Hey, peeps~! Here's the next chapter of The Phoenix Rising. And let's just say that there's gonna be more intel and searching for secrets... :3 As well as a fierce battle that will strip the AF of a key asset... ;3
Review replies:
- Spiceracksargent001: Heh. :) You'd be right. There is a glitch in the Extended programming. ;3 And yes, Dr. Sung will not escape justice. :) The Resistance is not stupid, after all. ;) As for Sicario, they're going to head out indeed to help. :) I'm glad you enjoy this fic so far. :) Be sure to let me know what you truly like about it in PM. :)
- operation meteor: I am so glad you like the resistance segments in Mexico. :) And I intend to wrap the fight up this chapter for sure. :) As well as give some new information down the line for the next upcoming arc. ;)
(A pair of optics flashes online before lights flare on to show the Strike Dagger S in its hangar bay, Spray standing atop its shoulder with an American flag held in one hand, his trench coat draped across his shoulders like a cape)
START MIKAKUNIN HIKOUSEN BY TAKAYOSHI TANIMOTO
(The pilot tosses the American flag off to the side as he leaps off his machine's shoulder, the camera following the flag as it flutters down to the hangar floor)
Oh yeah! Be strong, jump on, and become the wind (The camera moves up to show the Strike Dagger S engaged with the Perfect Sword Strike, both pilots superimposed over their machines as their blades clash)
Pass the orbit beyond the sky (The two break off before flying towards one another again, Spray shown with Earth in the background, his eyes in SEED Mode as he grits his teeth)
I can't hold back this rushing speed (Dennis Krantz is shown with a large, shadowy shape in the background as he charges in, his eyes wide in his fury)
A familiar town becomes a diorama (The camera follows both pilots as they clash in a flash of light, the camera panning down to show the Resistance base in Mexico, Dr. Keith Martinez and Commander Ibara standing before it)
Burst through the unclear skies (The skies are shown to be covered in clouds as the camera pans up and over, coming down to show Rear Admiral Dorana Xen as she stands in a land battleship, arms crossed, a large army of AI-controlled suits before her)
Blow away your worries and discontent (The rear admiral sneers as she watches the resistance fighting bravely, but unable to do much to stop her, only for a flash of a beam saber to cut across the screen)
Who needs a journey that's by the book? (The camera pans to the right to show a gray-colored mobile suit as it spins around, glowing blue optics locking onto Xen's eyes)
Even if you're lost or trembling, raise the altitude (The machine climbs up, becoming a small speck in the sky, only for a second machine to come down, showing it to be the Demolition Dagger as it lands in front of Paris, looking up as the camera shows Kyle behind it)
Oh yeah! Show off, mess up, and stand back up (The Demolition Dagger attacks the closest Atlantian Daggers before the camera is blinded by thick black smoke, only to fade to show Wing Zero stand up in the middle of a damaged naval base)
I'll watch the unknown horizon with you (The camera is engulfed in flames before they blow apart to show Eisenhower standing atop the warehouse, three other figures standing behind her as the sun sets before her)
Now be strong, jump on, and become the wind (The camera moves to the right as it shows Eisenhower leaping off the building, a pair of mechanical phoenix wings sprouting from her back)
Use the sun that lights tomorrow as a guide (Above her is shown Spray Krane in his own machine, reaching out for the light of the sun as it shines above a new, futuristic city)
Fly off to the glorious world of freedom! (The scene freezes with all the major players flying towards a shining world, stars around all of them)
GUNDAM WING: THE PHOENIX RISING
Let justice be done, though the heavens may fall
- Steven Jackson 'Spray' Krane
CHAPTER XXII: Blooming Fields
December 6th, CE 0073
Chihuahuan Desert, Mexico
The girl suddenly jerked, a gasp coming from her...
And Turbine saw her turn the massive war machine around to face him directly.
The head locked onto his location, the optics gazing into his own, and despite being within the cockpit of this huge monstrosity, it was like she was looking right at him.
The girl then spoke.
"W...whu...?"
Turbine felt a sense of surprise flood his frame at that lone word.
But just as quickly as it came, the moment passed and the girl screeched as she leveled both arm drones at him and fired, forcing the AI to twirl and flip left and right just to stay alive. 'Shit! What was it? Which of those sentences triggered that?' he thought.
He boosted back and above the onslaught, his gaze landing on his own teammates as they fought and tried to reassemble. The second Destroy was proving to be a hassle, but with Alicia muttering the boy's counter command phrase over and over, he seemed to be slowing down. Like it was telling him not to obey whatever commands he was given.
But the girl...
In this state, she was nothing but a beast.
And he had to find a way to stop her. Not just from harming his friends, but also to prevent any loss of life to these war criminals so they could be tried.
And there was no way he was going to kill her.
His optics hardened as he watched her for a moment, then dove in again, this time drawing back a fist and lashing out his servo to snatch onto the shoulder guard of the huge machine. He landed atop it and drove his fingers into the gap of its armor and flipped around, lashing out his right foot in a kick that nailed the "Zorn Mk2" 200mm Energy Cannon in its barrel, damaging the firing mechanism and causing it to become dented. The girl screeched in surprise as she pivoted the head to the right on sheer instinct, as if she had been hit in the mouth instead of her machine.
The AI flipped up and landed, crouched, on the shoulder of the Destroy and placed his other servo on the side of the head of the massive war machine, balancing himself as he stood up. "Okay, kid! Don't you dare look back! Keep your eyes on me!" he muttered.
The girl jerked once more, and he remained positioned where he was. But then, a voice echoed over his COMM, and he gasped, hearing it so clearly.
"Oh? Well, this is new," the voice, a man's, said. His voice was laced with a distinct Chinese accent, and he sounded like he was in his middle fifties, if not slightly older.
"Who the hell are you?!" Turbine blurted.
"Oh... just someone who wants to make the world bluer and purer," the man remarked casually. "After all, that is what I've striven for with my work all these years."
The AI was quick to do some calculations and backtracing of the source of the COMM signals he was receiving. His optics dimmed a shade as he saw that it was coming from the main building within the center of the compound. 'So that's where it's coming from,' he mused.
The AI tensed his frame as he felt the Destroy lurch after his teammates. He couldn't let this go on. But who was this man? And why was he contacting him...? "It seems you found that annoying glitch in the programming," the man mused. "It's a shame. I've never figured out what makes that glitch form. Removing that alone would make my Extended much more effective, would it not?"
Turbine felt a jolt suddenly race down his spinal struts as he heard those words.
The name of this man came leaping out at him from his memory files.
Dr. Guo Sung.
That was who this man was.
The one behind it all.
The one who created weapons from children.
The monster in human flesh.
And Turbine just lost it.
He sprang off the Destroy, wings flaring open as he roared, thrusters bellowing in his audio sensors as he raced away from the Destroy, his rail guns snapping forward and firing off a pair of rounds right for the central building in the compound.
However, a pair of Windams got in the way and took the hits instead, exploding as the rail gun rounds made contact with their torsos. With a grunt, Turbine flared his thrusters and boosted forward, his optics flashing cyan blue as he drew his beam sabers and brandished them imposingly.
"Oh... so that's it, hm? You seek to bring me down, don't you?" the madman remarked. "Well, good luck trying. Especially as my Extended seek to destroy your companions..."
