Three more adults slipped into the cramped, stuffy janitor's closet.
That made five in all, not including Burke. The boy sighed as he stepped
back to make room for them. Burke had said this was a meeting place in case
something had gone wrong. Although there were no cameras here to monitor
what went on, there wasn't much space either. The boy found himself backed
up into a corner, shoulder to shoulder with a nasty smelling mop. As the
door shut, the newcomers began to whisper the by now familiar greeting.
"Burke, what happened?" said one.
"You're bleeding!" said another. The Cadet smiled weakly, giving the, by now, familiar response.
"I'm fine," he muttered. No he wasn't. He was dying and there wasn't one in the room who didn't know it. What was the point to lying? Maybe it was an adult thing, because the boy certainly didn't understand it.
"Great. Our rebellion was a complete disaster," a thin man growled. "We're going to be taken prisoners and made examples of. Do you know what they do to their prisoners?"
"We're not entirely sunk," Burk said, shifting his weight slightly. "There's still a chance we can win this thing."
"Oh, Samuel..." said a brunette woman. "You can't pilot now. You'll die!"
"So he'll die. So what?" the boy. All but Burke turned to glare at him.
"How dare you say something like that!" the brunette woman snapped. The boy met her angry gaze evenly.
"If you want to win, you have to sacrifice things when necessary," he said with a shrug.
"What would you know, brat?" the scrawny man snarled. More then anyone in this room it seemed. The boy shook his head. Adults weren't supposed to be stupid like this.
"No," Burke said. "He's right. I will die for this cause if I must... Like Kris did...like I know you all would do." There was a general agreement around the room. For all his faults, Burke seemed to know what to say to people.
"Even though this rebellion is small...and we may not win...we'll be an example to all others out there who are oppressed. One day, L-3 will be free of Earth's rule. One day, all the colonies will. In that day..."
For a man who was dying he sure talked a lot. The boy shifted anxiously from foot to foot and tried to listen for the sounds of approaching soldiers. From what he'd gathered, this rebellion was poorly planned and not as well organized as he'd thought. That meant that everyone taking part in the rebellion was most likely right here, just waiting to be picked off one by one when the soldiers showed up. Especially since Burke didn't seem to want to shut up about his stupid ideals and get down to business. The boy narrowed his eyes. This was his mission now. He'd taken it on and Burke had, in a way, given it to him. He was not going to let a bunch of moron grownups take it from him. Odin was going to be proud of him when this was over.
"Get to the point," the boy cut in. "Everyone's here. What are we going to do?"
"Die, most likely," muttered the scrawny man. At this point, the boy was highly tempted to give him his wish.
"Not necessarily," Burke said. The scrawny man grunted.
"Perhaps not, but either way, the rebellion's ended. You can't pilot and no one else here has a clue."
"I know. That boy will pilot the captain's mobile suit."
There was a moment of silence as the all the adults turned to give the boy a surprised look. Then they all burst out at once.
"What?" the scrawny man bellowed.
"You've gotta be kidding me! He won't even be able to reach the foot pedals!" said another man.
"You're off your rocker, Burke," a woman said.
The boy flinched. They were talking way to loud. The soldiers would be sure to hear them. Annoyance tightened his throat. This was all so pathetic. The others seemed to be nothing more then computer operators or technicians...but Burke was a cadet. A military cadet trained by the alliance. He had no excuse. This was all just pure stupidity.
"Samuel," the brunette was saying. "You can't seriously be thinking of letting a little boy pilot such a complicated piece of machinery."
"We don't have any other choice," Burke said. "It's a risk we'll have to take."
"But, there's no way he can-" the woman started. The boy cut her off.
"If the mission fails, then I'll be dead and no one would connect my body to your group," the boy said, fixing her with a steady gaze. "And if it succeeds..." the boy shrugged. The woman stared at him with wide eyes...as if she was completely shocked by what he'd said.
"You know, he might be right," the scrawny man said.
"You're crazy too," said the other man. "He's just a kid. What can he possibly do?"
"Hurry up and decide," the boy said, shifting his gaze to Burke. "So far we haven't been found...but it's only a matter of time."
The cadet nodded "The boy's right. I know it seems ludicrous, but he's not just any little kid."
"You've got that right," the brunette woman breathed. "I'm not even sure he's human."
The cadet seemed to agree with her, but all he said was:
"Come here."
