Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Defenders Once More ❯ Recuperating Reflections ( Chapter 6 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

Chapter 7

Kitsune lay in her stiff hospital bed, not much skin showing between bandages, mostly blood soaked. She groaned, now in agony, but in exasperation. She hated, despised, and abhorred staying still. She couldn't remember being in one, only one, place at a time! She was gonna explode at any second… Visions of exploding body parts dance through her heavily bandaged head.
At the moment of total physical annihilation, the door opened to reveal a large black man in nurses' whites, balancing a large tray of food on each hand. Kitsune salivated. If there was one thing to keep her from squirming around…it was food!
The man smiled at the "cat-with-cream" look on the girl's face, as she licked her lips expectantly. He set the tray in front of the girl on the swinging table. She rubbed her hands together, still licking her lips. "Iya…keio! Keio! Keio!"
The man scratched his bald head in confusion. "Riiiiiiiight…" He turned to the pallid boy in the other bed. He was not quite awake yet and, not wanting to disturb his slumber, he set the tray on the table beside him. He would eat it later, that girl…what was her name? Kitsune would let him know where it was. He sighed. They had been through a lot, all for the sake of people like him. He shut the door behind him quietly.
Kitsune didn't bother chewing her food. She just tipped the plate back and swallowed it all whole. She set the plates back on the tray and opened her carton of milk, slugging it down gleefully. She set the empty carton down with an empty thud and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand.
She fell back against her pillows. It had tasted very good, but it just wasn't enough! She was a growing, healing girl! She needed food! Three sandwiches, two salads, and four apples just wasn't enough, hell it was a snack. Maybe if Dan wasn't hungry…
She leaned over her bedrail, trying to see past the curtain that was pulled halfway between them. She caught sight of his profile and frowned. She couldn't tell whether he was asleep or not. "Dan." She whispered. "Daaaaan." He stirred slightly, but there was no other response. She pouted, and turned back to her table. She went through the remnants of her meal, looking for some sort of projectile. Her eyes fell on her unused napkin and her milk straw.
The spit wad made its target: Dan's cheek. He started and glanced back and forth for his assailant. He met only Kitsune's solemn face. "Good you're up. I was wondering if you wanted your lunch."
Dan knuckled his eyes. "What lunch?"
Kitsune rolled her eyes. " Look at your right arm, now look at the - No, your right arm. Okay, now that you've found your arm, lets see about the lunch next to it." Dan looked over at his arm and then at the tray situated next to it.
"Oh, that lunch." He pulled it over onto his lap and looked over its contents.
"Yeah, that lunch! Can I have some? Onegai?" Kitsune whimpered. Dan glanced at the food, at Kitsune, then back again…
"Hmmm… No."
"Why not?"
"What do you mean why? You threw a spit wad at me! A helpless invalid!" Dan put on a puppy pleading face.
"Oh yeah, sure, as helpless as Hellbringer on a rampage." Kitsune retorted, crossing her arms across her bandaged chest. She winced at the unconscious motion, quickly pulling her arms away.
"But…" he continued, "I am defenseless no longer!" The spit wad he had formed while Kitsune had looked away hit her in the forehead.
