Eighty-Seven

Last Move

      Duo was barely ahead of me as we wound our way quietly through the building.
      We all had our coms...walkie talkies...and Quatre was leading the girls to the car garage...he had a helicoptor waiting on top with one of his men...a few, actually. Trowa was going with them...Zechs and Lucratzia as well. They had went ahead of the girls to be sure the path was clear.
      We noticed Kyle waiting and stopped as the man we were following also stopped, turning to look back.
      “What was that?” Kyle demanded, utterly pissed as he also paced and watched the direction his man had come from.
      “I’m sorry, Mr. Price...” he sounded scared, “They saw me moving...”
      “How could they see you moving! They were watching those two fools fight...”
      I gave Duo a look.
      “I’m sorry...I don’t know...they did...I saw Mr. Winner look directly at me before they all hit the ground...”
      “You fool! I told you not to draw the weapon!” Kyle backhanded the man.
      I sighed and leveled my gun at his head, “Well, Kyle...” I turned the corner to face him.
      “Heero...” he hissed, “I was just...I mean...”
      I shook my head, “Don’t play innocent. You’re lucky Duo and I have maintained our self-control up ‘til now.”
      He drew his gun.
      I laughed, “Are you really that stupid, Mr. Price...” I said it mockingly.
      “You’re alone.” he stated.
      I laughed, “Am I?”
      “I see no one else...” he was silent a second, “Hear no one else...”
      I laughed, “Do you think that will matter? You’ve experienced what Duo and I can do together...and we were holding ourselves back.”
      Duo studied his nails while still holding his gun.
      With one hand, Kyle reached into his jacket and pulled out a walkie-talkie, “I...” he started into it.
      I smiled, cocking my gun and shooting the thing from his hand before he could say any more.
      He chuckled dryly, “I’ve been waiting for this for a long time...”
      Quatre informed us that they had arrived at the helicoptor.
      Now would be the fun part...them finding out that we weren’t coming.
      Kyle started shooting at me. I avoided it easily. Before long I had reached him. I knocked the gun from his hand. His man had stepped back and hadn’t even pulled his gun.
      Duo stepped from the hall, a grin on his face...he had holstered his gun and looked between us...Kyle had stepped back, but I hadn’t continued to attack him.
      “Now, Heero...” Duo’s voice was reprimanding.
      Kyle focused on him, freezing.
      “You really should have waited for me...” he focused on the asshole, “You know how badly I was arguing with Quatre about kicking his ass...”
      Kyle had fell back and gestured to his man, “Kill them...” then he ran.
      I laughed as the boy pulled his weapon and aimed at us...he was surprisingly steady.
      “Listen...” Duo said, looking him over, “Little boy...you can run. If you run we won’t hurt you.”
      He didn’t move, “I...I can’t...”
      We exchanged a glance, then I shrugged, “Fine.” I hit him upside the head with my gun, knocking him out without any permanent damage...I’d been a little too close.
      Duo nodded, “Very nice...” he started down the hall.
      Wordlessly, I followed.


      I could hear the arguing...Sam was protesting Quatre’s staying...there was a second of complete silence, then Nikki was talking to Heero. Her tone was icy. I could hear her restrain Sam...then I realized that they had theirs on open.
      A couple others must’ve as well, because I heard the switch.
      “Nikki...”
      “You’re an ass...up...”
      “Hey, you can’t expect us to leave this...” he started.
      “But I can exepct you not to lie.” she replied, “Focus. I’m on the lines.”
      I exchanged a look with Sally.
      We were supposed to evacuate these people.
      I jumped onto a table, “Hey...everyone!”
      The noise quieted.
      “Please evacuate the building now...there are buses waiting to escort you to a safe location...”
      Questions started.
      I shook my head and began indicating the route to the buses. Sally went ahead and Quatre rejoined me.
      He took over the crowd and I followed Sally.


      I was pissed.
      He had the balls to lie to me about something this serious...
      I checked the lines carefully, hearing the various talk and commands...
      I remained silent as I watched the building disappear and noticed movement around the borders of the property.
      Quatre had no one out there....his were around the building itself.
      I started telling them of what I saw.
      I was glad to note that the bus area was clear...
      Kris indicated the pilot to circle the building and he complied wordlessly. I told them all what I noticed, then we were off...
      We were returning to the first place we’d stayed...the one on the coast...There were cliffs there. The Gundams would be less noticable.
      No matter how mad at Heero I was, I was scared. They’d said they were coming. They’d said...I thought about it. They’d told half-truths. They hadn’t actually lied, but close enough...I couldn’t really call them on it...I did it too often to be able to do that...but the others could.
      I had a feeling that there wasn’t going to be any arguing.
      We all exchanged a glance.
      We hoped they knew what they were doing.