The boy went up to the man, the adults parting for him and staring down at him with wide eyes. Ignoring their stares he stopped in front of the cadet and crouched down. Burke pulled some toilet paper from the shelf above him and set it a few feet away.
"This is where we are," he said, pointing to a spot of blood on the floor. Then he gestured to the toilet paper. "That is the relay tower." He put his finger in the blood and smudged a line across the floor. "There is a main power line right under the road that supplies energy for the relay tower. It's only a small line, so hitting it would only trigger the backup systems." He made a cross with the blood a little more then halfway. "Before it gets to the tower, it feeds directly into a power junction. You'll know where it is by the slight dip in the road. Hit that junction just right and the surge will rip up all the way to the tower."
"Why can't I just attack it directly?" the boy asked.
"It's guarded by three leos," muttered the scrawny man. "Even if you did manage to make it that far, you wouldn't stand a chance against them."
The boy nodded. He only just knew how to work the machine, fighting with it would be beyond him. He would if he had to, though. Odin would be proud of him by the end of this mission.
"Now," Burke continued. "We have an operative in the hangar that will release the magnetic lock and open the main doors for you. Then you'll have sixty seconds to get out of there before he triggers the bombs."
"Who did you finally get?" Samuel," the brunette asked.
"I...actually don't know. They said they would send an operative here..."
"Well at least you haven't paid them yet," said the scrawny man. "So if they gyp us we can-"
"Actually..." Burke said. The boy sighed as the adults once again exploded into argument. He stood and headed for the door. This was completely ridiculous. If it was just him and Odin, they would have this entire base leveled in the time it took them to figure out what they were doing.
He slipped out into the hall, closing the door softly behind him. The lights had come on and it seemed the base was at full power again. It was only a matter of time before the small group was found. Down the hall, the guard at the hangar's entrance had doubled. It would be impossible to shoot his way in there. That would only bring more attention then was necessary.... Especially since he wasn't sure if the operative was even there or not. Sneaking in was also out of the question. There were air vents running overhead, but he didn't know their layout. He could be lost for hours. It looked like he was going to have to pretend again. He tucked the gun into his hidden pocket and pushed himself out of the shadow of the doorway.
He walked up to the guards, head bowed. As long as he acted like a kid, they would be fooled. He couldn't let them see his eyes though. They would know the truth as soon as they did that. The same as Weaver had known.
"Hey! Identify yourself!" a guard snapped. The boy stopped and looked up a little.
"I'm John Smith," he said softly, hoping he sounded scared.
"Relax, Darvin," said another soldier. "It's just a kid."
"Sorry," the one named Darvin murmured. The other solider started coming toward him. The boy found his hand automatically reaching for his hidden pocket and forcibly stopped himself. The man knelt in front of him. The boy looked away so the man couldn't see his eyes.
"Don't be scared, I won't hurt you," the man said, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Why are you out here, little one? It's dangerous." The boy bridled at the nickname but let it pass. He still had to think of a story. Hopefully the guard would think he was being shy and not become suspicious.
"Maybe he's a rebel spy!" Darvin said. The others laughed.
"Shut up, Darvin. You're scaring him," said the other soldier. He turned his attention back to the boy and smiled. "Don't worry about him. Darvin's just teasing. But you should go to the hospital wing where it's safe. Where's Captain Weaver?"
So they knew he had come in with Weaver? Perfect.
"I wanted to find my Dad's picture," the boy said. "I left it in the mobile suit...and I really want to have it."
"Well maybe you can find it later when things have settled down a bit, hm?"
"But I have to have it," the boy said, trying to look sad. "I really want my Dad's picture."
"Well, I'm sorry, little one, but no one is allowed in the hangar."
"Hey," said Darvin. "That's the kid who was caught in the crossfire earlier, isn't it? Maybe we should let him in, sir. I mean, he's probably just lost his Dad and something familiar will really help him out. I know it did with me..." the man finished softly. The tone of his voice almost made the boy look up at him. It was strange... because he had accepted Burke's mission, Burke was an ally...and this man an enemy. Yet they both seemed to have something in common. A loss that deeply effected them. So did that mean that they were both right? Or, because Burke was an enemy in the beginning, were they both wrong? How could two people on the opposite sides be the same and still fight?
"I guess we can let him in," said the other soldier, breaking the boy from his thoughts. "The captain will understand."