Turbine suddenly braked, hearing Dr. Sung's words.
His companions...?
Wait...
"DAMN YOU!" Turbine shouted at him before pivoting on the spot and flying for the Extended girl.
He was so stupid! He couldn't believe that he had let his anger get the better of him! Especially as this had to end.
The only question was... was prioritizing the Extended the right thing to do, or was attacking the one behind it all the cure?
Those two decisions were conflicting in his mind, and each one had its merits and downsides. The main thing was that he had to make a choice. And fast.
He dimmed his optics, trying to think.
'Dammit...! Which should I choose?!' he thought.
He didn't have any more time. He had to make a choice and now.
The only thing he could do at this point was simple: attack.
So that's what he did.
Turbine charged for the Extended girl's Destroy, his optics blazing cyan as he drew back a beam saber and slashed as hard as he could for the right arm shield emitter. "Don't you dare look back! Keep your eyes on me!" he snarled, tapping into her machine's radio as he did so.
She jolted abruptly, making her machine stagger as she gasped as his blade made contact with the shield emitter, shorting it out and causing sparks to fly from it as a result. She didn't know what to make of this as she tried to grasp what was going on around her.
"Yeah! That's it! Ignore them!" he muttered. "Don't you dare look back! Keep your eyes on me!"
The girl's machine shook its head as she tried to figure out what was happening. Turbine flitted left and right as he moved in, her machine's left hand flying out to try and grab him on sheer instinct. The AI was able to dodge it and land on the arm before he drove his left beam saber into the emitter on her forearm and causing that to explode as well. He drew the beam saber out and pushed off with his leg servos, engaging his thrusters as he came to a hover.
"W...Whu...?" The girl's timid voice was enough to make Turbine realize what was happening.
'That glitch... Alicia was right!' he thought. 'That means we can do this! We can break their conditioning! This is something we can exploit!'
With that in mind, Turbine got on a general channel and spoke to the girl once more. "Don't you dare look back! Keep your eyes on me!" he said, emphasizing a few of the words as he did so.
That was all he needed.
The girl stopped firing as she pivoted her machine's head, as if confused. "Wh...whut...?"
Turbine's optics flashed as he spoke again. "Don't you dare look back! Keep your eyes on me!" he repeated.
The Destroy faltered as she staggered back, the hands flying for the head. "Whut... head..."
"WHAT!?"
The sudden shriek from the madman made Turbine flinch, but he didn't stop his attempts to reach the girl. "Don't you dare look back! Keep your eyes on me!" he snapped.
"NO! You listen to me, Extended 06660! I order you to destroy those fools! After all, the devil denies death!" Dr. Sung snarled, making the girl scream as she clutched at her head within the cockpit, her machine mimicking her movements. "You are a devil, and you will not die until our crusade is completed!"
"Shut up, you psycho!" Turbine hissed.
The girl's eyes were wide as she tried to grapple with what was happening. Some part of her, her Extended programming, was clashing with the side of her that Turbine was trying to reach with her counter phrase. Her pupils shook as she panted heavily, trying to figure out who was who, and what was what. Who was she? Was she Extended 06660, or was she someone else? What was her name? Did she have one? Did she have a family? Was she an orphan? Was she a war orphan? Had she been kidnapped? Had she been sold? Had she gone to school? What was her past like? Did she have any pets, any friends, any relatives?
All these questions and more flooded her mind and she finally snapped, her Extended programming kicking into overdrive and the counter phrase flooding it. She screamed as loud as she could, her mind finally fusing into the central processing unit of her Destroy, her flight suit making her truly one with the machine.
And Turbine sudden jolted, a sense of dread racing down his spinal struts.
'What...? What... was that?' he thought, looking on at the Destroy in worry.
The girl finally leveled her machine's head at him and he gasped at the optics, which now blazed a brilliant red, reminiscent of the color of blood.
"This... ends... now...!" the girl rasped, her voice sounding positively demonic.
"The hell...?!" Turbine rasped, his optics filled with utter horror. "What... did he... do?!"
Dr. Sung laughed. "AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH! I guess her mind couldn't take it!" he chortled. "Good luck trying to save her now, fools!"
Turbine hissed as he clenched his servos. "Damn asshole...! He's gonna pay for this!" he muttered. He then shifted his gaze back to the blood-red optics of the Destroy. "But first... I've got a kid to save!"
He flared his wings and, brandishing his beam sabers, charged in once more. His optics flashed in determination as he tried to come up with a plan. But first he had to try one thing.
"Don't you dare look back! Keep your eyes on me!" he growled.
The counter phrase did cause a reaction, but not one he would've hoped. Instead, the girl cried out as she brought her machine's fist to bear, punching as hard as she could. Turbine gasped as he darted upward, barely avoiding the huge metal ball as it sailed underneath him. "Shit!" he swore. "How can I get through to her in this state?!"
"You did this... you made me this way...!" the girl muttered. "I want to know... who am I?"
"Huh?" Turbine was confused. The girl didn't seem to be aware of being on a battlefield now... it was like her Extended programming was doing the fighting for her... Was she even aware of this, or was it all on reflex?
That didn't really matter at the moment, because she lashed out once more for the AI, only for him to flip over her other servo and land atop the arm before running up the limb. He had to get a better idea of what was happening with this kid if he was to save her. She brought up the right arm and aimed the five cannons on the fingertips at him. Turbine didn't even hesitate to leap off the arm as she fired, severing the limb at the elbow.
"Turbine! What are you doing?!" Marcus exclaimed.
"Just trust me! Stay focused and get that boy!" Turbine snapped. "I got this!"
"But..." Marcus was abruptly cut off as Turbine shut down the COMMs. Now he could focus on getting through to the girl.
His optics hardened as he landed on the shoulder of the huge machine. The girl turned the head of the Destroy as the CIWS began to chatter. He could hear her voice muttering over the COMMs as he drew back a beam saber, poised to deliver a fatal blow.
But no.
He was not going to do that.
He adjusted the power output, then drove the beam saber right into the cockpit, using only the barest amount of power to penetrate the armor. He began to cut, moving it along the cockpit's hatch outline. The girl gasped as she lifted her head, the machine's head following suit.
Turbine pulled his beam saber away and put it back in its holster as he drove his thick metal digits into the armor and began to pry it open. The screeching of metal could be heard barely over the din of combat, but he ignored it and focused his gaze on the cockpit. He put his other servo on the hatch and gently pried it open, exposing the cockpit interior with the girl inside.
She was staring directly at him, and he could see in her eyes a sense of loss, with the way they were glazed. And the wiring leading into her flight suit seemed to pulse and shiver, as if it were alive.
And it was then that Turbine realized just how low these men had gone.
Pure, raw, fury surged through him, making his wires and systems hum with it. He gripped his servos on the edge of the cockpit, and he lowered his helm until his optics were shrouded in shadow. He could feel nothing else but anger. Anger, rage, and hatred.
He slowly lifted his gaze, turning to focus on the main building. "You... will not escape justice, Dr. Sung!" he muttered, his voice rumbling lowly in his chest as he said this.
That word alone was enough to elicit a reaction from the girl.
She blinked. "J-Ju...Jus...tice...?"
Turbine didn't even know he was speaking to her. He just stood up, his gaze locking onto Dr. Sung's lab. "Justice..." he repeated.
