Chapter 24 Bullet in the Chamber
The news was not good hundreds of thousands of people where dead most of whom civilians, multiple Preventer Space bases including the headquarters of MO2 where now dust. The media was showing the video repeatedly of the destruction of the stations. However, it was not as bad as it could have been, all but one station had been abounded and luckily, the EA forces on the moon had made it to the far hanger saving their lives. Even so, the images of civilian bodies floating dead in space caused a massive uproar, and surprising some of the news media mostly those in the colonies blamed the Preventers for using the Colony as a human shield. With the destruction of the space stations, the Preventers had to fall back to secondary sites taking them out of play for the near future. Same was going on with the EA forces which were being evacuated back to their home universe.
Even though space had become settle for the moment the likelihood of new conflict was rising on Earth and so before sunrise an Areas mobile suit took off from Sicily.
Dawn patrol was something all true pilots loved, to be first in the air and go hunting for enemies was something pilots loved. Even so going out on patrol tended to be very boring and so it was this time as a single Ares flight mobile suit was flying a patrol on the far west coast of Sicily, there wasn't supposed to be anything out there apart from some civilian shipping. It was supposed to be a boring patrol and given everything that happened that happened yesterday boring was good. The Ares was about to turn around and head back when it is internal radar system began to beep.
"What the?" inquired Areas pilot as she moved her suit lower and headed toward the source, her eyes widened as she saw what it was. She hit her radio and began broadcasting back to headquarters.
"Enemy spotted at my coordinators heading North East at." reported the pilot as she read the coordinators, then she what enemy was coming their way. "Three gundams, I say again it's Gundams!"
"Can you confirm what gundams?" inquired the radio operator back at base.
"Looks like Wing Angel and two others, one red and one blue." reported the pilot "I am getting out of their way."
"Ok, return to base." Confirmed the radio operator as he plotted the course and speed of the three gundams, once he got it he confirmed it and then confirmed it again to make sure everything was right. "My God they are heading straight toward where Commander Zechs and the rest of the Government is."
From there the alert went out to the Preventer forces gathered just south of Rome to defend the Headquarters of the Preventer military unites in the area and where what remains of the high level members civilian government. The pilots ran to their Areas mobile suits and toward the Scorpion mobile suits which would form the base of the land defense. Among the pilots rushing toward their machines was Chang Wufei and Zechs, however their suits where in a private hanger. Once they arrived, they ran up the stairs and jumped into their suits strapping themselves into the five point restraints.
"So we have the so called Legendary Three coming our way?" inquired Wufei as his gundam came to life.
"Yes, I want you to lead the close in defense while I fly out to meet them," ordered Zechs
"Zechs you can't expect to take on all three with only yourself and a couple flights of Areas mobile suits." explained Wufei "Heero alone will take everything you have, I'll hand them while you handle Heero."
"They are much more skilled in flight then you are, you would be putting yourself at risk," explained Zechs as he looked his options. Duo and Deathsythe was heading North from his base but it would time for him to get into the battle but even then the enemy coming at him where clearly designed for combat in the air compared to the gundams he had which apart from his own where designed for ground combat.
"No, Heero will want to face me one on one, while I take him on the other two will keep moving toward their target and that is when you and Noin will overwhelm them in fire power." Reported Zechs
"Very well." said Wufei as they the two suits headed out of the hanger. The moment they were cleared they took flight, Zechs heading straight out to sea as fast as possible while Wufei moved to a small island located less then a quarter mile off shore. It was here where the Preventers where going to make their main stand. They had everything being set up that they could bring, Scorpion ground suites where armed with both chain guns and long range beam cannons. While Aries mobile suits patrolled the skies if Noin in her signature white suit leading the way.
Back on the coast only a handful of suits where left behind along with some tanks and armored vehicles. There main goal was to protect the large hotel which had been taken over as the civilian headquarters.
"Madam President we need to get you to a safe place." said the protective detail
"Where, could we hide from this storm." inquired Lady Une
"We have a helicopter one route," stated the Guard
"That could be taken out with ease, same goes for a truck convoy." stated Lady Une "No, I will be staying here."
"Madam President that isn't wise." stated the guard
"I am in no real danger." stated Lady Une as she looked toward a different hotel closer to the water "Heero's target Relena and if I know her she isn't going to run either."