"Yeah, Weaver's a good man," Darvin said. Was, the boy thought automatically. Guilt tightened his chest, but he brushed that away too. He had no time for guilt. The only thing he needed to concentrate on was the mission. He wouldn't mess up this time. He would do it perfectly this time. Maybe Odin would even forgive the boy for almost shooting him. Maybe if he did this right, they could really be a family.
"All right, let's go," the soldier said, taking the boy's hand. The boy almost pulled away from the touch. It was worse then Weaver. He wasn't that young. As they entered the hangar, Darvin seemed like he was going to come in with them. The solider waved him back
"You gotta keep a close eye out, Darv. I have the highest rank and if something happens because I'm showing this kid around, it all falls back on me." The other man didn't argue, merely nodded and stepped back outside the room. The boy sighed inwardly. Good. The less people there were, the easier it would be.
The hangar was surprisingly empty. There was no sign of anyone, rebel operative or otherwise. The leos stood like tall, eerie statues that seemed to be almost alive in the half light. It was strange that it was so empty. Even if they had guards at all the entrances, they would still have someone inside the hangar, just in case.
"The other mechanics must have evacuated...but I'm surprised Ed didn't stay behind."
"Ed?" the boy echoed. Maybe that was the person who Burke had hired. The solider nodded.
"Yeah, the oldest mechanic in the place. Couldn't tear him away from his machines with a forklift."
The boy nodded. Then the old man probably was still here. He was either in some other part of the hangar or the operative Burke had told him about. There was a movement in the shadows of the catwalk off to the side. The boy glanced up just in time to see a figure flicker into darkness. He narrowed his eyes. The mechanic? Or someone else?
"See something interesting?" the solider asked. The boy immediately turned his attention back to the man. They were in front of the captain's mobile suit. The soldier had left his side to fiddle with the controls of a moving platform. The machine grumbled to life, the noise seeming to fill the whole hangar. If a shot was fired, no one would be able to hear it over the noise. The boy stepped up onto the platform and craned his head to look at the leo. The hatch was open. All he really had to do was kill the solider and climb in. The platform trembled and started up.
"So, you were the one caught in the fight, huh?" the soldier asked. The boy glanced at him. The man had...changed. He was leaning against the railing, giving the boy a narrow eyed look. Gone was the concerned adult. The boy tensed automatically, then realized that he was only making himself look guilty and tried to relax. By the cold look that crossed the soldier's face, he realized he'd failed. He reached for his hidden pocket, but the soldier's gun was out and pointed at him, before he could reach his own weapon.
The boy took an unconscious step back, sudden fear closing his throat. The boy clenched his teeth. Why was he afraid now? This wasn't the first time he'd had a gun pointed to his head. Why was he so scared? Only little kids got scared! He tried to fight the emotion back. Odin wouldn't have been scared.
"Yeah, you'd better be scared," the soldier snarled. "I don't like kids. I never have. One less wouldn't make a shit of difference; especially one that works for the rebels." The man paused then, as if waiting for the boy to say something. The boy straightened and stared at the man's face. The fear was still coiled in the pit of his belly, but this mission was more important. If he did this right all on his own, Odin couldn't help but be proud of him.
"Thought you were so smart, didn't you?" the solider continued. "Thought you could get away with it. Well you messed up big time. I helped to bring the rebels in, you know...and there you were, standing right next to the captain. Didn't look like a kid who had just been through a fight. I got curious so I talked to the rebel woman. Silly little idiot told me everything. I know you're involved in this rebellion so you'd better start talking about what you know before I blow your brains out."
The boy looked on the soldier in an entirely new light then. This man wasn't dumb. He was observant and smart... The soldier must have suspected him from the beginning, but of course, no one would believe a little kid had been active in a rebellion. So the solider had led him in here...even taken him by the hand so he wouldn't change his mind and run away. The boy had walking right into a trap. He should have seen what the solider was doing. He should have known better. Now he was caught in a situation he wasn't sure how to get out of. He couldn't shoot the solider; he'd never be able to get his gun out in time. Telling the solider the truth...or even lying...wouldn't do any good. The man might not shoot him, but he'd never let the boy in the cockpit.
Frustration mixed with the fear and twisted his stomach into knots. Now what was he supposed to do? He was running out of time! It wouldn't be much longer before they found out what was really going on. Burke would probably rant it out in full detail before he died, if he hadn't all ready.
