Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Family Ties ❯ Chapter 90 ( Chapter 90 )

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“Family Ties”

 

January 2007 ShenLong

 

Chapter 90

 

[Satellite XRB 23 Control Room]

 

Hawkins had overheard the conversations flying around the control room and did his best to keep his face neutral. In his head he knew the coding had worked and silently praised the young man for his courage. He listened to the angry exchange between Barton and Zaheer and did his best not to snicker. Aside from the fact it would alert his captors to him, it would also be rather painful given he now sported a black eye, split lip, bruised cheek and bloodied nose.

 

When he heard Barton order the big man to come and get him, Hawkins paled.

 

Zaheer strode over to where the professor was sitting and stopped in front of the man. “Get over here to one of the consoles,” he ordered.

 

The guard watching over Hawkins gave the professor a nudge with his gun when the man didn't move. “Shift it,” he growled.

 

Reluctantly, Hawkins stood up and shuffled across the room to the console that Zaheer had moved to. He took a seat and stared at the screen.

 

“You will bring up the mobile doll program and start to go through the programming. There's something going on with the suits and I know Maxwell did something to it when he was programming the suits. I want you to find out what it was and fix it,” Zaheer demanded.

 

“Do I have a choice?”

 

Zaheer cracked his knuckles again. “Yes, you do. You can do this the easy way by yourself, or I can persuade you to do it. Either way, you will do it.”

 

Hawkins swallowed. “Okay.” He raised his hands to the console keyboard and paused.

 

“Why aren't you working?” Zaheer snarled.

 

“Ummm. I don't know where the doll program is on the computer.”

 

“Idiot!” Zaheer snapped and shoved the professor aside to take up the keyboard himself. “Calls himself a professor and yet he can't even find the suit program on the damn computer,” he muttered to himself.

 

Hawkins let the abuse go over his head. He was well aware of where all the programs were on the computers; but Zaheer didn't know he knew - and he wasn't about to tell him either. The longer he took to do their bidding, the longer the Gundams out there had to take down as many of the suits as possible.

 

“There,” hissed Zaheer and handed the keyboard back to the professor. “That is the doll program for the mobile suits that Maxwell was working on. If you wish to keep your own teeth, I suggest you start going through it and locate whatever it was Maxwell did to it.”

Hawkins swallowed and nodded, taking back the keyboard and scrolling through the information on the screen.

 

“Watch him,” Zaheer ordered the guard and returned to his position by Barton to see how the battle was playing out.

 

* * *

 

[Satellite XRB surface]

 

Slowly but steadily the Gundams were cutting through the suits. The numbers were less, the pilots operating the Orion suits not as skilled as the Gundam pilots and without the doll program they were pretty much beginners as far as their fighting level went. Wherever possible, the guys were doing their best to disable rather than kill their enemies. There had been far too much killing in their short lives. Unfortunately in battle there were bound to be casualties, and this battle was no different.

 

Quatre had his shields up in an attempt to block out as much of the emotion as he could. The blonde hated the fight, but he'd done his best to give his enemy the chance to surrender, a chance they had declined. Now Quatre was forced to defend himself and take out as many as he could.

 

The surface of the satellite was steadily becoming covered with the broken suits. Some suits were simply disabled, their pilots unable to leave them and get back to the safety of the domes with the battle still raging around them. Others weren't so lucky.

 

Zechs was feeling the strain in his shoulders from operating the shuttle's beam rifles. They were different to the weapons used on a Gundam, a fact that was being brought home to the tall blonde. They weren't as quick to respond and Zechs had to adjust his thinking and tactics to allow for the slight delay in response. He did manage to get in several shots and render a few of his attackers disabled.

 

Unfortunately the shuttle also took several hits. Zechs wasn't sure what the damage was, but he could hope it wasn't too bad. He wouldn't be able to check though until the battle was over. Another hit to the side had Zechs rocking in his seat and he growled in frustration. Swinging the rifles around, he locked onto his target and let fly.

 

The suit managed to evade the beams and retaliated with its own.