"Kami-sama, that was gross! But now, Crimson-chan you will feel the Shinigami's wrath! Prepare yourself for the battle that you have instigated!" She propelled a spit wad at Dan's face, but he missed it narrowly, sending a spit wad up Kitsune's right nostril.
"Bwwwaaaaahhh!" She managed to close her mouth before his ammo could find it's way in. "Damn you! Payback! Revenge!" She double loaded her straw and discharged.
Dan made some peculiar gagging noises as they made their marks Dan's eyes. "Shinhei! (Die!)"
Dan clutched his eyes, rendering him helpless to Kitsune's barrage of sticky, disgusting, saliva papers. He quickly recovered ground though; after all, he wasn't a Gundam Pilot for nothing, was he? He had been trained for these kinds of situations! Well, not directly… He picked up his weapon and reloaded it…with three spit wads.
Kitsune let out an outraged howl and wiped the slobbery mess from her face. She turned for more napkin… And found she had none. "Kuso!"
Dan grimaced and halted. "Oh, that did not sound good…"
Kitsune snatched her milk carton from the table, tossing it into the air, and whacking it with her spoon like a baseball bat, the carton finding it's way to Dan's forehead. He clutched his head in agony. In a fit of rage, he grabbed the IV bag hanging from its pole, swinging it above his head like a lasso. "Take that!" He whirled it around Kitsune's throat, attempting to pull her off her bed. Kitsune thought fast, reaching behind her and grabbing the first thing her hands touched. Much to Dan's dismay, it was a very large EKG monitor. His eye's widened.
"Holy-" CLUNK! The monitor connected solidly with Dan's body, sending him careening into the wall with a hiss of emotional and physical torment.
Kitsune ripped the bag from around her neck and allowed herself a small grin. She stood on the mattress, arms akimbo.
Dan stood, wavering a little. He tore off one of the circular adhesive patches on his chest, and hurled it at Kitsune. Not being connected to his heart, his own EKG went flat line. When it slammed into Kitsune's forehead…it remained flat. Dan chuckled. "Guess you don't have any brain activity to monitor."
"Then I guess stupidity is contagious Crimson!" With that she wielded her IV pole, whirling in her left hand before grasping it firmly in both. "Let's dance!"
Dan grabbed his own "weapon". "You're going down!"
Kitsune scoffed. "If being blown up in a gundam didn't kill me, what makes you think you will? The Shinigami will be victorious! No Mercy!" She leapt onto his bed, glaring down at him.
Dan smiled perversely. "Like the view Kitten." He said coyly.
"Hentai!" She screamed, slamming him in the head with the end of her makeshift Bo. He flew across the room…
…Just as Alexia opened the door. Dan, always the gentleman, opened the door the rest of the way with his body. There was a resounding SMACK! as he hit the wall.
Alexia jumped back from the doorway with a surprised yelp.
Snarling with anger and undammed energy, he snapped his arm, the shunt still embedded in his arm, and the IV wheeled its way to Dan's hand. "You'll pay for that!" He growled, leaping onto his bed, facing off with Kitsune, and beginning the psychotic duel. They wielded their improvised weapons as if they were Bos, blocking and attacking. Dan somehow pushed Kitsune off the bed and she landed with an "Ooof!" as the air whooshed out of her lungs. Dan leapt over her, fully intent on bashing her brains out.
At the last moment, Kitsune deflected the blow, redirecting Dan's body's inertia to the unforgiving floor.
Alexia pressed her lips together in a thin line and nodded once before reaching for the bent doorknob. "I'll come back later." She closed the door; sweat dropping as she heard sayings such as… "You will die!" and "Bullshit!" and then the clanging of metal ensued.