"Justice...?"
"Justice." Turbine nodded.
"Justice..."
The girl's eyes closed. "Justice..."
"Men like him deserve nothing less than to suffer at the hands of justice," Turbine explained. "That means following the rule of law... and the courts will have a field day with this man when we're through with him!"
His optics flashed as he looked up, clenching his servos into fists. "And I know you want justice done too. So... let's do this!"
The girl let out a shriek in response before charging right for the largest cluster of Windams and assault forces coming to deal with the resistance fighters en masse.
. . .
Dr. Sung was furious.
No, he was livid.
His prized Extended, whom he had spent years perfecting, programming and finetuning... was no longer obeying her directive?!
"That damned glitch...!" he muttered, his eyes hardening. "And after all that time and money...! DAMMIT!"
He punched his desk, anger surging through his very being. "This idiot... This brat has tampered with my beloved Extended for the last time!"
He gazed at the Freedom Gundam knockoff with nothing but hatred in his eyes.
The doctor gripped the microphone one last time. If he couldn't get the girl back, then he had no choice but to destroy her.
"Extended Version 3.0 60606, angels anger all."
The boy paused, his command phrase registering in his mind. He turned his gaze to his former comrade. "Exterminate the trash," he ordered. "That thing has become a liability."
"Yes, master," the boy intoned.
His Destroy pivoted to face the incoming enemy unit and stood its ground. He raised the arms and put the hands together as if in prayer before he spread them out and launched the remote forearms. Their engines fired and they started to zip around the battlefield once they had detached from the main unit.
For the first time, two Extended were actively clashing against one another. One broken by her repeated counter phrase and her command phrase, the other stable and active. But the strange thing was, she was responding not to him, but to the pilot of that Freedom knockoff.
What had happened there?
"DR. SUNG!"
The voice of the pilot resonated over his radio, and he growled. "I don't know what you did, boy, but you are going to pay for having tampered with my prized Extended."
"Wrong!" the pilot hissed. "It's you who will pay! There's no way you'll escape justice for long!"
"Justice?" The mad doctor actually cackled at that. "You really think the courts will be in your favor? Unless you can overthrow the government, there is no way that they will be in your favor!"
The pilot was silent for a moment before a low rumble filled the air. A rumble that sounded a lot like laughter. Laughter... with a faint metallic edge to it.
Dr. Sung cocked an eyebrow. "What's so funny, boy?"
"You really don't get it, do you?" the pilot sneered. "I said it's you who will pay. And that you won't escape justice!" He lifted his machine's head, and those cyan optics flashed brilliantly. "And when I say that, who says we'll be putting you before the courts of the Atlantian Reich?!"
The doctor jolted. "WHAT?!"
"Oh, yeah! You are not going to be put on trial until after this war, you psycho!" the pilot cackled. "And trust me when I say that your trial will be swift and fair! And unlike others... you won't be ever escaping jail! Not as long as you live! And you will face the true meaning of justice!"
"JUSTICE!" the girl's voice screeched.
"Yeah. Justice. Let's do this!" the pilot remarked. "LET THIS BITCH HAVE IT!"
As he said those words, the Destroy raised up its arms and aimed the remaining five cannons at the boy's Destroy, along with the three cannons on its chest. The Zorn cannon was out of commission, but its other weapons were not.
"FIRE!" the pilot bellowed.
"JUSTICE BARRAGE!" the girl screamed.
A sudden salvo of green beams lanced out from the five fingers of the Destroy's lone arm as well as the remaining Strum Faust cannon. The three Super Scylla 1580mm Multi-phase Energy Cannon glowed brilliantly before three massive beams of energy fired as one, combining into one immense beam of pure energy. A secondary barrage from the "Nefertem 503" Thermal Plasma Composite Cannons on the backpack lanced out, striking the positron shields of the other Destroy, backed up by a salvo from her Mark 62 6-tube Multipurpose Missile Launchers.
The thick armor of her opponent couldn't handle such a concentrated barrage and he was forced to reattach the drone forearms to use their shields at full capacity. He leaned into the barrage, trying to stand up to it. But the sheer firepower being directed at him was enough to make his shields start to spark and shudder, sending shivers down Dr. Sung's back.
Horror started to filter across his face as he saw what was happening. "Oh... no..." he muttered, a sinking feeling forming in the pit of his stomach.
The huge Destroy began to shimmer with the heat, and the boy closed his eyes, intoning a prayer to say goodbye to his former comrade. The armor began to melt from the intense heat and the shields finally shorted out, shattering in a cascade of pure energy. The enormous beam of energy finally engulfed the second Destroy, but due to its immense size, the beam was split, hitting the walls of the compound and opening new gaps in its defenses. Dr. Sung gulped as he realized what was happening.
With the Destroy of his prized subject now under the command of the rebels, there was only one chance.
He had to leave while he could.
He turned to face his second-in-command.
"We have to leave," he said.
"But sir...!" Jun was baffled. Why was the doctor intent on leaving his lab?
"We're compromised," the other man explained. His eyes were hard as he glanced at the rampaging Destroy. "The last of our subjects has been compromised and rendered defective by that pilot and the glitch in her programming."
"But we have others, don't we?" Jun asked.
Dr. Sung shook his head. "Unfortunately not anymore. Our best products were taken out over the course of this war. And all because of one man. Hell, the only one that has survived this far is the girl known as Stella. And only because of Terminal's raid on our Lodonia lab," he stated. "If she hasn't died already from the drug withdrawal at this point, I'd be surprised." His eyes narrowed as he recalled Heero Yuy.
'That man... he's forced us to put more time and effort into the Extended to try and match him. But all our time and money has been rendered moot, and all because of a glitch I can't seem to find the solution for!' he thought. 'Just a bit longer... and we'd have finetuned our Extended to be the ultimate warriors...' He spat in disgust. 'And all of it goes down the drain. All because of one man and a glitch. How ironic...'
He then turned his gaze to the folders lying on his desk. 'But, if I can escape to Los Alamos, we may still have a chance to salvage some of my research...'
He had no idea how wrong he was.
He turned back to Jun. "Get ready to leave. Gather up as much as you can and-"
He was cut off as the building suddenly rattled harshly, the windows shattering as a huge explosion of fire and heat scorched the façade of the structure. Both men were blown back, Dr. Sung slamming into the wall with enough force to break several of his ribs. He collapsed to his chest, feeling searing pain in front of his lungs. He tried to ignore the sensation, but he gripped at his chest as he staggered to his feet, trying to focus on breathing evenly and slowly.
That was a lot easier said than done as he gingerly held his chest with one hand.
Jun, on the other hand, was not so lucky.
A gash ran across his forehead, bleeding profusely. He staggered to his own feet, holding one hand to the wound. "S...Sir?" he rasped, trying to see through one blood-caked eye.
"Dammit...!" Dr. Sung staggered to the window, his eyes widening as he stared at what had once been a fearsome machine.
The entire upper half of the Destroy was just... gone.
The only thing remaining was the lower half, and even that was on its last legs. Literally.
The legs of the Destroy collapsed to the ground, fires burning from the melted and scorched armor. People that had been fighting outside tried to get out of the way, but many couldn't. Both rebel and Atlantian forces were crushed by the collapsing legs. It would be hard to identify their comrades, but in the ensuing chaos caused by this, there was no way either side was going to offer an unofficial truce to collect their wounded.