Turns out Lady Une was correct as Relena Peacecraft stood on the balcony of her hotel looking out to sea and where the Preventers where forming up to defend the city. The protective detail was trying in get her to head to the basement level at least but no she stood there and waited for Heero to arrive.
Over a mile out to sea Zechs and a flight of Areas mobile suits was approaching the three incoming gundams. Once they were in range Zechs confirmed what they already believed the legendary three was coming straight at them.
"Listen all pilots I will take on Heero the rest of you will focus all fire on the other two." ordered Zechs as he aimed his powerful beam cannon straight at Wing Angel. As if Heero knew what he was doing Wing Angel stopped midair and raised his own buster rifle. They both pulled the trigger at the same time; both shots flew true and hit each other in a blinding flash of light.
While the lights blinded the Areas pilots, the Strike Freedom and the Infinite Justice moved forward heading straight toward the city and their target.
"Fire!" yelled the main Aries pilot as all the mobile suits opened up on the two incoming suits. The two gundams dodged the fire and kept advancing toward the flying suit.
"Athrun I got this you keep going," ordered Kira as the Strike Freedom flew up, as it headed up multiple blue pieces fell off and turned toward the Preventer mobile suits. Once the suit had reached the height Kira wanted he leveled out pulling out the twin bean guns out as the two beam cannons mounted on the side of the suit came out.
Inside the suit, a large globe appeared showing the location of all the nearby mobile suits, within seconds red icons highlighted twelve of them. With one pull of the trigger all eight feathers, the two side mounted cannons and the guns in his hands fired. The green beams on energy fired out and hit every one of their targets.
The areas pilots which were left moved forward to close the distance so that their weapons would have more effect on the gundam. They ignored the Infinite Justice as it moved toward the land defense line.
"Fire!" yelled Wufei as he and the Scorpion mobile suits under his command open fire at long range at the incoming mobile suit. Noin was also leading the air force as almost every mobile suit in the area entered the fight.
While Kira and Athrun where dealing with the defenders, Wing Angel and Tallgeese Mark III where doing battle over a small group of low islands. The two suits carried out a deadly dance as they traded beam shots at each other. Finally, Angel pulled one of its swords and charged forward, Zechs did the same as they slammed into each other their beam swords clashing against each other.
"Heero you don't have to do this." stated Zechs as he tried to push Wing Angel's sword back but found that he couldn't, the suit was simply stronger than his. Heero's respond came when the twin shoulder mounted beam chain guns opened up. Zechs jumped back and sent his whipped flying forward. The whip or heat rod was superheated and should have gone through anything however an energy field blocked the attack.
"Zechs, I am doing what has to be done." came Heero's voice over the radio as he aimed his buster rifle straight at Zechs "And I hate that I have to do it."
"Heero I am not going to let you do this." said Zechs as he pulled his own beam cannon up and aimed it again at Wing Angel.
"You can't stop me." stated Heero as both of them fired their main weapon again.
All the fire had forces Athrun to head toward ground level and now the Infinite Justice was moving amongst the trees of the small island cutting apart any Preventer mobile suit he came across. While he was holding, his own the advance had stopped and the numbers of Preventer suits where slowly pushing the legendary gundam back.
"You were a full to come here alone." said Wufei as he slammed into the other gundam. Both suits pulled out their beam weapons as the duel beam saber of the Justice prepared to fight the beam trident of Wufei. "You are a fool and this place will be your tomb."
Athrun looked around all the Scorpion suits and Areas mobile suits where surrounding him, Kira was still fighting the larger air force out to sea and from the outside; it looked as if Athrun was doomed.
"What makes you think I am alone?" inquired Athrun as suddenly a barrage of missiles came out from the sea behind the island. The missiles hit multiple mobile suits and destroyed them all in single hits.
"What the?" inquired Wufei as a strange white ship came flying out of the water. Seconds after it came out of the water multiple anti-aircraft guns came out of protective covers and two larger cannons came out of the two what looked to be legs.
"The Archangel." answered Athrun as the ship he had spent the early part of his military carrier in Zaft tracking down opened up on the Preventers. The side mobile suit catapult opened up as the Force Impulse launched out, seconds after the Impulse launched a golden gundam launched from the second catapult.