"You'd better speak up, kid!" the soldier said, finger tensing on the trigger. "I'm not very patient man. Don't make me have to kill you." Suddenly the boy saw something that made all the fear inside him disappear. Beads of sweat were appearing on the man's forehead. The boy shook his head at his own stupidity. The solider was obviously bluffing. Even if he was a kid hater, there was no way he could bring himself to shoot one. Odin would have shot as soon as he suspected something.
The lift had risen to its full height and stopped. They were now level with the mobile suit's head. The only way to get into the cockpit would be to jump. First, though, he had to get rid of the solider. It would be tricky, though. The man was nervous and a quick movement would have him shooting on impulse.
"I can't remember all that I have to do, so they wrote it down," the boy said, slowly reaching for his hidden pocket.
"How stupid do you think I am? I-"
He was interrupted when the inside door slammed open, the crash echoing around the room. The soldier's head shot in that direction.
"Sir! Weaver's dead!" Darvin shouted. Time was up. The boy whipped out his gun and dodged as the soldier shot at him. The bullet whispered across his cheek. Just as the boy was about to fire, the soldier hit a button on the control panel, making the platform jerk forward. The boy's bullet went wild, burying just below the soldiers ribs. They were quickly rolling away from the mobile suit. The boy paused only just long enough to jam his gun into his waistband, then jumped up on the railing and pushed himself off.
For a moment, he was flying. Everything seemed to move in slow motion. He could hear someone screaming something and a gunshot that came no where close to him. The hatch of the mobile suit rushed up to meet him. He grabbed for it. The momentum carried him forward, slamming him into the underside and then back and for one heart stopping moment, he nearly lost his grip. He made his way hand over hand down the hatch and swung himself into the cockpit.
There were more switches then he remembered in here. Hopefully, the buttons that Weaver had pressed to open the hatch would be the same ones to close it. He flicked a switch that looked similar to the one he remembered and breathed a sigh of relief as the doors hissed closed. He ran his fingers along the buttons on the side as he had seen Weaver do. The little hatch popped open for the key. He ripped the chain holding the key from his neck, took off the green strip of metal and poked it into its slot. The giant machine hummed to life. The boy sat back a moment to catch his breath. The first stage of his mission was complete. The intercom beside him crackled to life.
"Are you prepared?" the voice was high pitched, either belonging to a woman, or a kid like him. It was also surprisingly calm, as if this situation was typical.
"Ready," the boy said, stretching out his legs to touch the foot pedals. When they didn't touch anything but air, he looked down and noticed the pedals were farther away then he thought. Urgh. He hated being a kid!
"Releasing docking magnet," the voice said. The boy slid down in the seat and pressed his foot against the pedal. Nothing happened. The pedal didn't even give to the pressure. He slid down further so he could use more of his leg and pushed as hard as he could. There was a slight change of tone in the machine as the foot rose. Sweat beaded his face. This was really heavy! He shifted his foot up to the top of the pedal in order to move the leo's foot forward. There was a slight jolt as the magnet released. The unbalanced suit began to fall forward. The boy yelped and jerked his foot off the pedal. It crashed down and the cockpit vibrated madly.
"I've activated the countdown," the voice said. "You have fifty-three seconds remaining." There was a pause, then. "Enemy units at three o'clock." The boy narrowed his eyes. What in the world was the operative talking about? It was at least eight-thirty now. With a shrug, the boy braced his lower back against the seat, gripped the edge of the seat with his hands to keep himself steady, and began to work the pedals. It wasn't easy. By the time he had gone only three steps, his legs were aching. Suddenly there was an eruption of pinging sounds that vibrated through the suit. It took him a moment to realize people were shooting at him. Well, bullets couldn't get through a mobile suit's armor very well...at least he didn't think they could.
"You have to move faster then that," said the voice. "You have thirty seconds left and if you don't turn you're going to run into a wall."
The boy scootched up in the seat so he could see out the window and realized the voice was right. He was staring right at a catwalk. He looked around wildly at all the buttons and switches. There was nothing to tell him how to turn the stupid thing...and he only had a few seconds left. Oh no. What was he supposed to do now? --- Notes: Aaaah! Don't kill me! I swear I'll update ASAP and the next one will be the last chapter of this particular arc if you know what I mean. ^^; Sorry it's been taking so long but I have school and stuff. Just a reminder, this fic is still ongoing. I have a bunch planned for it. *side glances* A whole bunch. *sweatdrop* Pity me.