A couple of hours later…

Both of the newly disabled pilots were back in bed, re-bandaged and exhausted. No, not that way, you hentais (Perverts)!!!

Alexia sat in her bed, staring up at the ceiling. She had a lot to think about. When she had first entered this mission, it was to stop the WFO from taking over Earth and ruining the fragile balance of peace between the Colonies and Earth. If they tried anything, the once five, now four gundam pilots would stop it. Simple. Right? Wrong. Dead Wrong.
Alexia sighed as the situation seemed to get more and more complicated as time went by. Her father, Daiken Lucar, descendant to the original Daiken Barton, headed the WFO. That combined the psychotic drive to rule both the Colonies and Earth and the drive to create the perfect soldier. If Lucar became the sole leader, he would have unlimited resources, funds, and the subjects he desired.
And although the people might find out about the operation, they knew not of what they were fighting this time. Before, it had been about fighting for peace, something everyone understood. But now, it was about the right to live period. To be happy with who you were born as, and to not be used as some guinea pig and created into something God never intended to draw breath.
Alexia knew the pain and torment the people would go through if her father won his political and military war. He would be unstoppable in reaching his goal of creating the weapon of all time. To suppress the human spirit and heart into something that could kill anything and perform any number of feats, yet no mind to decide if they should. Lucar could command them to do as he wished, and then the people would unknowingly become his slaves, the Earth and Colonies alike.
She would not let that happen. She couldn't. To go through what she did…to watch as the people warped into genetically engineered weapons…loose the traits that deemed them human in the first place. Mankind would end, peace would never be accomplished, and…the human soul would disappear.
But…how could she do that? How could she stop the man who, though she hated to admit it, gave her life? Everyone wants a happy family, to be together during the holidays and feel safe and secure. She remembered those times as well. When her father came home with small trinkets from work for her to play with. He wasn't always like this. But he changed, and he eventually destroyed her life and killed her mother.
If she killed him…she would be no better than he was. And even if she did, someone else would take his place. There was no winning. But…if she didn't, then she lost anyway. There had to be a solution to this! She just had to think how! And time was of the essence because if Earth fell to WFO, one or more of the Colonies would defect and the gap between the Space Colonies and Earth would grow once more.
So many men had given their lives for this unity. The original gundam pilots, as she had researched and found out, had sacrificed maybe the most, having time and time again, been willing to give up their lives at literally the push of a button for peace. Now that they were through fighting, it was someone else's turn to carry the burden. That someone was Alexia Lunaria, Dan Crimson, Kitsune Maxwell, and Ben Salazar. They would bring peace and tranquility to the people. The right to live and the right to spend their lives in peace forever more. That was their basic goal. Getting there was the problem.
Alexia moaned in pain and sat up, rubbing her temples. It had all become too much for her. She needed a break. She needed to get away from the base for a while. Dan and Kitsune were no doubt either trying to kill each other, or dead tired from their previous battle. She glanced at the clock and saw it was 22:00. Boy time flies when you think too much.
Alexia startled as she heard a knock at the door. "Who's there?" She asked consciously. Could WFO have traced them back here and attempt to bring her back?
"It's Ben."
Alexia frowned and went to the door. She carefully opened it and saw that it was indeed the leader of the rag tag team of defenders. "How come I didn't sense you coming?"
Ben smirked. "I learned a long time ago to suppress my aura, in case there were others who could sense me as well."
Alexia nodded. "What brings you over here so late at night?"
Ben seemed to get nervous. "Well, I don't know about you, but I can't sleep."
"Me neither." She agreed. "Too much on your mind?"
Ben nodded. "I was kinda wondering if you wanted to go out and get a bite to eat. Maybe we can exchange problems and both end up sleeping-"
She smacked him upside the head. "What do you mean 'end up sleeping'?"
Ben winced. "Not that! I meant end up sleeping decently for once!"
Alexia blinked. "Oh, sorry." She blushed and apologized meekly. "Um…sure. That sounds fine. I could use a good distraction."
"Are you saying I distract you?" Ben smiled.
She pushed him back into the hall, and grabbed her coat. "Be quite and walk, fly boy."
"Fly boy? Nice nickname." Ben followed her out and took her hand. "I'll have to think up one for you."
Alexia giggled and together they left the base.

Salazar picked a nice little, out-of-the-way restaurant, where the lights were dimmed, and the room gave off a pleasant feeling. Inside there were beautiful see through curtains hanging in the doorway and dimmed yellow lanterns hanging from the ceiling. The walls were red with block pictures and symbols all along them.
Ben and Alexia were led to a booth, back in the corner, where they could talk in privacy. Ben smiled across the table, and for the second time that night, Alexia was glad it was dark so he couldn't see her blush.
"So…" Alexia started. "Why couldn't you sleep?"
"Thinking, as always." He responded. "About our real purpose in all of this."
Alexia nodded in understanding.
"I know what we're fighting for is the right thing, but I also know there's something I'm not seeing." He continued.
Alexia knew that all too well, but she couldn't tell him. Not yet. It might reveal her identity as well. "Well, don't get so worked up. Let's focus on the present and I'm sure you'll figure it out later."
Ben frowned. "Yeah, you're right." He smiled. "I should focus on the beautiful woman in front of me."
What romance novel did he come out of? Alexia wondered.
Ben laughed. "My mother used to watch a lot of romance movies."
Alexia gasped. "How did you-?"
Ben tapped a finger to his head. "Mental connection."
Alexia blinked. "H-how?"
"I'm not too sure." He shrugged, and then smiled. "But I'm not complaining."