      “Damn...” Kyle was completely gone.
      Nikki had just informed us that the men we’d noticed earlier were getting closer to crossing the property line.
      Quatre informed us that most of the guests were on the bus...the second bus. The first bus had already left.
      “Let’s go.” Heero muttered, “He’s made it to his men... Fuckin’ coward...”
      I shook my head, watching still.
      “Let’s go...” he repeated, pulling me.
      I followed him and we met up Sally in one of the halls.
      “Is everything ready?” he asked before I could.
      She nodded, “Everything and everyone is ready.”
      He nodded, “Good. Where are the girls?”
      “Far enough...”
      “No pursuit...” Nikki muttered before she could be asked.
      He nodded, not saying anything to her...I could see the guilt in his eyes.
      I was sort of surprised any of them had actually lied...I hadn’t. I just hadn’t discussed it with Kris.
      “All right.” I may as well break the silence. Nikki was pissed, after all.
      Heero sighed, “Nikki...”
      “Not right now.” she replied. “We can talk when you catch up.”
      “I’m not so sure I will...” he muttered quietly.
      “You think you’ll die?” she asked almost mockingly, “Go ahead then, leave me.”
      That brought him up short, “All right...” he muttered after a second, “We’ll talk about it when I get there.”
      We exchanged a glance.
      “They’re moving again.” Sally muttered.
      Some of the soldiers were looking at me...I couldn’t be reassuring them by this.
      I had been pacing, and now returned to the window I’d been watching out of.
      “Mr. Maxwell...what should we do?”
      I looked to the girl...she could be no older than Sam...
      “We wait.” I replied, “And watch.”
      She nodded, refocusing out the window.
      “Heero?”
      “Yeah?”
      “What did you see?” I needed something to distract me so I’d stop pacing.
      “You’re not going to like it.”
      “When have I ever liked Zero’s visions?”
      “True...” but he didn’t go on.
      “Well?”
      “Nikol, Kitty, Nikol.”
      “Details?”
      “Nikol in a cockpit. Kitty aiming her gun with tears in her eyes, and Nikol with his shoulders hunched and back to me.”
      “That’s not much to go on.”
      “I got the distinct feeling that it was Nikol I’m approaching.”
      “So what’s going on?”
      “Nothing, I haven’t quite caught up to him yet.”
      We fell silent for a while.
      I noticed some movement from the trees...then a row of soldiers were coming out...followed by another row...
      There was a stir in the men and I gestured, “Focus...”
      The movement stopped.
      “Who moves first, Quatre?”


      The gunshots had been going on for a while now...but they continued to report and were taking little damage. That was a relief.
      I finally found that Aries on my radar.
      “What’s going on, Heero? You’re too quiet.” Duo was distracted.
      “Nothing. His suit’s on radar now.”
      “Good.”
      I grunted, “I’ll kill him before I let him find them.”
      There was no reply...if I were there, there would have been a nod, but I wasn’t, so I could only assume. Not that it really mattered.
      “So...you...shit...”
      “No, I didn’t shit...” I grinned as he chuckled a bit.
      This was really no time for jokes...
      “Sometimes I wonder about you boy’s sanity...” Sally muttered.
      I chuckled at that, “So do I.”
      “I think it’s gonna take a miracle for you not to kill him.”
      Something occurred to me and I grinned again, “It’ll take a miracle for you, but I can handle it.”
      He laughed a bit, “Promise me something...”
      “What’s that?”
      “Don’t use my suit to repair your’s this time...”
      I laughed, “Don’t worry. That really was your fault you know.” we had debated this a lot in the past.
      “I withdrew my offer when you were being an ass.”
      “I’m sorry if I didn’t want people touching my suit...”
      “You know...” Quatre muttered suddenly, “Deathscythe’s pieces wouldn’t work in Zero.”
      I chuckled, “What do you think?”
      “I think you were being an ass. That he did withdraw his offer. But then you did do it anyway...”
      I laughed dryly, “Thank’s, Quatre, you were always such a big help...”
      “Anytime...”
      “Occasions like these.” Sally muttered, “We’re facing an army and you’re debating something that happened when you didn’t even know each other’s names...”
      “Or that there were five of us all together.” Quatre agreed.
      “Can you focus, please?”
      “Sorry.”
      We fell silent as I remembered Duo muttering, then telling me to stop pretending to be human. I chuckled.
      “I think I’ve made my point.” Sally was probably a bit annoyed with us.
      “So do you think I’m still pretending to be human, Duo?”
      He laughed, “I’d forgotten about that...” he made a noise like he shivered, “Thanks for reminding me of you setting your own leg...”
      I laughed, “Oh yeah...that...”
      “Why did you open your parachute if you were trying to kill yourself?”
      “You heard Relena call me. Go figure.”
      He made a thinking noise, “I still can’t forget your bloody hand out for my knife...”
      I shook my head, grinning, “I had to get out somehow...”
      “That’s a really morbid discussion, you realize?” Nikki muttered.
      I sighed, “There are some things you never forget.”
      “So you say...but can we keep the blood and guts under wraps please? It’s not settling my mind much...”
      “All right, Koibito...But you don’t need to worry...”
      “I think I will anyways, thank you very much...”
      Before she finished, I could see the Aries, “Here it is. I guess this is when I focus...”