Disclaimer: Well...you know the drill.
"Burke, what happened?" said one.
"You're bleeding!" said another. The Cadet smiled weakly, giving the, by now, familiar response.
"I'm fine," he muttered. No he wasn't. He was dying and there wasn't one in the room who didn't know it. What was the point to lying? Maybe it was an adult thing, because the boy certainly didn't understand it.
"Great. Our rebellion was a complete disaster," a thin man growled. "We're going to be taken prisoners and made examples of. Do you know what they do to their prisoners?"
"We're not entirely sunk," Burk said, shifting his weight slightly. "There's still a chance we can win this thing."
"Oh, Samuel..." said a brunette woman. "You can't pilot now. You'll die!"
"So he'll die. So what?" the boy. All but Burke turned to glare at him.
"How dare you say something like that!" the brunette woman snapped. The boy met her angry gaze evenly.
"If you want to win, you have to sacrifice things when necessary," he said with a shrug.
"What would you know, brat?" the scrawny man snarled. More then anyone in this room it seemed. The boy shook his head. Adults weren't supposed to be stupid like this.
"No," Burke said. "He's right. I will die for this cause if I must... Like Kris did...like I know you all would do." There was a general agreement around the room. For all his faults, Burke seemed to know what to say to people.
"Even though this rebellion is small...and we may not win...we'll be an example to all others out there who are oppressed. One day, L-3 will be free of Earth's rule. One day, all the colonies will. In that day..."
For a man who was dying he sure talked a lot. The boy shifted anxiously from foot to foot and tried to listen for the sounds of approaching soldiers. From what he'd gathered, this rebellion was poorly planned and not as well organized as he'd thought. That meant that everyone taking part in the rebellion was most likely right here, just waiting to be picked off one by one when the soldiers showed up. Especially since Burke didn't seem to want to shut up about his stupid ideals and get down to business. The boy narrowed his eyes. This was his mission now. He'd taken it on and Burke had, in a way, given it to him. He was not going to let a bunch of moron grownups take it from him. Odin was going to be proud of him when this was over.
"Get to the point," the boy cut in. "Everyone's here. What are we going to do?"
"Die, most likely," muttered the scrawny man. At this point, the boy was highly tempted to give him his wish.
"Not necessarily," Burke said. The scrawny man grunted.
"Perhaps not, but either way, the rebellion's ended. You can't pilot and no one else here has a clue."
"I know. That boy will pilot the captain's mobile suit."
There was a moment of silence as the all the adults turned to give the boy a surprised look. Then they all burst out at once.
"What?" the scrawny man bellowed.
"You've gotta be kidding me! He won't even be able to reach the foot pedals!" said another man.
"You're off your rocker, Burke," a woman said.
The boy flinched. They were talking way to loud. The soldiers would be sure to hear them. Annoyance tightened his throat. This was all so pathetic. The others seemed to be nothing more then computer operators or technicians...but Burke was a cadet. A military cadet trained by the alliance. He had no excuse. This was all just pure stupidity.
"Samuel," the brunette was saying. "You can't seriously be thinking of letting a little boy pilot such a complicated piece of machinery."
"We don't have any other choice," Burke said. "It's a risk we'll have to take."
"But, there's no way he can-" the woman started. The boy cut her off.
"If the mission fails, then I'll be dead and no one would connect my body to your group," the boy said, fixing her with a steady gaze. "And if it succeeds..." the boy shrugged. The woman stared at him with wide eyes...as if she was completely shocked by what he'd said.
"You know, he might be right," the scrawny man said.
"You're crazy too," said the other man. "He's just a kid. What can he possibly do?"
"Hurry up and decide," the boy said, shifting his gaze to Burke. "So far we haven't been found...but it's only a matter of time."
The cadet nodded "The boy's right. I know it seems ludicrous, but he's not just any little kid."
"You've got that right," the brunette woman breathed. "I'm not even sure he's human."
The cadet seemed to agree with her, but all he said was:
"Come here."
The boy went up to the man, the adults parting for him and staring down at him with wide eyes. Ignoring their stares he stopped in front of the cadet and crouched down. Burke pulled some toilet paper from the shelf above him and set it a few feet away.
