Moments of Time
Act 3
The Devil's Curse
JC: Well, here be Act 3! Sorry this took so long! Thank you to everyone for the reviews!
Duo: What happened? Where is everybody?
Shinn: I thought you said the cast would be huge.
JC: I did, didn't I? Well, the curtain is lifting, and now all the parts are falling in place. Disclaimer be the same as always: I don't own Gundam Wing, Seed Destiny, or Astray, or G. and please forgive my poor Japanese. XD
Vulcanus Disposal Block, Earth's Orbit
"Access granted. Chamber air pressure adjusted." Heero said to himself as each command was executed. His fingers flew over the laptop keyboard as the door to the old MS factory's control room slid open. Something inside moved. Heero raised his gun.
"Oi! You're late!" Duo's voice came from inside.
"Duo?" Heero lowered his gun. "What are you doing here?"
"Well, I had to guess for the most part, but I figured based on the data you collected, you'd stop here next." Duo grinned. "Aren't ya happy to see me?"
"How'd you get the data?" Heero started then shut his mouth.
"Duh, Heero. You should know me well enough by now." Duo glared. "And your encryption skills have gotten a bit sloppy."
"So you know." Heero walked over to the control panel and began tapping at the keys.
"Yes. There was a connection between the people missing. They were all ex-White Fang members that were put in charge of dismantling and disposing of Libra and Peacemillion's remains." Duo pulled open a maintenance panel and started rewiring the inside.
"Libra's main cannon generator was placed in Vulcanus to be sent into the sun with the Gundams. But since we brought Vulcanus back to Earth's orbit; the unit's…" Heero stopped typing. "gone!"
"What?" Duo dropped his tools and ran back over to the monitor.
"That's not all that's missing." Heero scanned the security video feed. "The mobile dolls, a large portion of the factory's raw materials have also been taken from the assembly lines and vaults."
Suddenly the structure shuddered.
"Heero?" Duo said uneasily as familiar sounds of mobile suit fire started up.
"The hangar's blocked off. Come on!" Heero pulled Duo from the control room and hurried towards the factory floor.
Preventer HQ, Brussels
"I'm sure you're aware that it's nuclear powered." Dorothy said as she and Une rode an elevator down to the weapons storage facility. "In the wrong hands…"
"I'm sure it won't come to that." Une muttered as the elevator stopped and the two women stepped off. In front of them was a large transport truck, the contents covered by thick canvas.
"Well then, take a good look!" Dorothy snapped her fingers, and workers undid the ropes and pulled the canvas back.
Une stared. In the dim light of the warehouse, the newly remodeled mobile suit's white armor and wings still gleamed in an odd ethereal light.
"May I present you with Wing Zero Custom, Angelus." Dorothy breathed. "Beautiful, isn't it?"
ORB, Onogoro Island
"Stupid Zala. Why the heck is he supporting that stupid Atha woman?" Shinn thought as he kicked a rock. His steps slowed as he approached the concrete walk. The area had once been a forest but now it'd been cut down for a park. The hill where he'd fallen… where his parents had been mutilated by gunfire… where his sister's body had been blown to bits while he was spared.
"くそう! (Damnit!)" Shinn screamed and tried to fight back tears. "マユーちゃん! (Mayu-chan)"
"大丈夫? (Are you all right?)" Shinn stopped when someone touched his shoulder and a handkerchief was offered. In front of Shinn was a older boy dressed in black and red. The setting sun emphasized the boy's young, beautiful features, but Shinn could see sadness and age in his eyes.
"Umn… thanks. Sorry." Shinn pushed the cloth back into the other boy's hands. "Is this place… a memorial?"
"I think so. This is the first time I've been here." the boy said, gesturing at the stone tablet erected by the sea. "The salt water from the ocean rained on the flowers. They'll die soon."
"What's the point of planting beautiful things if people just uproot and step all over them?" Shinn muttered venomously.