 

Deathscythe appeared and swung the thermal scythe, cutting through the opposing suit and sending it spinning to the surface. A quick turn to the right and the scythe was again deployed, slashing through the metal and neatly removing both legs of the suit in question.

 

“Ah, shit,” the pilot exclaimed as the sparks flew from the severed legs, hydraulic fluid spraying around as the suit lost all power and plummeted to the surface to join its legs.

 

“Zechs? You okay?” Duo asked down the comm unit.

 

“Still alive and kicking for the moment,” Zechs replied. “Thanks.”

 

“No problem.” Duo swung around and blocked the beam from the rifle that was aimed at Deathscythe's cockpit. The beam was deflected off and Duo returned the attack. Another suit exploded, the fragments floating off into the void of space.

 

“Any idea of the damage?” Duo asked as he took a moment to catch his breath.

 

“Not at this stage. Weapons are still on line and none of the major alarms are going off so I'm pretty sure that the shuttle is okay for the moment.”

 

“Good.”

 

“DUO! Look out!” Quatre yelled down the comm link.

 

“Ah, fuck!” Duo cried out as he was slammed against the bulk head. His head spun for a moment, the harness biting deep into his shoulders and across his abdomen, then he felt the trickle of blood running down the side of his face. Gingerly he raised a hand to see what the damage was and winced when he found the cut in his hair line.

 

With a roar of anger, he spun the black mecha around to face the suit that had managed to get in the lucky shot.

 

The suit pilot saw the green flare of the scythe and swallowed hard. Yanking on the controls, he managed to get the Orion to spin and avoid the first sweep of the scythe but before he could turn the suit again, the thermal blade sliced through the metal of the cockpit. For the pilot it was a quick and painless end.

 

As the one suit was destroyed, so another came to take its place.

 

“Fucking hell!” Duo swore as he was again swamped with suits, all as determined as the other to take him down.

 

“Come on, squad,” the gold leader called down his com unit and noting what remained of his squadron joining him. A few stragglers from another squadron flew over.

 

“We're joining you,” came a voice down the comm unit.

 

“Who?” asked the gold leader.

 

“Green squadron. Our leader has been taken down along with most of our squad. Request permission to join you, sir.”

 

“Permission granted,” replied the gold leader. He took a quick look around, calculating the number of suits now in his squad and pleased at the result. “All suits to form up and attack on my command. Gold take the Gundam, green attack the shuttle.”

 

Several replies in the affirmative came down the unit.

 

“Attack!”

 

The squad of suits split off, some aiming for Deathscythe, the others for the shuttle.

 

“Crap,” Trowa muttered as he took stock of his ammunition supply. He still had a few rockets in reserve but the bullet situation was getting critical and there were still a lot of suits to disable.

 

“You okay, Trowa?” Quatre asked, hearing the soft expletive down the comm link.

 

“Not really. Ammo is running low,” he offered in explanation. “Don't suppose there's any more on board the shuttle, that's providing I can get the time to go and reload?”

 

“Negative,” came Heero's voice. “Sorry, Trowa, you'll just have to make do with what you have.”

 

“Oh well, guess I'd better make each one count then,” came Trowa's resigned reply. Taking a moment, he brought the army knife to the fore on the Gundam's right arm. Once the ammunition ran out he would need to use the knife to protect himself and take out any further suits that he could.

 

“You should all give up now, this fight is pointless,” Wufei growled. “None of you have the skills to match ours and that makes this battle unjustifiable.”

 

A suit pilot disagreed and managed to fire his rifle off, striking Shenlong in the left leg. Another pilot fired, hitting the Gundam in the right hip and sending sparks flying.

 

Wufei's eyes narrowed and he swung the mecha around. The dragon arm shot forward, taking out one suit whilst the thermal trident twirled and then embedded itself in the lower regions of the other suit.

 

“Are we making any difference?” Quatre called as his shotels grabbed and crushed a suit then spun around to slice the head clean off another.

 

“I hope so,” came Heero's response, the buster rifle sending out its deadly beam and piercing through two more suits.

 

“They seem to keep on coming,” replied Quatre and swung Sandrock around, neatly taking out another suit.

