Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Lean On Me ❯ Lean On Me ( Chapter 24 )

Chapter Twenty-Four

"Twenty more minutes."

Duo looked up to find Noin standing just outside the closed cockpit door, leaning back against the wall. She smiled sadly at him and shifted her gaze to Trowa, who was slumped forward in his seat with his head in his hands. Duo couldn't help noticing how devastated his friend looked; his own face must match Trowa's perfectly.

Beside his friend, Quatre placed a comforting hand on Trowa's shoulder. He sighed and glanced at Duo. "How're you holding up?" he asked.

Duo shrugged, leaned back in his chair, and folded his arms across his chest. "As well as can be expected," he replied, his body language signaling that he didn't want to talk about it. The longer they talked about it, the more he thought of Riley and Solo, and the more he thought of them the more heartache he felt. Plus, there was no way he was going to admit to himself that he was more than worried about Riley. He knew the others were worried like good friends would be, but in the back of his mind he knew that he cared about her more than that. Trowa's love was a brotherly love, and the others loved her as a friend, but Duo was starting to believe his feelings didn't belong in either category.

He abruptly unbuckled his seatbelt, which he had kept buckled for longer than he had needed to, and stood to his feet. He slid past a sleeping Hilde and started down the aisle of the shuttle to the restrooms in the back. Everyone, minus Zechs in the cockpit and the sleeping Hilde, jumped at the sound of the restroom door slamming shut.

In the cramped space just large enough for a sink, toilet, and a trashcan, Duo braced his hands on the sink's rim and stared at his reflection in the mirror. His eyes were blank, emotionless, and the rapid rise and fall of his shoulders showed how hard and quickly he was breathing.

He twisted one of the faucet knobs, spraying ice-cold water into the sink. He cupped his hand underneath and splashing his face with the water. He blinked, letting the water drip down his face. Again, he looked into the mirror. Quietly he growled, "Get a hold of yourself, Maxwell."

------

The burly guard slammed into the wall, the loud crack of his head against steel resounding throughout the control room. Vienna leisurely walked over to the limp form, dragged the carcass to its feet, and twisted the dead man's neck. She let him drop to the floor, staring at the body blankly.

Riley was leaning up against the wall nonchalantly a foot away, her arms folded across her chest, watching her friend kill the man with ease. She smirked.

Vienna wiped the back of her hand along her jaw line, turning to face Katana. She raised an eyebrow as if asking if the kill was satisfactory. She waited until Katana gave a brief nod before grabbing a nearby chair and sitting down in it backwards.

"Couldn't have done it better myself," Katana said, smiling. She glanced at the expressions on her three captives faces. Meiran was watching her two friends with dismay, her eyes blinked rapidly as if they had a mind of their own; WuFei was watching his sister and friend with a contained fury, his lips twisted into a scowl; Heero was the only one to look unaffected, though Katana silently knew otherwise. Her eyes went back to Meiran, watching her until her sister felt someone staring at her.

Meiran turned her head in her sister's direction. She frowned and gave her a disgusted look. "How can you revel in this?" she asked, glaring at her sister. She shook her head and looked back to Vienna. "It's hard to believe we're related."

Katana's eyes flashed. "Be quiet or you'll be the first to go," she said threateningly.

Meiran looked back at her sharply, her brow furrowed. What had Katana meant by that? Her heart quickened when a malicious smile slowly crossed her sister's face. WuFei reached out and gripped Meiran's hand, pulling her a step closer to him.

Katana laughed. "Do you honestly think I'm just going to let the three of you live, rotting away in one of my many prison cells?" Her laughter grew louder. "Using the three of you as target practice is an ideal way to give my two prizes some more time to get accustomed to their new strength." At this Heero looked away from Vienna to glare at her. "And of course, Yuy," Katana added, walking around the small group to stand in front of her captives, "I'll be sure to save you for Vienna." She glanced over her shoulder to the Chinese girl sitting in the chair with a bored expression on her face. "I'm sure you're just dying to talk to her again."

It was taking all of Heero's willpower not to kill Katana then and there. He didn't even care if he got killed by one of her guards; it was better than dying slowly by the hand of Vienna. But no -he had made a vow not to interfere, and he was going to keep it.

Katana stepped back, away from Meiran, WuFei, and Heero, and looked to Vienna and Riley with a smug look. She jutted her chin in the direction of the captives. "Kill them." The guards surrounding the captives jumped away and hurried to the back of the room where they would be out of the way.

Vienna and Riley snapped to attention just as Meiran, Heero, and WuFei dispersed.

------

Richard paced the floor angrily, wishing he could be out where all the action was. But, of course, he was given the lousy, simple job: babysitting a puny kid. He glanced at the boy that was his ward and glared viciously at the boy's sleeping form. Puny brat, he thought angrily.

Sighing, he kicked at the wall to his left, causing the boy to jump in his sleep. He laughed, realizing the kid hadn't woken up at all. The door opened behind him, and he turned to see who it was.

"Richard Carter?" the white-haired man standing in the doorway asked.

Richard nodded, standing at attention; he knew this older man had to be above his station. "Yessir."

