he had been captured came to her mind.
Shivering slightly, she pushed them away forcefully, remembering the blood on the observation table…like he had ripped out of his restraints. Duo, she later talked to, had nodded to that, saying that he had indeed ripped the restraints.
"Now," she cleared her throat, "How are you feeling? Does anything hurt?" Her pen was poised, ready to jot down anything in her shorthand.
"Fine. No. In that order." He briskly replied, sending a glare to her that dared her to ask him any more questions. "Can I have my clothes back now?"
She had seen him look down at the hospital gown with distaste, probably adding another tally as to why he hated the whole idea of hospitals. Smiling, she nodded and got to her feet, "I'll be back in a sec."
"Hn." As she exited, she could help but shake her head with mild frustration; some people never seemed to change.
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"I want you both to promise me that you will take care and come back in less than an hour." Sally crossed her arms, that stern look hanging in the doctor's posture and position that made Quatre nod his head meekly.
"Hn." Quatre nudged Heero with his elbow in the side. Turning his cold gaze towards Quatre, who was silently pleading for him to not let them make a scene with Sally, who was already on edge for letting them leave to get some clothes. "Fine." He muttered, falling for Quatre' puppy-eyed look.
Quatre smiled brightly, "Don't worry, Miss Sally!" He pulled Heero's arm, "It's just that these clothes are a little big and ours are kinda torn to bits and stuff."
Heero looked down with distaste at Zechs clothes that he had borrowed, a simple tee that would form fit the older man was rather large on him, constantly hanging off his shoulder. The pants were more like cargo pants on him, dragging on the floor. Luckily, Noin packed a belt as she prepared to leave to get Zechs medical attention, otherwise the pants would have fallen down by now.
"Behave yourself." Sally replied, following them out and opening the glass door of the hospital for them.
A black car waited for the right moment, the occupants inside readying their guns and the driver prepared to take the car to full throttle.
"Shall we go and greet them?" Some men chuckled, fingers tensed and readied on the safety and the trigger.
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Noin smiled, her eyes twinkling with unshed tears of happiness as she gently touched Zechs' hand, hoping that it wasn't too much to make him pull away from her touch. He was always worried that people might see them and target her, endangering herself and…their unborn child.
"You worried me, Zechs." She squeezed her hand, glad to feel him squeeze back.
"Uh…" He licked his dry lips, Noin pulling back and reaching for a glass of water on the bedside table.
Gently holding his head up, she brought the crystalline glass up to his lips and he closed his eyes, taking small but steady sips of water.
"Thanks, Noin." She smiled in reply. Opening his ice blue eyes once more, he looked around and noticed another bed near his own and, when he turned his head the other way, another was on the other side. He raised an eyebrow.
"Heero's already gone, same for Quatre." At the questioning look on his face, her voice turned solemn when she remembered the events that had happened while Zechs had been comatose from the system.
"Noin?" His worried voice brought her out of her thoughts, pulling her back to the realm of reality. "What happened? Why am I here?"
She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, bringing his hand up to press against her cheek, the other placing a protective hand over her swelling abdomen, "I almost lost you…"
Confusion flittered across his eyes, "What happened?"
"The ZERO…someone has it and was using it against you, Heero, and Quatre…" She opened her eyes to see Zechs cold eyes, knowing what question was coming next.
"They didn't hurt you, did they?" He ground out evenly, temper flaring, but coolly collected behind his poker mask.
"No." He sighed in relief.
"Why am I awake then?" He couldn't help but question, "It seems like days have past since…"
"Day's have past, Zechs." Noin looked over to the other beds with a forlorn look on her face, "It's been a while since either of you have moved Sally said that Heero had a small attack, like a seizure or something, but that ended quickly enough." Zechs frowned.
"Relena's been worried sick over the three of you."
Relena. That name snapped her brother back to attention, Zechs jerking his body up. Noin's gently, but firm touch pushed him back against the pillows. "She's fine."
"How come I can't get up and the other's could?" He questioned with mild irritation, snorting and crossing his arms.
"Because they woke up earlier than you." She let out a small laugh when she saw him twitch his eyebrow in irritation. Wondering why he was so irritated, she simply got a damp cloth and brushed it over her fiancé's forehead.
"Always competing for things, Zechs." A smile graced her lips as she shook her head and closed her eyes. "It'll only cause you trouble."
He looked up at her with a twinkle in his eyes, "Always." She gasped when he dragged her down for a passionate kiss.
When he released her from the kiss, she was red like a tomato and flushed. She half-heartedly slapped him lightly on the shoulder. Leaning up to whisper in her ear, she closed his eyes and leaned in to her body that molded perfectly with his larger frame. "There's never any trouble with you."
She couldn't help but sigh in content.
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Frowning, Noin pulled herself out of the dream world, wondering what was going on. Groaning at her uncomfortable position, she realized that she was still in Zechs arms. Chuckling lightly, she took his arms wrapped around her and gently leaned him down back onto the pillows and hospital bed.
She couldn't help but smile again in happiness at the content look on his face.
Then, as she mad her way over to close the window, gun shots rang out in the air. Eyes wide, Noin instinctively ducked, out of the view for the window or any sniper attacks.
The squealing of tires next hit her, arms wrapped protectively over her stomach to cradle the unborn life.
"Noin!" Zechs' eyes instantly flashed open, body jerking up as he noticed his beloved crouched under the window sill, arms wrapped over her stomach. Was she hit! His temper flared once more and he rushed out of his bed, the hospital gown giving Noin a rather pleasant view of the powerful and long legs.
"Zechs…what happened?" Her eyes were filled with worry.