A single, dim teal light illuminated the room that Terrik currently occupied. His eyes were closed; he stood, relaxed in the middle of the cool enclosure. The quiet song of the women's choir echoed through the room, accompanied by the slow droning of a bass with occasional beats of a slow, thumping drum.
His mind wondered, through a shroud of mist; fog. He drifted endlessly in a pool of darkness, comforting darkness. Then his eyes snapped open, he jolted and was suddenly aware of something…
It was fading… He… couldn't remember.
What had been thinking about?
His past…
His present…
Then… The war.
This war was…wrong? Why? What is war? Why is this wrong? We bring peace through fighting? It doesn't make sense. General Yarseea claims we bring peace, happiness…but at what cost? Suffering? Is…I…something outside tells me it's right…but something inside tells me its wrong.
He raised his hands to his head, as a sudden pounding of blood caused him to feel dizzy; lightheaded he fell to the ground, disoriented.
The door opened and a medic walked in briskly.
"Your…condition is worsening, sir. General Yarseea has asked that you come down to Medical immediately."
The request was more like a command.
Terrik nodded, got up, and followed him out.

General Yarseea was in another meeting with Daiken Lucar. They had heard about a special gathering that was to take place at the Peacecraft's mansion this weekend. Lucar had gathered his own five Gundam Pilots that made up the Gundam Slayers. There was the traitor Kentos Lattis, Tamashii Kutsu, Xi Char, and the Matrix twins. They were all subjects of Project TPS.
"What do you plan to do with everyone there?" General Yarseea asked.
Lucar blinked out of his planning and spun in his commander's chair. "Simple. We stage an attack on the mansion, and blame the damage on the Defenders."
Yarseea nodded. "I don't see why they pose such a big threat to our organization. Five suits could easily be destroyed by any number of Leos and…"
"It isn't destroying them that is the hard part." Lucar cut him off. "It's destroying what they represent." Lucar stood up and put his hands behind him. "Ever since the Great War in After Colony 195, the gundams have represented rebellion and the fight for peace; leaving hope for the people and colonies alike. Creating a world where humanity does not require the likes of you and me to establish military rule to maintain order."
"So, simply destroying the gundams would be pointless?" The General asked.
Lucar nodded. "We must destroy the pilots reputation with the people in order to lower morality." He replied. "The first five gundam pilots were mere boys who would go so far as to sacrifice their lives for the sake of the Colonies and Earth citizens alike. The Gundams I have designed and have built lack one important programming feature. You see, the original gundams responded to emotion. One had to have a strong heart and soul to pilot such a machine so expertly."
Yarseea sighed. "And your pilots do not have such pure hearts?"
"They are created war machines, they do not need hearts to carry out orders. Although I am worried about Terrik Avalon. From your report earlier, he is loosing his initial training."
"Will you be speaking at the gathering?"
"Indeed I will, General. It will be the first step in eliminating our only adversary: the Gundam Pilots."

After the "treatment", Terrik returned to his quarters and took a refreshing shower. He peered into a mirror at his doleful eyes. Self-doubt filled his mind.
He let him go…
He let a rebel go.
He challenged a superior officer.
Was that what I was trained to do? To disobey orders? He took me in…Lucar took me in when I had nothing. And I betrayed him?
Was he supposed to ignore orders? Of course not. He was trained to obey, follow orders from those who knew what they were doing. A good soldier must be willing to die, and a good commander must be willing to send soldiers to their deaths.
Even in the face of his death, Terrik was supposed to follow orders, for the greater good of the WFO. But for what?
As the mood faded, his last thoughts were: Am I on the right side?

The food came promptly on time and Ben and Alexia ate and chatted about different things.
"No one ever beat me in sparring before." Alexia said.
"Then I'll consider myself honored." Ben replied.
Alexia used her chopsticks to pick up some chow mien. "I was going to ask you. What are your qualifications for being in this mission? Not just you; all of us. We have to have something in common to all have been picked to pilot the gundams. And it can't be experience, cause I don't have any."
Ben thought for a moment. "Maybe something about our personalities. Our pasts?" He guessed. "Maybe we should ask the scientists."
"I agree. We need some answers." Alexia finished off her meal. "Well, I lost the bet last time, so I guess I pay." She stood up.
Been stood up as well. "You don't have to."
"Don't worry. A bet is a bet." She winked and started off to the desk.
Ben put a hand on her arm, making her turn to him. He put some money in her hand. "There. Now go pay."
Alexia smiled and complied, stealing a kiss on his cheek.
Ben blinked in surprise and blushed. This had been one interesting night.