With the sheer brutality conducted by the Atlantian Reich in Europe, the rebels were not about to offer them any remorse or recognition. To the Americans, the Atlantian Nazis were not worthy to be considered part of the human race.
They were barbarians from an age that no longer existed.
And as such, they needed to be put down like the animals they were.
Only a few rare examples of people in the ranks offered a truce, but even then they were so rare as to be considered possible candidates to be considered for inclusion into modern human civilization once the war was won.
One of the resistance soldiers, a woman named Lilith Hawking, glanced back as she saw the crumpled legs of the Destroy, some of the Atlantians trying to haul their wounded comrades out from under their massive form. But it was a lot easier said than done, she could see. But the fact that they were trying to help their companions sparked something inside of her and she ran for them.
"Lilith! What are you doing?!" one of her fellow soldiers called.
"Trying to help people!" she snapped back. "After all, isn't that what we used to do?!"
"Yes, but... they aren't humans!" the man yelled.
"Look at them, Jack!" she shouted. "Look at them! See what they're doing?!" She spun around and pointed with her rifle. "If they try to help their comrades, are they barbarians then?!"
Jack Hemmingway paused, studying the enemy soldiers closely. While he did see the Atlantians as inhuman barbarians, just seeing these people helping their fellow soldiers was enough to make him frown and look away. "Dammit... If I didn't have such strict ethics..." He slid his rifle onto his shoulder and ran after Lilith. The two rebels made their way through the fighting until they reached the soldiers as they tried to pull one of their fellows out from under the remains of the Destroy's left foot.
"Hang on, Derick!" one of the men shouted. "We'll have you out!"
"Dammit! This thing is too heavy for us!" another man interjected.
"Hey!"
Lilith's voice reached out and one of the men turned, his eyes widening in shock as he saw the two resistance soldiers.
"Great! Here to gloat, rebels?" the first man scowled.
"Hardly!" Lilith countered as she ran over and grabbed a nearby piece of rebar left from the upper half of the machine. She jabbed it under one of the metal slabs and started to grunt, struggling to lift it. Her green eyes hardened as she shifted her stance, her short red hair falling in front of her face. "We're not about to let you lose a friend!"
Jack joined her, pressing down with his weight.
"Look!" he growled, glaring at them. "I'm not above thinking of you as barbarians due to your actions in Europe. But at the same time, if you try to save your comrades, then maybe you're not above being human after all, since barbarians never help their fellow soldiers. Only true soldiers do that, right?"
"What makes you think we truly believe that shit?" the man snapped, startling the rebel. "I never really did buy that stuff about Coordinators being sinful monsters and all that garbage! I only wanted to fight to save my homeland!"
"Then why be an accessory to genocide of innocents and mass murder of children?!" Jack shouted.
"Because I had no idea!" the man countered. "It was only when I got assigned here that I saw what was going on! I never liked this whole thing, but I thought that by fighting to save my homeland I could spare my sons from that damnable Patriot Youth Act!"
Lilith grunted as she glanced at the two men. "Enough!" she interjected. "We can argue about that later! Don't you want to save your friend or not?!"
The two men looked at her, then Jack growled once before turning and resuming his efforts.
A few other men who saw this ran over and grabbed extra rebar, jamming it under the slabs of metal and pushing, using them to lift it up enough to allow two others to haul their wounded comrade out, both his legs crushed by the collapse. He howled in agony as they slowly shifted him, trying to adjust him so his legs wouldn't be causing him such pain. Lilith, for her part, ran over to help.
It was a good thing she had been out there, she mused as she started to splint his legs. After all, being an army medic had been her job prior to the purge of all females in the military. She reached behind her and grabbed her backpack before sliding it off her shoulders after she removed her rifle. She set the backpack down and pulled out her first aid kit. "It's going to hurt even worse before I get them bound," she admitted to the soldier, "but at least you won't be in worse pain than you are now."
The soldier didn't answer. He merely whimpered.
Lilith took that as her cue to start working on binding his legs in splints.
She nodded a few minutes later, seeing the wounded soldier pass out from the pain. At least he wouldn't be screaming now, she mused as she put her first aid kit away before putting her backpack back on, followed by picking up her rifle.
The man who had first started trying to help his friend looked to her. "You... Why?" he asked.
"Because it's the right thing to do," Lilith responded. She looked to him with her green eyes, and he saw in them the dedication to her duties that all soldiers held, regardless of their gender or rank. "We're soldiers. We fight to defend our homes, but also to ensure this kind of stuff does not happen again." She gestured to the battlefield, and for the first time, the Atlantian could see how brutal his fellow soldiers were.
Not one of them was trying to help a wounded comrade.
They were left for dead.
Each man who was wounded was either put down like an animal or just left to die of his wounds.
In contrast, the rebels were doing their best to help those injured.
And that was when he made his choice.
He turned to her.
"Dr. Sung. You're looking for him?" he asked.
She was startled by the direct question. She blinked before nodding. "Y-Yes... we are. Why?"
"He's in that building," the soldier said, pointing to the main facility. "But he won't be for much longer. He's got an underground escape tunnel he can flee by. But he's not stupid. He'll be trying to flee in disguise."
"Wait. You mean he intends to disguise himself as a soldier?" Lilith asked, stunned.
The Atlantian nodded. "Yes. And he intends to use that as a distraction. You can't let him escape. He has to pay for what he's done here."
"And he will," Jack remarked grimly. His reddish brown eyes turned hard as he blew some of his blonde hair out of his eyes. "We don't intend to let him escape justice."
As if on cue, the female Extended screamed out "JUSTICE!" in the background as she blasted another salvo of firepower at a large cluster of Windams as they assembled to try and take her out. The man nodded. "Good. I don't want these kids to be left and forgotten."
"How many Extended are here?" Jack inquired.
"About fifteen hundred," the Atlantian responded. "You'll need to evacuate them before the next transmission."
"We'll get to that. But first, we need to know." Jack nodded to Lilith.
She reached into her combat vest and pulled out a slip of paper. She handed it to the soldier and he studied it. "We need to know where they keep the equipment for programming them."
The man grimaced as he handed it back. "I know where it is," he said. "It's in the main facility underground. It'll take a good sized force to take it though."
"We got that covered," Lilith responded. "Just leave it to us. And if you want your friend's legs saved, you'd best get him to the outskirts. Our forces will take you back to our base."
"Wait. You're giving us a chance?" the Atlantian blurted, surprised.
"We're not barbarians," Jack retorted as he got to his feet, tossing aside the rebar he had used. He reequipped his rifle and turned. "We believe in no man left behind. Even if they're wounded or injured."
The Atlantian soldier was stunned as he watched Jack go to work, firing his rifle at some of his countrymen as they tried to move in to put down his wounded friend. Maybe... just maybe there was some hope for the world after all.
. . .
Turbine had to grip the head of the Destroy as the girl fired on the Windams, leaving nothing but charred husks behind as they fell to the desert floor below.
He wasn't sure as to what was happening, but he could hear her muttering under her breath over the COMMs. He didn't know what she was muttering about, but that was furthest from his mind as he tried to figure out what was going on.