"きみ (You)…" Kira started.
"もういい (Nevermind)." Shinn turned and started walking away. "I'm sorry for bothering you."
"だれですか、あの初年 (Who was that boy)?" Lacus walked up to Kira who was staring at Shinn.
"Someone who has a lot of anger inside him." Kira said. "He's crying… may he find the peace he seeks."
"そう… (I see)" Lacus turned to watch the waves crash onto the shore. "No matter how hard people try to move forward, there are still people who are locked in that cycle of sadness."
Kira said nothing and helped Lacus place a small bouquet of wildflowers at the base of the memorial. The songstress knelt before the tablet and closed her hands together in prayer.
Preventer Shuttle
"I've just confirmed it. Vulcanus has vanished from the Earth's orbit." Sally reported through the communications line.
"I see. This is most disturbing." Wufei's image on the screen flickered.
"You do realize what was on that thing, don't you?" Sally asked.
"Of course I do woman!" Wufei snapped.
"Wufei!" Sally snapped back.
"Sorry. I'll join you at the rendezvous point in a half hour. Wufei out."
Sally drummed her fingers on the console. "That boy can be such a pain sometimes…" The panel beeping caught her attention. "A life pod? Out here?"
ORB, MINERVA
"There you are!" Lunamaria exclaimed as Shinn entered the room still in civilian clothing. "Huh… thought you said you weren't going out?"
"I changed my mind." Shinn replied flatly. "Don't you have something else to do?"
"Well excuse me!" Luna huffed and walked away.
Rey was already in their room reading when Shinn walked in. The blonde said nothing as Shinn undressed and headed for the showers.
As the hot water ran over his body, Shinn curled up in a ball on the shower floor. Soon, he didn't know what was water and what were his tears. His hands began to smoothly stroke his body, as if someone were holding and caressing him.
"Shinn?" Rey's polite voice echoed through the bathroom. "Excuse me, but the captain's called a crew meeting in the hangar."
When Shinn didn't respond, Rey reached into the shower and turned the water off. He pulled a towel off the rack and tossed it to Shinn, who was still on the floor. "Come on Shinn."
Shinn wrapped the towel around his waist. "Aah… Thank you."
Preventer Shuttle
"What took you so long Sally? Crew said you had something important to show me." Wufei asked as he stepped into the cargo bay of Sally's shuttle.
"Oh Wufei." Sally gestured to the life pod in the middle of the bay.
"Are you crazy? Where did you pick up that thing? Do you even know what's in it? It could be a trap!" Wufei exploded.
"I had a strange feeling… the pod was emitting a distress code… a unique one." Sally replied. "And guess who was in it?"
"Some baka…" Wufei shut his mouth when he saw the figure lying in the pod, unconscious.
"Heero!"
ORB, MINERVA
"As you're probably now aware, ORB has now become a part of the Atlantic Federation." Cagalli Yula Atha stood before Captain Talia Gladys. "Though… the decision was not unanimous… I must ask… no, I must beg you to leave."
"I see." Gladys nodded. "Very well, we shall depart immediately."
"Captain, if it weren't for your ship and crew… well…" Cagalli started.
"You're hospitality was kind enough." Gladys said gently and stood up. "We can't expect everyone to see things the way we did in space."
"Your ship saved the world…I wish I could have done more." Cagalli looked at the floor as she and Gladys exited the office to be greeted by Lunamaria and Arthur.
"Arthur. Is the crew assembled in the hangar?" Gladys asked.
"Yes Ma'am!" Arthur saluted. "Crew is assembled and awaiting your instruction."
"Good. Please escort Ms. Atha off the ship." Gladys ordered and headed for the elevator.
Cagalli said nothing as Arthur guided her out. On the way, she passed Shinn and Rey.
"Well, I guess that's to be expected of an Atha. Traitorous bitch!" Shinn spat.
"Shinn! Wait!" Cagalli called out, but Shinn had stomped off. "You don't understand!"