 

“All I can say is we're not cutting them down fast enough,” Zechs put in. “The shuttle is taking quite a beating.”

 

Duo didn't bother to say anything at all; he was too occupied with the suits that were swarming all over him. The scythe repeatedly swung through the air, cutting its way through metal, slicing away at the enemy and rendering as many as possible useless. But it seemed that for every one he disabled, there were another two waiting to take their place.

 

His shoulders were aching, his head throbbed from the blow it had taken and his abdomen was sore where the harness had pulled taut. A beam to the back of Deathscythe had him jolting in his harness again and a low hiss of pain escaped his throat as his bruised body took a further beating.

 

Heero could see the battle waging between his husband and the suits hell bent on destroying both Deathscythe and the shuttle. The worry flicked through blue eyes as Deathscythe took another blow and he resisted the urge to contact is lover. He would distract Duo if he did and Duo needed to concentrate all he could on the suits around him.

 

Gritting his teeth, Heero pushed his suit to the limit, determined to finish off as many of the suits around him as quickly as possible and go help his lover.

 

The buster rifle flared to life again, the shots being fired in rapid succession and taking out several suits.

 

Despite having his shields up and blocking out as much of the swirling emotions around him as he could, Quatre still felt some of them break through - particularly those from his fellow pilots as they were the people he was closest to. He could feel Wufei's anger still simmering away, Trowa remained calm, even though there was an undercurrent of worry there. From Heero he felt rage, pain, guilt and desperation; the rage and desperation directed at the suits that were keeping him from his lover, the pain and guilt for not being there to protect the one he loved more than life itself.

 

Duo's emotions were much harder to pick up, mainly as Shinigami was also lurking there. When Quatre was able to sense Duo, like Heero he could detect pain, guilt anger and desperation. The shuttle was desperately trying to protect itself, Deathscythe assisting in any way it could, but even to Quatre's eyes it was a battle they were losing. His mind searched for ways to assist.

 

“All pilots listen up,” Quatre said down the comm link as he continued to battle the suits attacking him. “We need to protect the shuttle. Duo can't do it on his own, he's getting swamped.”

 

“In case you hadn't noticed, we're not exactly twiddling our thumbs out here. Now that's justice,” stated Wufei, the dragon flame snuffing out as the charred suit dropped to the satellite surface.

 

“I know that,” Quatre sniffed. “I suggest we all join him, form up around the shuttle and continue this battle there. If we combine our firepower we should be able to take down more of them and quicker.”

 

“I'm in,” replied Trowa. “I don't have much left in the way of ammo though so most of my fighting will have to be done close range, suit to suit combat.”

 

“I suppose the idea has some merit, Winner. Combine the forces and we stand a better chance,” said Wufei. “I will join you as soon as you give the order.”

 

“Just let me know where you want me,” came Heero's response. He was relieved that Quatre's suggestion would unite them all and was the logical choice to take their enemy down.

 

“If you're coming can I suggest you hurry it up a bit? In case you'd forgotten there's a shuttle and suit here under major attack,” Duo cut in. “Ah, fuck!” Duo jolted in his seat with the impact of the rifle on Deathscythe's upper left arm. “Dare to hit me would you, you shit pile of an excuse for a suit. Come here you fucker and take this!” The scythe swirled, the green, thermal energy making a deadly arc through the air and slicing the suit.

 

The other four Gundams made their way towards their fifth member, doing their best to fend off the continued attacks. Somehow they managed to form up around the shuttle in a sort of circle, backs to each other and the shuttle in the middle.

 

“Let them have it!” cried Zechs as he lined up the shuttle's beam rifles around the suits and prepared to fire.

 

All five suits dove into the fight once more.

 

* * *

 

[Somewhere on the Earth]

 

“Please, sir. We have to hurry,” Agent Moon said as he tried to make the senator move a little quicker.

 

“I don't know why we can't stay here,” muttered the senator.

 

“I have strict instructions from headquarters to get you to a safe location as quickly as possible. I cannot guarantee to be able to protect you here any longer,” Moon replied in his `patient' voice.