He knew that with the repeated counter phrase to cancel out her command phrase, it should've been simple. But since Dr. Sung had used her command phrase once more, the AI could only theorize that something had happened within her programming to make her act like this. But that didn't explain the reaction to the word 'justice' that she exhibited. Was it possible that the two phrases had canceled each other out and triggered some sort of primal reaction that called for justice to be done to her tormentor? Or was it something else that triggered it?
There was just so little he knew about this, and as it stood, he wasn't even sure his guess was even accurate. For all he knew, it could be wrong.
But he wasn't about to look a gift horse in the mouth, as his kin would say.
So he remained plastered to the Destroy, keeping an eye on her as he repeated the word every so often to direct her towards a new target.
Plus, she seemed to have, for lack of a better term, imprinted on him. So when he ordered her to stop, she did. When he ordered her to attack, she did.
It was weird, and strange, but at the same time it was a benefit.
So he wasn't about to ignore this for the battle, at least.
"Extended Version 3.0 06660. Stop."
The girl responded. Turbine took the chance to hover off the shoulder and turned around, pivoting so he was facing the cockpit's open hatch.
He took in a breath through his vents and sighed. "Okay. Look. I know this is going to sound crazy, but I need you to do this. I need you to leave the compound and follow my friends as they head back to base." He pointed to the dark blue NEMO and green colored Blast. "You can trust them to keep you safe."
"I must follow your friends to your base," she repeated.
Turbine nodded. "Yeah. Just follow their orders. Okay?"
"I will follow their orders," the girl confirmed.
The AI nodded before he turned and flew off, blasting towards the main complex building. Already he could see the Atlantians trying to finish off wounded and captured rebels, but the number of rebels far outnumbered them at this rate. The fliers had done a superb job of eliminating the Windams and ground forces, and with one Destroy annihilated, that meant that only one remained, and now it was in rebel hands. Not for use, oh, no. He knew that much.
Keith had been thorough in detailing the resistance's technical and industrial capabilities to the AI. And one thing that had been clear was that they lacked the resources to even use such a monstrosity. Instead, it would be taken back to the base and stripped down entirely so most of the metal parts could be used in finishing the construction of Satellite City, as well as setting up a defensive shield in the event of an aerial bombardment.
Turbine had to admit the resistance was a lot more cunning than he had been told.
Some part of him was a bit terrified of that, but for the most part, he was actually impressed.
He came to a halt as he studied the compound's main building, scanning for any signs of life from Dr. Sung's body heat inside the battered structure using thermal vision.
He let out a frustrated hiss from his vents.
"Where is he...?" he muttered. "Where is that man?"
He returned his vision to normal before flying around the structure. 'Did he actually die...?' The AI shook his head. 'No. He couldn't have. Otherwise people here would be surrendering or trying to fight to the death. The fact they're not doing either indicates he's still alive. So then where is he?'
He suddenly stopped, hearing something not too far from the compound's main facility. He pivoted in the air, and he could see a hidden door opening to expose an underground shaft with a ramp on it. He zoomed in on it, seeing what appeared to be a vehicle bay belowground. 'An underground garage? Why would...' Turbine's thoughts trailed off as he watched a pair of Jeeps careening out of the bay entrance, their tires squealing and leaving dust trails behind them. He locked his optics onto them and zoomed in a bit more, scanning the driver and passengers.
A man in a white lab coat stood out amongst the military personnel. And the Jeep in which he sat was heading for the main entrance!
"Got you, you bastard!" Turbine rumbled as he flared his wings and sped down towards the fleeing Jeep.
He could already see that Dr. Sung was intending on escape.
But that was not going to happen.
. . .
The commando force storming the lab had ruthlessly cut their way through the guards, leaving none alive in their wake.
To the commander of this force, the objective was simple: take the server room of this facility. Once they did that, then the lab was theirs.
Hendrik Prinz gripped his assault rifle as he ran alongside his subordinates, his gray eyes hard as he scanned around him. The Coordinator's keen eyesight spotted a guard aiming at one of his soldiers and he snapped up his gun, firing a shot that struck him right in the forehead. He turned his gaze away from the dead man and looked at the map on his HUD.
The server room was close. The number of guards was indicative of that.
It helped that the tech guys had managed to hack into the lab's systems a few hours after the place was discovered and download the blueprints for their use. He had to admit that this was one of the better industries to have on their side at this stage of the game. He raised a hand to the headset he wore and tapped into the unit communications frequency.
The faint burst of static was enough to get their attention and a few looked his way. Some of the others broke off to try and lock onto any remaining guards that tried to evade detection; Hendrik had to suppress a smirk. There was no way they'd be able to escape the rebels that easily.
He finally turned his attention back to the task at hand.
He cleared his throat and began to speak.
"Okay, troops. Listen up. We're getting close to the server room here. That is the objective we have to snatch from them. We take that, this place is as good as ours. The only downside is that it's heavily guarded by Atlantian barbarians. So we have to take them out... without damaging the servers here. All the data we need to secure the reversal of this sick program is on those," he said.
"So in short, be careful and use the servers for cover. The guards won't fire on them either. Use close quarters if you have no other choice."
The men and women under his command gave the affirmative and they approached the doors which were locked. The small contingent of guards was easily their best here. But the way they just fired with intent on mowing down any opposition was nothing like how these guys were trained. The commandos took up position close by, using the side hallways and a few overturned maintenance carts as cover. One of the women leaned out, firing her gun as did a few others.
Some guards went down with bullet wounds, but it was not enough.
"Dammit! Sir, we're being blocked!" she muttered.
"I can see that," Hendrik retorted. His eyes narrowed as he flicked them over the concentration of the guards. "Looks like we'll need to use something else." His hand reached for his belt and he pulled out a grenade.
"You sure, sir?" a man asked.
"Yes. Get a frag grenade ready, Robert," Hendrik ordered.
The Natural nodded and pulled a frag grenade from his belt and held it with a finger in the pin. "Ready!"
Hendrik did the same thing and got ready to pull the pin. "On my mark!"
The other soldiers continued to fire, laying down suppressing fire for the two soldiers. A few more guards collapsed, one of them bleeding from his crotch. The woman responsible for that shot sneered as she flipped him the bird. "That's for your sick masters!" she cackled.
Hendrik ignored it as he waited for the right moment.
His eyes narrowed a bit more as he felt his heartrate slow. All other sounds of battle died, leaving only the sound of his breathing in his ears. He pulled the pin, the motion feeling slow and deliberate when in reality it was mere seconds.
He drew back his arm and chucked that grenade as hard as he could, feeling as if he were moving in molasses. This was the first time this had happened to him. But in the aftermath of the war, he chalked it up as to adrenaline and the heat of the moment. As soon as his hand let go of the grenade, time seemed to return to normal and the two charges landed near the cluster of guards before exploding, sending shards and fragments of their shells every which way, striking the guards and mauling their bodies even through the armor they wore.
Screams of agony and pain reached the hearing of the soldiers as they kept pouring on the lead. Bullets pinged off the ground and doors, striking their prey while others just mowed them down like a chainsaw. He waited fifteen seconds more before he raised a hand and clenched his fist, the gunfire dying down. The smell of powder filled the air before it finally started to fade, along with the smoke from the grenade explosions and the gunfire.
