Chapter Eight
"The school is split up into three separate buildings; Main campus, West campus and East campus. Usagi will be waiting for Kunzite here in the courtyard in front of Main. We will position ourselves, here, here…and here." Ami said pointing at the hologram of the school she had created in order to help familiarize the boys with the future battle ground. "Is everyone clear?"
"Hnnn." is the response she gets from Heero, everyone else nods.
"Alright then. Wufei, Rei…you cover the east side. Quatre, Minako…the west. Trowa and Makoto the courtyard. Makoto, you should be able to use the trees to your advantage."
Trowa tilts his head questioningly at the brunette who stands on the far side of the hologram, but she is merely nodding thoughtfully in answer to Ami's advice. Looking around at the others in the circle, he can see the fiery Rei muttering angrily to herself about stupid chauvinistic men. The corner of Trowa mouth curves slightly before he turns away. Quatre is listening intently to Ami as she continues to explain the plan, Minako is standing calmly beside him, twirling a piece of her hair about her finger not looking at all worried about the upcoming battle. On the other side of Ami, Heero is as stoic usual.
"Duo and Heero, you guys can cover Usagi from here and…" Ami stopped suddenly looking around as though she's misplaced something. "Duo?"
There is an awkward pause as everyone glances around.
"Perhaps he might have followed Usa?" Quatre suggests.
Makoto snorts rolling her eyes, drawing the soldiers attention to her, "Of cooooourse he did, boys got it baaaaad."
"Makoto!" Minako reprimands, though her smile softens the effect greatly. As the Senshi of love she had also picked up on Duo's odd behaviour around her Princess. Turning to Heero, "I trust he knows how to stay hidden? If Kunzite…"
Heero returns her glance dryly effectively cutting her off with out uttering a word.
"Don't worry Mina, according to his record Duo has extensive experience in…" Heero's most intense death glare brings Ami's rambling to an halt as well, "He'll be fine.", she ends quickly.
"Well ok then, let's get a move on!" Makoto buts in awkwardly, trying to ease the tension. Slowly everyone begins to break off into their assigned pairs.
"Wait." Everyone freezes mid motion at the command. Trading his death glare for one of a more contemptuous nature Heero continues to stare at Ami, "You haven't said where you will be stationed."
"Knowing Ami it'll be where they're least expecting it." Rei answers sharply both annoyed at the delay, and that he's questioning her friend. Ami's plans were always carefully thought out, and had saved the Senshi more times then she could count.
"Hnn."
"I'm going to be going in through the back of the school." Ami answers, not wanting Rei set up Heero with any further sarcastic remarks. "I have the plans for the entire school programmed into my mini computer. The generals may be expecting the Senshi to show up to Usagi's rescue but they won't be expecting anyone to attack them from behind."
"Alone." Although he would never admit it Heero is impressed. Not many people would have thought to break into and hide in the same building the enemy would be attacking from. If Ami could indeed get into position, they would have the enemy surrounded without them even knowing. And she was going to do it alone.
Ami pulls herself up straighter, "Yes."
Heero actually smirked, "Wrong."
Minako and Quatre are the first to arrive at the school. Walking quietly they approach the iron gate that surrounds the grounds. Pulling it open slowly so as not to make a sound, Quatre motions Minako though. Leading the way Minako heads to the left, skirting the edge of the courtyard moving with purpose. Quatre finds himself surprised at how stealthily the she moves. Despite everything the girls had told them earlier that day it was still hard to picture them as soldiers. Now though, seeing how Minako moved like a shadow through the deserted schoolyard, he could. Motioning behind her for him to stop, Minako crouches behind a water fountain that stands just off to the side of the west campus. Quatre eases himself down beside her noting with approval the idealness of her chosen look out. They have a clear view of the steps leading up to the main building, while still having enough cover to avoid being seen from the front courtyard. Noticing the slight shift in the shadows Quatre places a hand on Minako's shoulder pointing to where Rei and Wufei have entered across the courtyard from them. Minako smiles softly at the comical, yet silent, argument that Rei seems to be losing as the two settle down behind some ornamental shrubs. That is if Wufei pulling the obstinate priestess roughly down beside him could be considered settling.