"I don't know…" He shook his head in confusion, fighting the uneasy feeling in his mind that was tugging at him that could only mean the system was reactivated again. He ignored numbers tingeing his vision, fighting the system.
"Noin! Zechs!" Noin drew her worried eyes away from Zechs who knelt down beside her. Sally came rushing into the room, face flushed and looking rather out of breath.
"Sally! What's going on?" She gripped onto Zechs' sleeve. He took an intake of breath, fighting off the nausea now attacking him.
"Heero! These men came driving up and took out some guns and shot him, then grabbed him!"
Noins eyes were wide with worry, "What about Quatre!"
"Quatre managed to pull out his gun and fired, but there were too many." She took a deep breath, hoping to catch her breath, "He took off running until he stopped and collapsed. Like they shot a tranq at him."
"Or the system was reactivated." Zechs managed weakly, body swaying until he couldn't keep his balance. He collapsed in Noin's arms.
Noin screamed, eyes wide with worry and frantic for the safety of her soon-to-be husband. Zechs' eyes slid close, his ears picking up noises that sounded like he was underwater and hearing them.
Strange, why did it sound like Noin screaming his name? Somehow, he felt at ease in the darkness claiming him, not finding the energy or strength to really care.
Strange, why would Noin be crying? Hm…he relaxed in the black void. What a sad thought…
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Sora giggled lightly as she brushed her hand over Heero's cheek. His eyes were closed and he looked peaceful, but when he would wake up…he would be a perfect killing machine like what he once was.
"Oh, big brother! You're so naïve! Letting that girl brainwash you with that stupid peace stuff!" She giggled, "It's just like broccoli—it's bad stuff!"
Nirimu put a hand on her shoulder and she blinked, looking up at the man who stared down at their prize, or at least their first prize of three.
"The colonies will have Earth in a vice grip." Sora said, childish laughter and mirth fleeting from her somber and now defiant voice.
"Yes." He smirked when looking at Heero.
"Big brother…" Sora brushed away a strand of hair hanging in his eyes, noting as it moved back to where it originally was. She couldn't help but smile. 'We are all just going to be pawns for the greater things, you and me.'
"The scientists will be coming in to wake him up." His hand left the position that it was on her shoulder. "You can stay here, if you'd like." He turned, waking out the door and closing it behind him.
"Sir?" A soldier questioned, hand up in a salute and poised for action and orders.
"Things were going to slow for the plan, we need to speed up things. Winner and Marquise should be arriving any moment. Have it that J see to them also and have them ready." He looked down the hallway leading towards his office. Sora would come later, after 01 was all prepared and ready, to look at the Earth that they would soon claim.
"Understood. Any other orders, sir?"
"No." He turned on his heel and then walked down the hallway in swift strides and held his head high like any commanding officer would. Turning, he opened the door to his office and went inside.
Closing the door, he could help but wonder how the Gundam pilots would react when fighting against their fellow comrades and friends… He snickered at the thought.
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Duo's fist slammed into the table with fury. "We can't just let them get in the hands of those people!"
Une glared at Duo, looking calmly at the other occupants in the boardroom; "We need to remain composed." Shooting a look at Duo, she continued, "There isn't much that we can do at this stage."
"So basically we're sitting ducks." Wufei crossed his arms and closed his eyes. "We're letting the enemy have the advantage."
Trowa turned to look at the Chinese pilot, "But they already do have an advantage, whether or not we can do anything. They have Quatre, Zechs, and Heero."
"We're limited also." Sally replied, "They can use Heero and the others as hostages, or even against us. The ZERO can warp things to their own advantage."
Une rubbed her temples, "I've got a team already trying to work on some stuff involving this. They're trying to pinpoint the location."
"Why aren't we on that team!" Duo shouted, standing up, "Look, these are our comrades and friends, not just Preventer's."
"Maxwell…" Une warned.
"That's it," Wufei looked up with a raised eyebrow. "We don't need orders to do nothing here!" He tossed his jacket on the table. "I quit."
Trowa stood up, tossing his jacket on the table also. "We're Gundam pilots, so we'll do this our way."
"These enemies have no honor." Wufei stood up also and tossed his jacket in the pile of the other two's jackets.
"You can't leave!" Sally protested.
Noin nodded, "What if something happens—you don't have anything for backup!" She glanced at Une, who was rigid and remained quiet, "You can't do anything without your Gundams!"
"I remember something like that on the terms of Mariemaia's revolt…" Duo replied, "And, if I remember correctly, we did manage to stop that and survive."
"What your doing could affect Heero, Quatre, and Zechs safety!" Sally retorted.
Duo looked at Noin, "You can sit here with them, doing nothing until you are in the enemies grasp, but we won't let that happen." He turned, opening the door.
The other's walked out and Trowa paused, turning to look back at Noin, "When we get Zechs back, we'll send him to you." Duo snickered and Noin turned a little red at what she thought Duo's perverted mind was probably thinking.
The door closed, the handle twisting back so the door was shut.
They stared at the door, almost expecting Duo to run back in and laugh at them, saying it was just a joke and 'we sure got you!' or something along the lines of that. No one opened up the door, not even the slightest movement from the doorknob.
And, as if speaking for itself, the silence brought their answer. They were gone, and meant business. Sally sank into a chair and felt like banging her head against the table, "Looks like we're SOL."
TBC
Author's note:
Does this long chapter make up for all the other ones that weren't very long and my lack of updates for this story:Sighs: It was a little rushed at the end I think, but the funny part was that the last part was written first and the first part last. I'm happy cause this story is almost done! Yeah:giggles:
Thanks to everyone for the reviews!
Love, Red Tail