"This is where we are," he said, pointing to a spot of blood on the floor. Then he gestured to the toilet paper. "That is the relay tower." He put his finger in the blood and smudged a line across the floor. "There is a main power line right under the road that supplies energy for the relay tower. It's only a small line, so hitting it would only trigger the backup systems." He made a cross with the blood a little more then halfway. "Before it gets to the tower, it feeds directly into a power junction. You'll know where it is by the slight dip in the road. Hit that junction just right and the surge will rip up all the way to the tower."
"Why can't I just attack it directly?" the boy asked.
"It's guarded by three leos," muttered the scrawny man. "Even if you did manage to make it that far, you wouldn't stand a chance against them."
The boy nodded. He only just knew how to work the machine, fighting with it would be beyond him. He would if he had to, though. Odin would be proud of him by the end of this mission.
"Now," Burke continued. "We have an operative in the hangar that will release the magnetic lock and open the main doors for you. Then you'll have sixty seconds to get out of there before he triggers the bombs."
"Who did you finally get?" Samuel," the brunette asked.
"I...actually don't know. They said they would send an operative here..."
"Well at least you haven't paid them yet," said the scrawny man. "So if they gyp us we can-"
"Actually..." Burke said. The boy sighed as the adults once again exploded into argument. He stood and headed for the door. This was completely ridiculous. If it was just him and Odin, they would have this entire base leveled in the time it took them to figure out what they were doing.
He slipped out into the hall, closing the door softly behind him. The lights had come on and it seemed the base was at full power again. It was only a matter of time before the small group was found. Down the hall, the guard at the hangar's entrance had doubled. It would be impossible to shoot his way in there. That would only bring more attention then was necessary.... Especially since he wasn't sure if the operative was even there or not. Sneaking in was also out of the question. There were air vents running overhead, but he didn't know their layout. He could be lost for hours. It looked like he was going to have to pretend again. He tucked the gun into his hidden pocket and pushed himself out of the shadow of the doorway.
He walked up to the guards, head bowed. As long as he acted like a kid, they would be fooled. He couldn't let them see his eyes though. They would know the truth as soon as they did that. The same as Weaver had known.
"Hey! Identify yourself!" a guard snapped. The boy stopped and looked up a little.
"I'm John Smith," he said softly, hoping he sounded scared.
"Relax, Darvin," said another soldier. "It's just a kid."
"Sorry," the one named Darvin murmured. The other solider started coming toward him. The boy found his hand automatically reaching for his hidden pocket and forcibly stopped himself. The man knelt in front of him. The boy looked away so the man couldn't see his eyes.
"Don't be scared, I won't hurt you," the man said, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Why are you out here, little one? It's dangerous." The boy bridled at the nickname but let it pass. He still had to think of a story. Hopefully the guard would think he was being shy and not become suspicious.
"Maybe he's a rebel spy!" Darvin said. The others laughed.
"Shut up, Darvin. You're scaring him," said the other soldier. He turned his attention back to the boy and smiled. "Don't worry about him. Darvin's just teasing. But you should go to the hospital wing where it's safe. Where's Captain Weaver?"
So they knew he had come in with Weaver? Perfect.
"I wanted to find my Dad's picture," the boy said. "I left it in the mobile suit...and I really want to have it."
"Well maybe you can find it later when things have settled down a bit, hm?"
"But I have to have it," the boy said, trying to look sad. "I really want my Dad's picture."
"Well, I'm sorry, little one, but no one is allowed in the hangar."
"Hey," said Darvin. "That's the kid who was caught in the crossfire earlier, isn't it? Maybe we should let him in, sir. I mean, he's probably just lost his Dad and something familiar will really help him out. I know it did with me..." the man finished softly. The tone of his voice almost made the boy look up at him. It was strange... because he had accepted Burke's mission, Burke was an ally...and this man an enemy. Yet they both seemed to have something in common. A loss that deeply effected them. So did that mean that they were both right? Or, because Burke was an enemy in the beginning, were they both wrong? How could two people on the opposite sides be the same and still fight?
"I guess we can let him in," said the other soldier, breaking the boy from his thoughts. "The captain will understand."
"Yeah, Weaver's a good man," Darvin said. Was, the boy thought automatically. Guilt tightened his chest, but he brushed that away too. He had no time for guilt. The only thing he needed to concentrate on was the mission. He wouldn't mess up this time. He would do it perfectly this time. Maybe Odin would even forgive the boy for almost shooting him. Maybe if he did this right, they could really be a family.