      I could hear the gun...with all the noise of the helicoptor...all the guys fighting...all the noise...I could hear Zero.
      I bit my lip as I watched the monitor, switching from screen to screen and continuing to stay on the lines.
      I wet my lips as I exchanged a look with Trowa, wishing I had a radar. I could go and use the helicoptor’s, but no. I wanted to stay back here...
      I was unnerved, though. I wanted to just...just...I wasn’t sure what I just wanted to do. But it wasn’t monitor lines or watch maps...or know that Heero was fighting...or anyone was fighting.
      War...again...why couldn’t peace remain? Why was it always broken...
      “Chikushoume...”
      That made me jump.
      It was followed by a complicated line of curses that I couldn’t follow...it wasn’t English, and it was fast.
      “Calm down.” Duo muttered quickly, “Take a deep breath...”
      I frowned to Trowa, realizing that more was said than simple curses.
      Trowa was frowning, concentrating on what he was listening to as Heero explained something...again too quick, using words I had no idea about...
      “What?” I asked, not liking the tone of the answers from the others...none of it was English.
      Heero chuckled darkly, “Don’t ask.”
      “Are you all right...”
      I had a feeling he was grinning, “I’m fine, Mine. I just let myself get angry.”
      Trowa almost shook his head, but stopped when he realized I was looking.
      “Fuck...I have to land...”
      “What?” I was shocked, “What’s going on...”
      “Nikki, don’t worry. Zero just can’t fly anymore...”
      “Heero...”
      “You sound like you’re getting panicked.”
      “What do you expect!” I demanded.
      He laughed, “Calm down...take a deep breath...”
      Duo snickered a bit.
      “Shut-up and tell me what’s going on!”
      Trowa was grinning at that.
      “You sure?” Heero asked.
      “Heero!” I added that extra flip on the ‘r’ in his name...
      There were mutters from the others.
      Heero remained silent a while...probably only seconds...then started to explain...in detail...exactly what had happened.
      There was only one problem.
      It wasn’t English.
      I made a protesting noise, “Heero...” I added the flip again.
      He sighed, “He got my pack. That’s all. Nothing else...except that he’s getting away...sort of. I have him in my sights...”
      I blinked, scared for him, but focused on my task again. He knew what he was doing, and whatever it was, was for the best.
      “Gomensai...” he whispered, “I didn’t mean to scare you...”
      I could hear the gun...his rifle...the double beam...
      “Son of a bitch!” that was Quatre...his following line was a mix of so many languages that I couldn’t follow any of it. His tone, however, wasn’t very nice.
      “What’s going on...”
      “They’ve been pushed back to the garden wall.” Duo replied, “Guys, stay focused. She needs to understand...”
      Quatre muttered an apology.
      Duo had moved on, though, “...Heero?”
      “I’m good. The Aries is grounded and I’m catching up.”
      “Don’t do that.”
      “Do what?” Heero sounded a little miffed.
      I looked everyone over as Duo continued.
      “It’s nice that you’re independant, but you need to let us know what’s going on. I don’t know about the others, but I prefer to know if you’re alive or not.”
      They were all staring outside, not seeming to care about what was being said.
      Heero snorted, “Fine. I’ll report like a good boy...”
      “In English.” I added.
      Sally chuckled a bit, “They only need to be told once, little girl...”
      That brought a few chuckles.
      “I know, Love...” Heero wasn’t chuckling...that was a good thing.
      I remained silent.


      I shook my head as the chuckles faded. Nikki knew what she was doing. If she thought they needed to be reminded, she’d remind them.
      It had been a long time since they’d stuck to their training.
      I checked my radar, no sign of the Aries.
      “I’ll fall behind, Zia.” Zechs told me.
      “All right. Be careful.”
      “He’s grounded.” Heero reminded them, “You should change course and speed up.”
      “Coordinates?” Nikki asked.
      Heero answered and I could hear them discussing where to go.
      After a short time, they seemed to work it out and told Zechs and I as they told the pilot.
      I wondered if I’d have to fight.