"Well looks like you are in a little bit of trouble kid." laughed the cocky pilot Mu La Flaga as he turned his golden Akatsuki gundam toward the preventer forces.
Out to see Wing Angel and Tallgeese where trading blows however something was not sitting right with Zechs. Heero was not pressing his attack as much as he thought he should have. There was openings he wasn't taking, he had seen this before when he studied the video of Heero's battle with Duo and Wufei.
"Why are you stalling Heero?" inquired Zechs as they landed on one of the small islands. For the longest time Heero said nothing as Wing Angel landed on the sandy ground. "Why are you stalling Heero, we are finally fighting one on one. Answer me Heero Yuy!"
Suddenly the image of a young woman, dressed in a white flight suit appeared on his screen. Zechs blinked as the woman moved some of her red hair out of her eyes.
"Well I am not my husband but I think this answers your question," stated Luna "Did you forget that I mastered the Angel system as well."
"Where is Heero?" inquired Zechs only a second before he realized where Heero had to be. "Relena."
"It has to be done Zechs and you are too far away to do anything to stop it." stated Luna "I am sorry."
"NO!" yelled Zechs as he punched the Tallgeese's engines to max as he headed back to shore.
The explosions that took place close to the hotel caused Relena's head to snap toward the source, there was another smaller gundam doing battle very close to her position. It had somehow had gotten past the main defense line and was now only a few blocks away from her. The suit was blue, white and red with a large shield. She watched for a moment as the gundam shot two mobile suits with a beam gun through a built in hole in the shield. Then the suit turned its head toward Relena and a chill went down her spin as those eyes glowed.
Just then, three more scorpion mobile suits moved between her and the gundam. For a moment she felt safe then it came moving at her with a bolt of speed. With what seemed to be a flick of the wrist it pulled out a beam sabre from its back and it cut apart the three scorpion mobile suits. That brought it right next to her, it was slightly taller than the building so she was at the same level as the top of it's chest.
"Madam Secretary!" yelled a guard only seconds before the smallest cannons located in the head opened up where her guards where standing. In a quick burst the guards where nothing more than pulp, leaving her alone.
Relena back up a bit in fear as part of the top part of the suit, it was maybe the size of a door slid up and a figure rose up. Her eyes widened as she saw Heero sitting in a mobile suit cockpit.
"Surprised?" inquired Heero as he stood up.
"If you're here then who is fighting my brother?" inquired Relena
"My Wife." stated Heero "It is time that I kept my promise to you all those years ago when I tore apart that party invite."
Relena eyes widened as she remembered what Heero had said to her when he ripped up the birthday invite she had given him.
"Your going to…." started Relena but she never got a chance to finish as Heero's pistol snapped up. With a quick and effortless pull of trigger, a 45 caliber bullet went flying out of the barrel and the rounded ended in Relena's chest. She stumbled backwards and her eyes widened as she realized what had happened. She looked at the blood pouring out of her wound, just as she was processing the blow six more bullets came flying out of the gun. Each shot was a kill shot with one in the heart, one in the liver, two in each lungs and finally the last one went straight through Relena's forehead blowing her brains out the back of her head. She fell backwards as her blood began covering the floor.
"to kill you." finished Heero as he ejected the empty magazine and slammed in another before sitting back down as if he had not done anything.
"This is Heero Yuy, Relena Peacecraft is dead." reported Heero as Zechs spun his suit around as his onboard computer zoomed in to see Heero Yuy getting into the cockpit of a different gundam. There on the balcony behind him was an almost unrecognized body.
Heero got back into the Force Impulse and took off; with their mission done the Angel Squadron began to pull back. The Archangel punched through the Preventer defense line, the guns placed down so much fire that it allowed Heero, Athrun and Mu La Flaga to return to the ship before diving back down. Luna and Kira simply flew their suits away from the battlefield. Zechs arrived over the battlefield just in time to see the Archangel disappear under water.
"No." said Zechs as his computer zoomed in on the remains of his little sister; tears began to fill his eyes as he looked at her broken body lying in a pool of her blood. "Relena, I have failed you."
Well I hope you liked this chapter even if it was short and how I set it up that Heero and Luna had switched mobile suits. Relena is dead and it is time for the fall out from that to happen. I plan for a massive gundam on gundam fight to take place in a later chapter which is why there is not as much here. Now until next time please keep on reading. Thanks Wilkins75.