 

Senator Harvey continued to grumble as he tossed a few more items into the bag.

 

Moon glanced at his watch and with a sigh, turned back to the senator. “I'm afraid we have to leave now,” he said and firmly took the senator's bag and closed it. The senator spluttered his outrage for a moment but the agent ignored it and grabbing the bag in one hand, he grasped the senator's arm with his other and steered the man towards the door and waiting car.

 

Once they were in the car, Agent Moon started the engine, slipped it into gear and left the senator's home. Picking up his comm unit, he contacted Headquarters. “Preventer, this is Agent Moon. Do you copy?”

 

“Agent Moon, this is Agent Sun, we copy.”

 

“Sun, I have left Senator Harvey's residence and am currently en-route to the safe house coordinates.”

 

“Roger that, Moon.”

 

“Will advise once we have reached the safe house.”

 

“Thanks. Agents Elm and Shadow are also en-route to the same safe house and should be there roughly an hour after you.”

 

“Any change in the current situation?”

“Not at the moment. I will keep you advised. Take care and safe trip. Sun out.”

 

“Thanks, Sun. Moon out.” Agent Moon switched the comm unit to silent and concentrated on driving the senator to the safe house, hoping he didn't come across any resistance on the way.

 

Further afield, Agents Saturn and Granite were similarly transporting their respective senators to another safe house location. Granite was having a fairly good run, his senator living on the outskirts of the city and therefore he could travel across country and avoid the metropolis where most of the rioting was happening.

 

Saturn was having a much more difficult time of it. Senator Kinsen, whom he was to protect had been cooperative, understanding the need for such precautions and had packed quickly and efficiently, putting his trust in the Preventer agent to look after him.

 

Saturn climbed into the black car and drove out into the evening. The car was just your average, black sedan, something that wouldn't be conspicuous and Saturn was a good driver. Once they were on the road he contacted Headquarters.

 

“Preventer Headquarters, this is Agent Saturn. Do you read?”

 

“Agent Saturn, this is Agent Sun, we read you loud and clear.”

 

“I have Senator Kinsen with me and am aiming for the safe house at coordinates 352 North, 67 East. ETA forty-five minutes.”

 

“Roger that, Saturn. Agent Granite is about fifteen minutes out from reaching the same destination. I will advise him of your ETA.”

 

“Thanks.”

 

“Be careful, Saturn. You have a riot ahead of you in the town to get through.”

 

“Roger that. Any other way around it?”

 

“Negative. The only road that leads out passes directly through the trouble spot. I'd suggest keeping the windows up and the foot down.”

 

Saturn gave a chuckle. “I copy that. I'll do my best. Saturn out.”

 

“Good luck. Sun out.”

 

Saturn flipped the com switch and settled back in the seat to drive. Beside him, Kinsen stared out of the window.

 

They had traveled for roughly ten minutes when they could see the township up ahead. Saturn was concentrating on his driving when the senator spoke.

 

“Will you be able to get through the town okay?” he asked.

 

“Should do,” replied Saturn.

 

“What about the rioters?”

 

“I'm pretty sure we will be able to dodge around them. I plan on taking a few of the back streets, avoid the main ones where most of the rioting will be taking place.”

 

“Anything I can do to help?”

“Not really. Just hang on in case the ride gets a little rough.”

 

Kinsen double checked his seat belt and pushed himself deeper into his seat.

 

“Here we go,” Saturn muttered as they hit the township streets.

 

Keeping himself low in the car, Kinsen allowed his eyes to roam over the sights outside the window. He shuddered as he saw the people, unable to comprehend that they could turn into such savages. Wrecked cars were scattered along the streets, shop windows smashed and looting taking place. Everywhere one looked there were people arming themselves with whatever they could lay their hands on. Store keepers were trying to protect their property and being taken down as human nature went back to the Stone Age.

 

“Holy hell,” muttered the senator.

 

“Not pretty, is it?” Saturn said.

 

“No, it's not.”

 

“Shit!”