      Discussing the safety of my friends while fighting Nikol was a little odd...almost surreal...like they would do sometimes on television...when they’d show the present while playing the discussion of the past. The only thing missing was dramatic music.
      Nikki was upset.
      I cleared that from my mind, knowing that it was a distraction...a distraction when I needed to focus.
      I was a bit surprised that this attack was going so well for them. Somehow or another, they were pushing the guys back...not that it worried me. I knew the plan....I was supposed to be there, after all.
      The girls were safe, within twenty minutes of landing. I had asshole here, and the guys were going to be clearing the men soon...I felt bad for the lives that would be lost.
      “Nikki, start the Gundams.” Quatre also sounded sober.
      Nikki made a non-commital sound of confirmation.
      Keeping in mind that I needed to get back soon, I pulled my saber and swung at his legs.
      Not expecting this, his jump was too late. I cut one of the legs off...which made him fall.
      “I know who you are.” I told him, enabling the outside speakers.
      There was laughter, “I should have guessed you would. That machine of yours...very impressive. It’s too bad it’s in the hands of an ameture.”
      I laughed at that, “I don’t really care what your opinions are. I just want you to know one thing.”
      There was an amused sound, “What’s that?”
      “You’ll die before you get any of them.”
      “I think you’ll die before you can stop me.”
      “I already have.” anger over took me and I slashed down, cutting the damned machine’s head off, then the arms in turn, then the other leg...by force of sheer will power, I managed not to impale the cockpit. “You will never get Kitty or any of the others.” I informed him, “You will never win, and you are about to lose your men. I pity you, but can’t help but wonder why you feel it necessary to do this. Is it revenge? Is it just because you’re delusioned? If you could explain it to me sometime, I’d appreciate it. But now, I have to go. I have some enemies to fight.”


      I closed my eyes, expecting to die.
      “You will never get Kitty or any of the others.” I opened my eyes in surprise, “You will never win, and you are about to lose your men.” I collected my thoughts, realizing what was going on, “I pity you, but can’t help but wonder why you feel it necessary to do this. Is it revenge? Is it just because you’re delusioned? If you could explain it to me sometime, I’d aprreciate it. But now, I have to go. I have some enemies to fight.”
      I sat there, catching my breath as I watched his suit disappear into the distance.
      Why hadn’t he killed me?
      “Nikol?”
      Suretta’s voice sounded scared and confused.
      “I’m all right...he just left...”
      “Shall I...”
      “Do it.”
      She didn’t say anything else to me and I wondered what was going on.
      She’d been detatched from me for a while...nothing was like it used to be...because of Nikki.
      I’d never hated Nikki, I still wanted to be her friend...sort of...but she’d managed to get under Suretta’s skin...
      I wondered what she’d think of my children.
      Putting that to the back of my mind, I grabbed my head piece, then climbed out of my destroyed machine, wondering what to do now. He hadn’t killed me...maybe Nikki’d asked him not to...I knew better than that, of course, but it was a nice dream to think she still might care.
      I shook my head, it was too bad she didn’t agree with me. When we won, she’d have to be watched. Her and her friends...they’d be a perpetual thorn in my side. I’d probably have to lock those five morons up...six, counting Milliardo. Probably Noin as well. The others were a given...the damned Preventers...I shook my head.
      “Suretta?”
      “Yeah?”
      “Come get me.”
      “All right.”


      I shook my head as I listened to Heero talking to Nikol. I could hear everything said and wondered why Heero hadn’t killed the man.
      “What?” Nikki asked, her tone confused.
      “I don’t want to kill him.” Heero replied, “I want him to know he’s defeated and see what comes then.”
      “What if it’s more war?” Duo asked.
      Heero chuckled, “I’ll kill him if he tries anything like this again...”
      “Quatre?” Sam sounded worried.
      “Yeah?”
      “Are you all right...”
      “I’m fine, why?”
      “Just curious.”
      “Mm...I love you.”
      “I love you too...”
      “They’re ready.” Nikki muttered.
      “All right. Thanks.”
      “What now?” Kris asked.
      “We wait and see if we’ll need them.”
      “Did you see any suits?” Wufei asked, meaning when they’d flown over.
      “No. But that doesn’t mean anything.”
      “I did. I saw a good...fist or so...”
      “How many?” Kitty sounded confused.
      “Hundred.” he replied.
      “How did you count them so fast.” Nikki asked.
      I could only assume he smiled at her from her snort of wry exasperation.
      Kris snickered.


      I watched the ground below, apprehension rising inside of me. What if they’d found out where we were going? What if they had some sort of tracer on the helicopter? I shook my head, Nikki would know about the tracer and Zechs would know about the following.
      I was just worried. Worried about our safety...Duo’s safety...the other’s safety...no real substance to any of it.
      I sighed as I put that out of my mind.
      Nikki had started the Gundams...so it wouldn’t be long before this was over.
      “They’re...retreating...” Duo was shocked.
      “What?” I demanded, not sure if I’d heard that right.
      “They’re retreating.” Duo sounded throughly befuddled, “Retreating...”

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Kyeian