"They seem to be getting along well."
Quatre barely manages to catch himself, nearly chuckling out loud. "Wufei has always been…strong willed." A smile ghosts over his lips as he remembers examples of his friend's stubbornness at its best.
"You're on my bow." Rei hisses under her breath.
Wufei, who is crouched close behind her, rolls his eyes. Rocking back on the balls of his feet he pauses long enough for her to readjust before settling back down to one knee.
"If we had gone to the spot I had suggested we wouldn't be so…."
"Enough. We have a much better view of the meeting place from here and are far enough off to the side that we should go unnoticed. If you actually had as much battle experience as you claim, you'd agree.", Wufei interrupts.
Rei stiffens at his implied insult, but what bothers her even more is the fact that he was right. He had picked the best location…but why did it have to be so small! Goddess, she could feel him breathing for goodness sake!
As if guessing the direction of her thoughts Wufei smirks. Leaning forward to rest an arm on his knee, he crowds Rei ever so slightly.
"Or is there another reason you don't like my choice, Onna."
Rei shivers at the sound of his voice so close to her ear, though she tells herself it is just the chill of the crisp night air.
"Hmph.", she huffs vowing to wipe the smug look off of his face first chance she gets. In the midst of battle there would be chaos. No one would notice if one tiny little fire ball happened to singe the smirk off his infuriating face.
Rei smiles slowly to herself, the idea growing on her. Suddenly a soft rustle of a tree near the iron fence draws her attention. Makoto must be getting into position.
As they slowly approached the gate Makoto notices a large oak growing off the right of the main walkway. Ami had mentioned trees in the courtyard…
"How good of a climber are you?" Makoto whispers mischievously. Trowa regards the young woman beside him seriously.
"Fair enough." His face is dead pan as he says it. His eyes can't help but laugh though at her reply.
"Well then, just try and keep up eh?" With a wink, and a running start, Makoto launches herself up and out of sight into the top most branches of the tree.
A smile twitches onto Trowa's face unexpectedly. Effortlessly he jumps to reach the first branch and swings himself up after her. Moments later he stands on a branch that extends out into the school grounds, casually leaning against the trunk of the oak. Makoto is a few feet ahead of him. Arms out for balance, she stands nimbly on the thin branch as though on a tightrope.
"Not bad." Makoto winkes. She hadn't been able to help admiring Trowa's lithe muscles, just a little, as he'd show off his own acrobatic skills. "You do stuff like this a lot when you were at war?"
"A little." Trowa frowns slightly. She probably wouldn't believe him if he told her the truth. Trowa glances out over Makoto's shoulder and takes in the view of the courtyard. "That one looks good." He points to a tree, sturdy looking and with many branches and leaves. It would make a perfect look out, plenty of cover and close enough to Usagi just in case.
Makoto twists to see, "Excellent!" When she turns back she finds that Trowa has moved closer, now he is standing no more than a foot away. She hadn't even felt the branch sway with his movement.
"Ladies first." Trowa motions, bowing slightly. Makoto eyes him silently, her expression a mixture of awe and disbelieve.
"Just a little eh." She mutters in disbelief. Turning carefully to keep her balance, she drops into a runners stance. "My ass just a little. He's moves like a tree monkey!" Suddenly she pushes off running quickly. Light on her feet she leaps just as the branch begins to bow under her weight. At the same time she reaches for the branch of the neighbouring tree. Grasping it she uses her momentum to swing her up further into the new tree's branches.
'A tree monkey? Had she just called him a tree monkey? Hopefully Duo wouldn't catch wind of it, or else he'd soon have a new nickname.' Trowa laughs. Swiftly he follows her.
"Jupiter in position." Makoto reports, the sound echoes from Ami's communicator.
"Copy that Jupiter." Ami glances beside her to where Heero leans against the schools back gate unconsciously biting her lip as she does so. "Are you ready?"