"Please excuse us." Rey saluted and walked after Shinn, leaving Cagalli alone as she exited the Minerva with tears falling from her eyes.
Preventer Shuttle
"Oh, you're awake. How are you feeling Heero?" Sally asked, setting down a tray of medical supplies on the bed table. Heero grunted and rubbed his eyes.
"Duo… where is he?" Heero glanced around frantically.
"Duo?" Sally questioned.
"Duo followed me to Vulcanus. The factory… something happened, and now…" Heero tried to get out of the bed.
"Heero! Don't move!" Sally warned.
"I'm fine. I'm going back to the factory." Heero announced, reaching for his gun.
"I'm afraid I can't let you do that! You're injured, you stay in bed." Sally snatched the gun away. "I'm afraid that going back won't help any."
"What's that?" Heero stopped.
Sally sighed. "Well, I really don't think you want to hear this but… Vulcanus is gone."
"What?" Heero stopped. "What do you mean, gone?"
"Disappeared. Gone. No trace, even in the surrounding sectors." Sally pushed Heero back down onto the bed. The ex-Gundam pilot's face was glazed.
"No…" Heero's lip quivered. "Duo…"
Sally sighed, and used the opportunity to sedate him.
"Sally?" Wufei opened the door.
"Oh Wufei…" Sally turned around, sniffing.
"Are you crying…?" Wufei shut his mouth before he could say 'woman'.
"No. No. I'm fine." Sally said. "What is it?"
"New orders." Wufei said. "Une wants us to pick up something."
ORB Palace
"Athrun!" Cagalli rushed into Athrun's room. "What's this about you leaving?"
"I'm returning to the PLANTs for a while." Athrun said. "We need to know what the situation is over there."
"I… I see." Cagalli said, looking at the large amount of clothes he was packing. "When do you expect to be back?"
"I'm… not so sure." Athrun said, pushing his laptop in another bag. "Hopefully the war situation won't worsen."
"But… what about Kira?" Cagalli asked. "What do I tell him?"
"Kira's almost done with rehabilitation, isn't he?" Athrun asked. "I know I promised to be with him for all the sessions, but he should be OK on his own for now."
"But I…" Cagalli stuttered. "I need you back here as well."
"Cagalli…" Athrun closed the suitcase. "I need to see the PLANTs with my own eyes. You have things to do, as do I. Let's do our best."
"Athrun…" Cagalli felt her face turn bright red as he kissed her. "I'm… gonna be married soon you know."
"Then Kira's all mine then." Athrun smirked.
"You jerk!" Cagalli mock slapped him. "Come back safe, okay?"
L4 Cluster
"Quatre." Trowa greeted through the monitor screen. "I'm leaving in a few minutes. Is… everything OK over there?"
"Not under control." Quatre leaned back into his office chair and tucked the phone receiver under his neck. "A few of my company's resource satellites have gone missing or have been reported abandoned. The complaints and calls coming in are endless."
"I see." Trowa's face showed no emotion on the flickering screen.
"Trowa. Be careful whilst traveling through space. I'm worried about all the sudden disappearances."
"Thank you." Trowa replied. "I'll see you later."
Quatre sighed. It was bad enough that his company's resources were disappearing. Now it seemed like the 'fire' the Preventers were fighting was too big to be put out by them alone. The lights suddenly flickered and a low rumbling began to shake the colony.
In space, a small MS transport unit was startled by the emergence of several colonies that caused several of the PLANTs to vanish.
"What the heck is this?" Lowe wondered as his craft approached a space colony, with a large snake-like parasitic mobile suit attached to it.
つつく
Next on Moments of Time, the devil's incarnate takes on the Astray Red Frame. In the world slowly ascending to chaos, even the happiest of occasions are soured by the ever-growing shadows. In the next Act, Just Communication. Hold tight those bonds of courage in flight, Archangel!