When the smoke finally cleared, all that remained of the guards were mauled and maimed bodies, blood pooling on the floor and having splattered on the walls. It was a brutal end to equally brutal individuals. Hendrik looked to one of his soldiers and gave a nod. "Brie, it's all yours."
The woman nodded as she saluted. "Yes, sir!"
She ran towards the doors to pry them open.
The Natural woman knelt down beside the keypad and pulled out a knife. It didn't take her long to remove the cover to expose the wiring. She grabbed a few wires and started fiddling with them. It didn't take long for her to get the doors open.
They hissed open and the woman got to her feet, grabbing her rifle as she did so.
Hendrik narrowed his eyes as he keyed his COMM. "Weapons free, people! Be prepared and don't hesitate to shoot if any Atlantians are hiding among the servers! But make each shot count! We can't afford to damage the servers!"
"Yes, sir!" his forces exclaimed.
Brie Gillette was the first one in, followed by a few more soldiers of the commando team.
Hendrik followed, his gun held at chest height. The ex-cop was tense, his muscles poised for any possible strikes from any hidden soldiers. He scanned around him, his eyes roving over the huge machines looming around them. Each server possessed a large amount of storage space, and each one held data on the Extended program and procedures. And hidden amongst this treasure trove was data on how to reverse the brainwashing.
That was the real reason they were here.
And he had to smile as he stood up fully.
At least until he heard a gunshot.
He spun around, ducking low and aiming his rifle in the direction the shot had come from. He squeezed off a round, striking the unknown in the head and causing him to collapse off the top of a nearby server. The Atlantian landed on the ground, blood pooling from the single hit to his forehead. His eyes were glazed in death and he apparently had not expected someone to find him if the expression on his face was to be believed.
Hendrik remained in his position before he heard some more movement.
He pivoted, ready to squeeze off another round, only for one of his soldiers to poke her head around the corner. "Clear!" she said.
The commander nodded as he relaxed, but remained poised for anything. "Right. Good work."
He stood up fully as he pressed a hand to his helmet's headset.
. . .
Keith was half expecting failure.
The fighting at the compound was just too hectic to keep tabs on everyone, and he was beginning to worry that the Atlantians had wiped out his forces.
After all, he hadn't heard anything from the commando force either.
At least until one of the men manning the radio console turned. "Sir, we got confirmation!" he exclaimed.
"Huh?" Keith looked to him in surprise. "Confirmation from whom and for what?"
"It's the commando unit! They've secured the server room!" the man said with a grin on his face. "The compound is ours!"
"And what of Dr. Sung?" Keith demanded, his eyes narrowing.
"So far nothing on that front, sir, but we're keeping our ears open," the man stated.
Keith nodded once before he turned to look at the monitor showing the compound.
So far a good majority of it was now swathed in light blue while the remainder, mostly the barracks, were left as a sickly purple color. His eyes narrowed a bit more as he observed the first of the barracks turn blue shortly after.
'Okay. Things are looking good. But as it shows, nothing can survive contact with the enemy for long. Even if we planned years ahead for this, there was no way it could go as planned. Our plan was rendered moot the moment that second Destroy launched, so we had to improvise. Although I will admit that there are some better at that than me,' he admitted silently.
He suddenly heard something on his headset and he reached a hand up to it. "Dr. Martinez."
"Father, I have Dr. Sung in sight!" came Turbine's voice.
The computer whiz perked up. "Are you en route?" he asked the AI.
"Yes. I'm right behind his Jeep!" he replied.
"Then get that man! We need him if we're to actually have a chance at reversing that damnable programming!" Keith ordered.
"I'm on it!" With that, the line went dead and Keith smirked.
"Dr. Sung... you're about to lose your freedom... as well as your medical license and career..." he purred.
. . .
Turbine gave a burst of his thrusters, speeding right for the Jeep before it even reached the entrance to the compound.
His optics flashed as he saw the man in the Jeep look back, his eyes wide in terror...
"THAT'S NOT DR. SUNG!" someone shouted, catching the AI off guard. He wavered and had to veer off course as he pressed a servo to his helm.
"Say what now?" he asked, confused.
The driver of the Loto that had been blocking the entrance stood up, lowering his binoculars. "You heard me!" he responded through the walkie-talkie he carried. "That's not Dr. Sung! He's much older than that guy in the Jeep!"
Turbine pivoted, looking around. "Then... where is he?"
"I'm not one to normally guess or hedge a bet, but... what if he's trying to sneak out... just not in obvious sight?" the man suggested.
The AI suddenly froze, his processor kicking into overdrive as he realized what this meant. "Shit... He's trying to flee in disguise?!" he blurted.
"That's what it looks like. And remember that second Jeep?" the Loto driver asked.
Turbine slowly turned, facing the direction the second Jeep had gone in. "Oh... crud..." he whispered, lowering his servo. "He's probably long gone by now..."
But the man merely chuckled. "Hardly. He probably just fled deeper into the compound."
"And given how we have this place surrounded..." Turbine felt a hint of relief as he flared his wings and charged off in that direction with a flash of blue-white fire. "I'll get him for sure this time!"
The man merely gave the AI a salute as he flew off, blasting past several of Strider Squadron as they rounded up a few Windams on the ground. He could see the trail of tire tracks left by the Jeep, and he zeroed in on them. He followed them for a few minutes before he spotted the Jeep bouncing along the dusty road towards the back end of the compound... and a second gate.
Turbine twisted his frame and dove down, his optics locking right onto his target.
The Jeep bounded ahead of him, its tires squealing as it jumped over a rock and landed on the other side of it. Turbine flew down closer, his optics zooming in on the Jeep's occupants. He scanned them, using an image of Dr. Sung his father had uploaded to his processor after his briefing on the mission. One of the men in the vehicle looked back and Turbine growled. The image flashed red, and he shifted his gaze to the man driving.
He sped down closer, and he angled himself so he could see the driver's face from the side.
And the image flashed green.
"Father, I have him in sight!" Turbine radioed.
"Excellent! Get that man before he escapes!" Keith ordered.
The AI nodded in response. "Yes, sir!"
He dashed in, and the doctor yelped in shock as he saw the war machine behind him. He pressed down on the gas pedal, but the Jeep was already going at maximum speed. Turbine could faintly hear him muttering under his breath, but he ignored it and reached out both servos, grabbing onto the Jeep and lifting it off the ground before he angled his frame up and touched down, cutting his thrusters and skidding to a stop on his feet.
He looked up, his optics glinting as he held up the vehicle and glared at Dr. Sung.
The man was quivering in his boots, and Turbine had to resist the urge to crush the madman between his fingers like an insect. Instead, he shifted his grip on the Jeep and turned, holding the vehicle under one arm and walking off back the way he had come.
. . .
December 8th
Resistance Warehouse Headquarters
Denver, Colorado
Eisenhower's eyes were narrowed as she observed the fighting raging in Eurasia, or more specifically, in the area pertaining to the recent clash between Terminal and ZAFT. She had to admit that this was already the first step in her plan underway. With Terminal and ZAFT having clashed, and the Eurasians having assisted, it was already looking good for the reformation of a long long organization.
And when coupled with the Kingdom of Scandinavia having been informed of LOGOs, there was another potential ally in the works.
But it all hinged on their efforts to root out Djibril's past as well as other assets.
Of course, then there was the lab in Mexico. It was lucky that they had even managed to capture the thing.