Back at the base, Alexia and Ben were still so full of energy, they decided to go to the rec room and play some pool. They played one game, where Alexia beat Ben by one. She got all the balls in the triangle and made ready for another game.
Just then, much to this surprise, Kitsune and Dan walked in, still somewhat bandaged, but healed.
Alexia gasped. "Are you guys supposed to be out yet?"
Kitsune looked over at Dan, and back at Alexia again. "Not exactly."
Dan smirked. "The nurse, kinda, sorta, maybe took an overdose of morphine." He looked over at Kitsune, who evilly smirked back, and the two shared a high five…
…Followed by a yelp and wince in pain. Obviously not all their wounds had healed yet.
"Well, since you two are felons now…" Ben said.
"Escaping state prison and all…" Alexia joked.
"Why not join us in some team pool?"
"I do not play games." Kitsune said, crossing her arms.
"Oh, come on!" Dan said. "We deserve some fun!" He stopped. "Unless you're scared…"
Oh no…
He didn't.
He did!
Kitsune fumed and grabbed a pool stick from the wall. "Let's go! The Shinigami fears nothing!"
"Yahoo!" Dan got his own stick. (No, not that one, you perverts!) "You two are in for it now."
"We'll see…" Ben said.
And the four began the match.

A few hours later, the pilots were still playing and laughing. Dan and Kitsune proved to be formidable opponents and the matches were 5-6, one game away from tying with Ben and Alexia.
Dan was just about to break with the cue ball, when his laptop went off. He moaned and cursed under his breath. Going over to this computer, he opened the newly arrived e-mail. Dan frowned. " Boots@nak.com ? I've never gotten an e-mail from them before."
"Who is it?" Alexia asked, sitting on the pool table.
"I don't know. The e-mail reads:

Dear Gundam Pilots,
A ball is scheduled over the weekend at the Peacecraft Residence. Formal attire is required. The Gundam Slayers wait to make your acquaintance there. The Princess' father will be present. We look forward to seeing you there.

Proceed to colony at 4.20.17.

Everyone frowned. "Princess?" Dan wondered.
Ben knowingly looked over at Alexia, who growled. "It's me."
"Huh?" Kitsune and Dan exclaimed.
Alexia sighed. "I know the name of the man in charge of WFO. His name is Daiken Lucar. He's my…" She paused. She really hated to tell them all this, but she'd have to sooner or later. "He's my father."
Kitsune gasped. "Are you certain."
"NO! I like to make things like this up!" Alexia shouted.
Ben placed a hand on her shoulder. "Why princess?"
Alexia sighed. "It's a nickname the WFO has deemed me with, because my father is their "king"." She explained.
"So, this guy's from WFO? Why would they send us an e-mail about a meeting?" Dan asked.
"Maybe he's trying to warn us about something that'll be happening." Kitsune turned to Alexia. "Does your fa-…err…Lucar have a prominent political standing?" Alexia nodded. "Then he might be giving a speech."
"Could he blow our operation and make it public?" Ben wondered.
"No, that would bring the media down on him as well." Alexia said. "And he can't afford that." Then she added. "But I think you have the right idea. He might be saying something there or planning something that we need to stop."
Ben nodded. "Then we go there, in person, with our gundams. We can stash them somewhere nearby incase anything happens."
"It says formal attire…" Dan was worried. "Do we have to go all out?"
Their leader nodded again. "The social event of the century. It'll be very formal." Kitsune and Dan both groaned. "What? Can't handle it?"
"No." Both replied.
"Well too bad." Alexia pulled Kitsune away. "Let's start planning your dress."
Kitsune's eyes went wild. "No! Anything but that!" She struggled, but Alexia had a good grip on her collar, and Kitsune was still weak from before, so she lost and Alexia smirked. "I get to do your hair."
The door closed behind them, but the death scream was audible through the bulkheads.
"NOOOOO!!!!!!!"