"All right, let's go," the soldier said, taking the boy's hand. The boy almost pulled away from the touch. It was worse then Weaver. He wasn't that young. As they entered the hangar, Darvin seemed like he was going to come in with them. The solider waved him back
"You gotta keep a close eye out, Darv. I have the highest rank and if something happens because I'm showing this kid around, it all falls back on me." The other man didn't argue, merely nodded and stepped back outside the room. The boy sighed inwardly. Good. The less people there were, the easier it would be.
The hangar was surprisingly empty. There was no sign of anyone, rebel operative or otherwise. The leos stood like tall, eerie statues that seemed to be almost alive in the half light. It was strange that it was so empty. Even if they had guards at all the entrances, they would still have someone inside the hangar, just in case.
"The other mechanics must have evacuated...but I'm surprised Ed didn't stay behind."
"Ed?" the boy echoed. Maybe that was the person who Burke had hired. The solider nodded.
"Yeah, the oldest mechanic in the place. Couldn't tear him away from his machines with a forklift."
The boy nodded. Then the old man probably was still here. He was either in some other part of the hangar or the operative Burke had told him about. There was a movement in the shadows of the catwalk off to the side. The boy glanced up just in time to see a figure flicker into darkness. He narrowed his eyes. The mechanic? Or someone else?
"See something interesting?" the solider asked. The boy immediately turned his attention back to the man. They were in front of the captain's mobile suit. The soldier had left his side to fiddle with the controls of a moving platform. The machine grumbled to life, the noise seeming to fill the whole hangar. If a shot was fired, no one would be able to hear it over the noise. The boy stepped up onto the platform and craned his head to look at the leo. The hatch was open. All he really had to do was kill the solider and climb in. The platform trembled and started up.
"So, you were the one caught in the fight, huh?" the soldier asked. The boy glanced at him. The man had...changed. He was leaning against the railing, giving the boy a narrow eyed look. Gone was the concerned adult. The boy tensed automatically, then realized that he was only making himself look guilty and tried to relax. By the cold look that crossed the soldier's face, he realized he'd failed. He reached for his hidden pocket, but the soldier's gun was out and pointed at him, before he could reach his own weapon.
The boy took an unconscious step back, sudden fear closing his throat. The boy clenched his teeth. Why was he afraid now? This wasn't the first time he'd had a gun pointed to his head. Why was he so scared? Only little kids got scared! He tried to fight the emotion back. Odin wouldn't have been scared.
"Yeah, you'd better be scared," the soldier snarled. "I don't like kids. I never have. One less wouldn't make a shit of difference; especially one that works for the rebels." The man paused then, as if waiting for the boy to say something. The boy straightened and stared at the man's face. The fear was still coiled in the pit of his belly, but this mission was more important. If he did this right all on his own, Odin couldn't help but be proud of him.
"Thought you were so smart, didn't you?" the solider continued. "Thought you could get away with it. Well you messed up big time. I helped to bring the rebels in, you know...and there you were, standing right next to the captain. Didn't look like a kid who had just been through a fight. I got curious so I talked to the rebel woman. Silly little idiot told me everything. I know you're involved in this rebellion so you'd better start talking about what you know before I blow your brains out."
The boy looked on the soldier in an entirely new light then. This man wasn't dumb. He was observant and smart... The soldier must have suspected him from the beginning, but of course, no one would believe a little kid had been active in a rebellion. So the solider had led him in here...even taken him by the hand so he wouldn't change his mind and run away. The boy had walking right into a trap. He should have seen what the solider was doing. He should have known better. Now he was caught in a situation he wasn't sure how to get out of. He couldn't shoot the solider; he'd never be able to get his gun out in time. Telling the solider the truth...or even lying...wouldn't do any good. The man might not shoot him, but he'd never let the boy in the cockpit.
Frustration mixed with the fear and twisted his stomach into knots. Now what was he supposed to do? He was running out of time! It wouldn't be much longer before they found out what was really going on. Burke would probably rant it out in full detail before he died, if he hadn't all ready.