But it had brought with it a huge treasure trove of information that the commando unit and the subsequent scientists and technical experts were rooting through. And a lot of that data, about half, pertained to the mental reprogramming of the Extended, as well as the medical "procedures" and drugs used on the poor kids.
She smirked as she looked to the message she had composed for Heero once more.
"Heero Yuy. I have just received your message and I am willing to provide you all the data you requested."
Dr. Sung was led down the hallways of the jail within Satellite City, every single inmate scowling, booing, hissing and even calling him derogatory names. His eyes were calm, and he clearly didn't look disturbed by the implications of what he had done.
Police were escorting him, but not for his protection. They were doing it so he could face justice, they told themselves. But that didn't mean they couldn't rough him up a bit.
"It just so happened that we completed a raid yesterday on a key Atlantian facility hidden within the Mexican deserts. This facility, it turned out, was the place where the Extended program was created. And by that, I mean we found the place where the kids were reprogrammed into weapons of war."
The resistance soldiers crawled all over the lab, scouring for any clues and data on the procedures and equipment used for the reprogramming. The medical staff of the rebels were going nuts with this, pointing out the inhumanities and everything else that was wrong there. The data was poured over, examined, and rooted through, bringing to light some very interesting... and disturbing... information.
Some of this had to pertain to Djibril's past, which led the resistance down another angle that most would not even consider.
Along with another discovery that sent alarms ringing across the resistance leadership.
"The lab was headed by none other than the man we had been seeking. Dr. Guo Sung. A noted Chinese nationalist who resided int the Atlantic Federation prior to his... unethical... experiments regarding mental calibration and programming. It was he who discovered a way to hack into the brain's electrical signals and how to modify memories and personality traits using those very signals. He also found that new information could be put into a person's mind via those same signals. It's a technology that is considered taboo in every sense of the word."
The soldiers were horrified when they stumbled onto the lab beneath the main facility.
It was not a lab in the traditional sense.
No. It was more like one of those that had been found at Lodonia. Complete with cylinders in which certain specimens were floating.
Those cylinders' occupants also seemed to have certain facial features that everyone recognized.
Those of Lord Djibril, the leader of LOGOs and Blue Cosmos alike.
"Shit...!" a woman rasped. "These... they're clones!"
"Are any of them operational?!" Keith demanded over the headset.
"N-No, sir. But..." The woman's voice trailed off. "What should we do with them?"
Keith's answer was as callous as a surgeon's.
"Pull the plugs and shut them down."
"But sir..." Her voice was filled with shock.
"Do it! NOW!" he barked.
She squeaked and ran over to the main power coupling, grabbing it and pulling the plug free before she grabbed a nearby stool and smashed the ends of the plug with it. Once that was done, she emptied her rifle into the coupling itself, and the devices began to shut down, their blue glow fading along with the vital nutrients needed to keep the clones active.
"Okay. Now what?" she asked.
"Finish those things." Keith was dead serious as he said this.
A few minutes later, an explosion rocked the underground lab and fluids ran out from the door, making a few resistance guards wonder what was happening in there.
"But there was also something else there.
"What we found was a large underground facility dedicated to cloning... along with clones of Djibril. We terminated the things and rendered his attempts at immortality moot. As a man, he needs to accept that death is inevitable. They all do.
"And that brings me to my next point."
The technical expert was surprised as she studied the data from Dr. Sung's confiscated phone before her.
"No... way...!" she whispered.
"What is it?" one of her friends asked.
"It's... I... This is incredible...!" she breathed. "This is just what we need...!"
"Susan?" the man gave her a gentle nudge and the woman looked to him. "What's so important there that you had to ignore me?"
"Oh! Sorry, Johnny," Susan muttered, rubbing the back of her neck. She held up the computer tablet and handed it off to him. "See for yourself."
Johnny took the device and looked it over, his eyes widening in shock. "What the... hell...?!" he whispered, his features becoming colored with disbelief. "Is this even legit?!"
"We won't know for sure until we test it, but it is plausible." Susan took back the tablet and skimmed through the data on it. "To think the Extended programming could have a kill phrase..." She laughed. "Had we invaded this lab sooner, we could've gotten our hands on that and shut it down..."
"There was a recent discovery in the data that we acquired. It has to do with the Extended programming. And believe it or not, but the programming that they do to those kids... it has a kill switch. And by that I mean that when the kill phrase is spoken... the programming deletes itself from the brain of the individual. How we know this is due to a test we did on one of the last remaining Extended at that lab. We managed to defeat two Destroys, one through blowing it up... by using the other against it.
"It turned out that a glitch was present in the Extended programming, being due to a counter phrase that was spoken. That counter phrase was not noted or even logged. It was completely random and had to do with either a happy memory or it had to be counter to the command phrase needed to trigger said programming. To the girl who we liberated, the phrase was "Don't you dare look back. Keep your eyes on me."
"The boy we couldn't save. But the girl we were able to.
"And as a result, we were able to find out about the kill phrase."
The girl screamed as she tried to grab at her head. Her arms strained against the bindings, which were heavy reinforced clamps. Even an Extended couldn't break out of those.
Beyond the glass of the recovery ward, the medical personnel in charge of her recovery and rehabilitation felt noting but pity and sadness for this young child. Forced into a role she didn't want, nor had a choice in... forced to be someone else. It was the ultimate in torture for anyone.
The doctor felt an urge to rush in and help her, to soothe her. But he wisely refrained, knowing just how dangerous she was in this state.
Until the programming was finished deleting itself, there was nothing they could do.
But it was a start.
A start to recovery.
And that made it all the more worthwhile, despite the pain she was in.
It was the aftermath that really mattered.
"The kill phrase is 'My Chinese flower.'
"Dr. Sung, we discovered, had previously been in a romantic relationship with another man. They had even considered marriage and were engaged. But... things took a turn for the worse once Dr. Sung started to reprogram people. His partner was horrified and tried to convince him to back down and turn himself in, as well as get help for his... unethical... ideas. The doctor didn't want anything to do with that. His partner cut off the engagement and started to take action to stop his former lover. And by that, I mean he implanted the kill phrase into the Extended programming, never telling Dr. Sung of what he had done.
"Dr. Sung, however, didn't want to get rid of the messages on his phone, seeing them as a reminder of why he was doing this, he felt. I'm not sure as to what his real motive was, but I can safely assume based upon this data that he felt he was trying to make the world a better place for the two of them by helping LOGOs get rid of the Coordinators."
Dr. Sung sat in his cell, eyes closed as he heard the door open. He lifted his gaze and locked his eyes onto his captor.
Dr. Keith Martinez stood there, eyes narrowed, arms folded. "So... you're the one that started it all, huh?" he scowled. He did something with his mouth and then spit in disgust at the former neurologist.
The globule of spit smacked him in the face and the ex-scientist grimaced. But he made no motion to wipe it away, as his hands were handcuffed to his legs.
"Speak ill of me if you wish. I do not regret what I have done to ensure the Naturals survival," Dr. Sung remarked.
"Oh, you'll regret it one day," Keith snarled. "Maybe not now, but maybe in ten years' time. Or maybe even on your deathbed. Who knows? But one day, it will happen. And we'll be there to see it."
"Now, herein lies the kicker.