 

“What is it?” Kinsen's eyes widened a touch as Saturn stepped on the gas.

 

“Hang on tight, senator. What I said before about the ride getting rough? It's about to happen. We have several unfriendlies up ahead, armed and looking for trouble.”

 

“I thought we were taking the back streets?”

 

“We are. I didn't expect to find this sort of resistance on them.”

 

Kinsen grabbed hold of the handle above the door and hung on for dear life. Saturn floored the accelerator, the car bucking forward and careening slightly as the agent fought the wheel to try and avoid hitting any civilians. Brake and accelerator were applied alternately, the car slewing from side to side as Saturn did his best to dodge the rioting mob that seemed equally as determined to bring the car to a halt.

 

A body hit the hood and bounced off the windscreen; another connected with the front fender and went spinning off to the side. All around the mob continued to close in and chase the car.

 

Suddenly the driver's window exploded, glass raining down on the agent.

 

“Shit!” screamed Saturn as he was firstly covered in glass and then a chunk of wood caught him in the temple. He lost control of the car, the machine speeding off to the side, side swiping a power pole and ricocheting off to the other side of the road where it connected with a fire hydrant and came to an abrupt halt.

 

Saturn was slumped over the wheel, unconscious and bleeding from a wound to the head. Kinsen blinked his eyes open and tried to clear his foggy head.

 

The rioters were all over the car in seconds.

 

* * *

 

[Preventer Headquarters - Communications]

 

“What the hell is that?” Sun asked as a comm unit was activated but nothing except static was heard.

 

“What's up?” asked Sky and moved to where his partner was twisting a few dials on the Preventer receiver.

 

“Not sure,” came the reply. “I could swear it's Saturn's com unit.”

 

Sky punched a few commands into the computer. “It is Agent Saturn's comm,” he said as the computer verified the unit.

 

“Put your head set on and tune into frequency ten eighty,” Sun said.

 

Doing as he was told, Sky slipped on the head set and frowned. “What the hell is it?”

 

“I'm not sure. Sounds like screaming to me,” replied Sun.

 

Sky listened very carefully, his brain doing its best to try and separate the many sounds coming through the head set and clarify them. “It does sound like someone screaming, but there's also a lot of other noise, kinda like yelling.”

 

“I don't like the sound of this,” Sun stated.

 

“Whereabouts should Agent Saturn be?”

 

“He's taking Senator Kinsen to a safe house. He should be meeting Agent Granite and Senator Denton there in the next forty minutes... Oh shit.”

 

Both agents could distinctly hear Saturn's voice in the background.

“What the...?” Sky paled and swallowed hard.

 

The sound of a gunshot came over the comm unit, the background noise all fading into silence. Sun looked at Sky, Sky looked back at Sun, his eyes wide, mouth open in shock. Then a voice came over the unit, one neither agent recognized.

 

“Fucking Preventers. This is all your fault, you and the ESUN senators. Because of you lot we're all forced to live like animals. Well, you can listen to this...” The unit went quiet for a second or two, then another voice came over the line.

 

“This is Senator Kinsen.” The voice was hoarse and raspy; sounding like the man had been using it quite loudly at some stage. The Senator continued, the words coming out rapidly. “They have killed the agent and they plan on killing me too. Tell Preventer and the other senators to fight, fight and take down Barton! Don't wor-” The voice was cut off abruptly, the previous voice coming back down the unit.

 

“Asshole. That wasn't what he was supposed to tell you,” the voice snarled. “Tell Preventer and the ESUN to stand down, we, the people demand our rights and our lives back! It's only a matter of time before we find all the senators, Preventer and its agents will be next.” Another gunshot rang out. “One down, the rest will follow.” The comm unit went dead.

 

“Oh shit. We need to alert the Commander,” Sky stated as he jerked the head set off and ran sweaty hands over his face.

 

“I can't believe they did that,” said Sun who was obviously having a hard time coming to terms with what he'd just heard. His hands were shaking, the sounds of the gunshots echoing in his head and a shudder passed through him from head to toe.

 

“They killed them both in cold blood.”

 

~ * ~

 

tbc...