"You'd better speak up, kid!" the soldier said, finger tensing on the trigger. "I'm not very patient man. Don't make me have to kill you." Suddenly the boy saw something that made all the fear inside him disappear. Beads of sweat were appearing on the man's forehead. The boy shook his head at his own stupidity. The solider was obviously bluffing. Even if he was a kid hater, there was no way he could bring himself to shoot one. Odin would have shot as soon as he suspected something.
The lift had risen to its full height and stopped. They were now level with the mobile suit's head. The only way to get into the cockpit would be to jump. First, though, he had to get rid of the solider. It would be tricky, though. The man was nervous and a quick movement would have him shooting on impulse.
"I can't remember all that I have to do, so they wrote it down," the boy said, slowly reaching for his hidden pocket.
"How stupid do you think I am? I-"
He was interrupted when the inside door slammed open, the crash echoing around the room. The soldier's head shot in that direction.
"Sir! Weaver's dead!" Darvin shouted. Time was up. The boy whipped out his gun and dodged as the soldier shot at him. The bullet whispered across his cheek. Just as the boy was about to fire, the soldier hit a button on the control panel, making the platform jerk forward. The boy's bullet went wild, burying just below the soldiers ribs. They were quickly rolling away from the mobile suit. The boy paused only just long enough to jam his gun into his waistband, then jumped up on the railing and pushed himself off.
For a moment, he was flying. Everything seemed to move in slow motion. He could hear someone screaming something and a gunshot that came no where close to him. The hatch of the mobile suit rushed up to meet him. He grabbed for it. The momentum carried him forward, slamming him into the underside and then back and for one heart stopping moment, he nearly lost his grip. He made his way hand over hand down the hatch and swung himself into the cockpit.
There were more switches then he remembered in here. Hopefully, the buttons that Weaver had pressed to open the hatch would be the same ones to close it. He flicked a switch that looked similar to the one he remembered and breathed a sigh of relief as the doors hissed closed. He ran his fingers along the buttons on the side as he had seen Weaver do. The little hatch popped open for the key. He ripped the chain holding the key from his neck, took off the green strip of metal and poked it into its slot. The giant machine hummed to life. The boy sat back a moment to catch his breath. The first stage of his mission was complete. The intercom beside him crackled to life.
"Are you prepared?" the voice was high pitched, either belonging to a woman, or a kid like him. It was also surprisingly calm, as if this situation was typical.
"Ready," the boy said, stretching out his legs to touch the foot pedals. When they didn't touch anything but air, he looked down and noticed the pedals were farther away then he thought. Urgh. He hated being a kid!
"Releasing docking magnet," the voice said. The boy slid down in the seat and pressed his foot against the pedal. Nothing happened. The pedal didn't even give to the pressure. He slid down further so he could use more of his leg and pushed as hard as he could. There was a slight change of tone in the machine as the foot rose. Sweat beaded his face. This was really heavy! He shifted his foot up to the top of the pedal in order to move the leo's foot forward. There was a slight jolt as the magnet released. The unbalanced suit began to fall forward. The boy yelped and jerked his foot off the pedal. It crashed down and the cockpit vibrated madly.
"I've activated the countdown," the voice said. "You have fifty-three seconds remaining." There was a pause, then. "Enemy units at three o'clock." The boy narrowed his eyes. What in the world was the operative talking about? It was at least eight-thirty now. With a shrug, the boy braced his lower back against the seat, gripped the edge of the seat with his hands to keep himself steady, and began to work the pedals. It wasn't easy. By the time he had gone only three steps, his legs were aching. Suddenly there was an eruption of pinging sounds that vibrated through the suit. It took him a moment to realize people were shooting at him. Well, bullets couldn't get through a mobile suit's armor very well...at least he didn't think they could.
"You have to move faster then that," said the voice. "You have thirty seconds left and if you don't turn you're going to run into a wall."
The boy scootched up in the seat so he could see out the window and realized the voice was right. He was staring right at a catwalk. He looked around wildly at all the buttons and switches. There was nothing to tell him how to turn the stupid thing...and he only had a few seconds left. Oh no. What was he supposed to do now? --- Notes: Aaaah! Don't kill me! I swear I'll update ASAP and the next one will be the last chapter of this particular arc if you know what I mean. ^^; Sorry it's been taking so long but I have school and stuff. Just a reminder, this fic is still ongoing. I have a bunch planned for it. *side glances* A whole bunch. *sweatdrop* Pity me.
Disclaimer: Well...you know the drill.