"In order to activate the kill phrase, you have to broadcast it over an open channel. And given how the Atlantians do not have the same COMM frequencies you know, I've enclosed a list of all the known frequencies they use to communicate. Private lines included. The catch here is that it has to be directed at the Destroys or any other Extended-piloted mobile suits. I'm not sure if they even have any Destroys left, besides the ones we damaged at the Mexican resistance base in the Chihuahuan Desert.
"Still, it's better than nothing. And that leads me to the rest of the data I'm enclosing. We've got a full list of the drugs they've used, and the memory modification process as well. Just so you can figure out how to reverse it with the limited stuff you guys have at your disposal. It's not much, but what we will also propose is something that may be of more use."
The Kingdom of Scandinavia was alert as they scanned the horizon using what satellites they had in orbit.
They could already see a number of Atlantian ships moving towards the side of England facing them. It was worrisome, and they had to somehow get this data out to Terminal. Their best bet was the resistance liaison in their midst.
So when the word went out, the message was sent at once to Terminal via the Major and her team.
"I know you have a plan to take out the major naval bases in Great Britain. But from what I've heard, you can only wipe out two. Well, consider this an offer to coordinate and eliminate all three in one go. I have people in the base of Devonport. We have an operation codenamed Merlin in progress. The goal: to wipe out the base. I can't go into detail, but what I will say is it will give the Atlantian Reich an explosive wakeup call.
"I will not make many assumptions, but I bet you'll wonder just how we'll pull it off and remain secret. Well, think about this, Heero. What will happen if something... accidental... happens, say... aboard an ammo ship?
"There's a lot that could happen, but knowing you, you'll figure out some of the details. Since we're going to be coordinating, I expect to hear from you over my personal communications channel in the coming days.
"The President of the United States."
Eisenhower sat back in her desk, her eyes narrowed as she studied the map of Devonport on the main monitor before her.
"Heero... I hope to hear from you soon. Because if this is gonna work... you'll be needing all the help we can get!"
GUNDAM WING: THE PHOENIX RISING
ARC I
BREWING STORM
END
(Shows two people crying as they see a child's body in the cockpit of a mobile suit)
Wipe those tears off your face
(The couple look up as a figure kneels, holding a hankerchief in their hand)
C'mon give me a smile
(The figure is revealed as clouds part, showing it to be President Eisenhower as she smiles softly)
Send me off
(The kerchief blows over the screen before fading to show the resistance moving forces across the country)
With one of your usual sarcastic wisecracks
(One of them makes a wisecrack and grins, the others laughing as they walk off)
Now I gotta go
(As they head into the horizon, the snow begins to shimmer as the camera pans around)
And head off towards the dazzling sunrise
(The sun is shown in front of the troops as they head into it, becoming engulfed in its light)
Where Grim Death beckons me to the battlefield of blood
(The light fades to show the SS United States as she is prepared for a refit in the underground docks of the Kingdom of Scandinavia)
I will not hesitate
(King Isaksen looks seriously at the vessel, a faded image of the NATO flag appearing behind him)
Someone murmurs to me
(The camera pans to the left, showing Brigadier General Neuville as he stands before his desk, eyeing the surrounding terrain critically)
"This is the end of the world"
(A soldier looks down, whispering "This is the end of the world.")
Yeah, right
(The general snorts as he leans back)
Like hell I can accept that kind of bullshit
(The camera pans up to show Durandal in his office, his eyes narrowed as his fingers are tented)
Once the die is thrown into the air
(Behind him are images of the prior battles playing out, all according to his plans)
Only God knows the outcome
(Eisenhower is shown next as the camera shifts to the right, showing her observing Djibril as he sits in his office)
That's right
(Djibril's eyes are narrowed as he sees the news reports of the battles in Europe and the North Atlantic)
NOBODY KNOWS THE FUTURE!
(Heero and Murrue are shown below the three leaders, standing side by side)
So I want to protect you my love
(The camera moves away to show Spray in the command center of one of the 1776th's ships, eyes narrowed)
Your dreams and your future with my own two hands!
(His eyes close as he recalls America in the past prior to the Reconstruction War, images showing the country's glory going past)
I'll carry on, my way!
(He stands up, the images fading, and he turns to face the camera, his eyes going SEED as his phoenix tattoo lights up)
Even if I have to offer up this life
(The image of the bird engulfs the camera before it fades to show his mobile suit, with the Aile Striker EX, facing down a shadowy mobile suit)
I'll carry on, my way!
(The two machines clash, sparks erupting from the point of contact with their beam sabers)
Without doubt, without fail, I will not forget!
(A flash of light cuts across the screen to show an image of Eisenhower's father and grandfather)
Your tenderness that's softer than snow
(Both men have tender smiles on their faces as Eisenhower closes her eyes, tears streaming down her cheeks before she turns and walks off)
I'll carry on, my way!
(Eisenhower is shown before a large compliment of machines and tanks, a squadron of air force jets flying overhead, her braid blowing in the breeze)
So carry on, my world!
(The camera pans around to show Atlantian forces assembled before them)
Within the pit of despair, there's a single ray of hope!
(The shape of a large ship in shadow is shown above the Atlantians as the Redemption is shown above the Americans)
And I'll continue to try to catch it!
(Eisenhower is shown in the middle of blackness, a glimmering ray of light shining as she reaches for it)
Forever!
(She is knocked back, but gets up)
Forever!
(A gust of wind blows her back, but she struggles towards the light)
Forever!
(She is shown reaching for it, defiance on her face as the screen freezes, the title of the series appearing beneath her)
GUNDAM WING: THE PHOENIX RISING
Author's Notes: First time I've done this, so... Well, not much really to say here. This concludes the next arc of Phoenix Rising. Of course, that doesn't mean I'm about to leave it like this. Consider the scene below to be a cliffhanger, as well as a set up for the next arc. ;)
Enjoy! :)
December 8th, CE 0073
Atlantic Ocean
UNKNOWN LOCATION
"Hm. I see."
The man frowned as he studied the horizon from the deck of their ship. "Ve're being sent out zen?"
The commander gave a nod. "Yes. Ve've been ordered by Lord Djibril to be zere for ze defense of Clyde, Portsmouth, und Devonport. Two of zose vill be targeted by Terminal. No doubt zeir biggest ones. So you und your unit are to go out und hold zem off, Jorge."
Jorge von Schweppe had to keep from chuckling. "So even ze great Desperado failed, eh? Along vith zat Eurasian ace, Hans?"
Hans Hess gave a serious nod. "Yes."
Jorge had to grin at that. "Finally. A chance to test ze might of ze true Master Race."
"Yes, but ve must be careful. After all, zere are rumors zat anozer rival vill make zeir appearance," Hans said, his eyes narrowing. "Und you know who I mean."
Jorge did know. His eyes narrowed dangerously into mere slits and he clenched his massive hands into fists. "Zem..."
The leader of Master Goose Militia nodded. "Yes. Zem. Our adversaries, und ze fools of ze mercenaries..."
The blonde man spat out the name in anger.
"Sicario!" he hissed. "Zis time, ze vill not escape my wrath!"
Hans nodded gravely.
"Ve vill succeed where others have not," he said, "und Heero Yuy shall fall by our hands..."
A sneer crossed his face. "Along vith all hope for a victory against our superior und overvelming might!"