"I would like to have a word with you for a moment, if I may." The man glanced at the boy sleeping in the corner. "The kid should be alright for a few minutes. You'll only just be in the room next door."

Richard nodded and followed the man out into the hall. He closed the door silently behind him after double-checking to make certain the boy was indeed asleep.

As soon as the click of the door shutting met his ear, Solo's brown eyes snapped open and anxiously looked around the room. He sat upon confirming the room was clear. He clambered to his feet and ran to the door. He tugged on the doorknob and it swung open. Grown-ups think kids don't know anything, he thought as he closed the door behind him. He looked both ways down the hall, one thought in mind: he had to get out of there.

------

"Riley, you've got to listen to me," WuFei gasped out, dodging a kick to the knees. "I know the real you is in there somewhere."

Riley paused long enough to glare at him and say, "Why don't you just shut up? All your doing is wasting my time with your idle chat." She sliced her fist up into an upper cut, aiming for his chin. He jumped back, his chin missing the blow by inches. She let out a low growl, kicking him in the chest. He took a sharp intake of breath and stumbled backwards, hugging himself as if it would stop the pain.

Meiran ran to his aide, stepping in front of him. She stared at Riley with mild anger and frustration. Her friend wouldn't do this, she knew it was the machine, but she couldn't help getting angry. She was looking at a friend that had become a monster.

"Get away, Meiran," WuFei said, reaching toward her and pulling her behind him. "I don't want you getting hurt."

"Oh, so you would rather die then!?" she shouted at his back.

Riley jumped WuFei, who managed to shove Meiran out of the way in time. Meiran rolled across the floor, away from her husband and Riley. WuFei landed on the floor with a bang, Riley digging her knee into his chest. He gritted his teeth, ignoring the pain, and pushed her off. She rolled once before getting into a crouching position. She growled and lunged for him again. They rolled, clutching one another's arms in vice-like grips. They stopped rolling with WuFei on top of Riley. He released one of her arms and, apologizing mentally, punching her in the face. Her head snapped to the left, but she wasn't stunned for long. With a quick thrust she managed to kick him off her and send him rolling across the room. He grunted as he rolled to a stop, his head pounding. He glanced up; Riley was wiping blood from the corner of her mouth, advancing toward him. She was a mere foot away when the door to the control room slammed open and a worn-out soldier ran in.

"Commander Rosco!" the man gasped out. "Shuttles and fighter jets are coming this way!"

Riley had stopped mid-step, looking toward Katana; across the room, Vienna had paused as well with an angry Heero slowly getting to his feet.

Katana frowned at the soldier's announcement and hurriedly accessed the radar screens from the main computer. Every screen throughout the room lit up with a greenish glow, showing a large amount of ships heading their way; two large shuttles were in the midst of them. She cursed and pushed away from the computer, rolling the chair to the main control panel nearby. She pushed the intercom button and said, "All soldiers and pilots report to your ships. Enemy forces are heading our way. I repeat, all soldiers and pilots report to your ships!"

------

"You guys better buckle up!" Noin called to everyone in the cabin compartment. "We're in for a bumpy ride."

With only a few moments time to do as she asked, the five passengers in the back were thrown back in their seats as the shuttle shot forward, heading for the hangar of the Granger space station.

The main hangar door was grinding open, letting out the many small fighter jets into open space. They swung out in an arc in an attempt to surround the Preventer's space force, but there were more of the Preventers than there were of the Rebellion.

Zechs and Noin, in the cockpit of the shuttle 037, gritted their teeth as Noin and Zechs maneuvered the shuttle through space. With the two of them working together not many of the fighter jets could get close enough to do any harm, but the 037 shuttle managed to be bumped numerous times, get quite a few scratches, and had one of the wings nearly torn off.

"They're closing the hangar door," Noin said, looking out the large front window to the station.

"Then we need to go faster," Zechs replied simply, being jolted in his seat as another fighter jet rammed into them.

The closer the shuttle drew to the hangar, the narrower the opening became. Noin gritted her teeth and put the boosters to their fullest. The shuttle dove into the hangar opening, the door hitting the roof of the shuttle. The entire roof was scraped and a large, ripped gash was torn through it. The hangar door slammed shut, missing the back end of the shuttle by inches.

"Well," Quatre said, stepping into the cockpit, "we definitely won't be using this shuttle to get out of here, will we?"

Zechs and Noin turned in their seats to glare at the Arabian. He shrugged apologetically and backed away. "Sorry for stating the obvious," he said.

"Alright, everyone got everything?" Duo shouted, watching as his friends started strapping pistols, grenades, and bombs to their bodies. Zechs and Noin hurried out of the cockpit and did the same.

"We're ready," Hilde announced, glancing around the cabin.

"Good," Duo replied, the sound of thundering footsteps being heard outside the shuttle, "because I don't think the guys out there are going to wait for us."

------

Vienna dodged a punch aimed at her stomach and swung her own fist at Heero's nose. He ducked down, and swung out with his right leg at Vienna's legs, bringing her crashing to the floor. He leapt onto of her, digging his knees into her thighs and his hands tightly gripping her hands above her head. "I don't want to kill you," He said through gritted teeth, staring into the furious, wild green eyes.

Vienna spat in his face. "That's your problem," she stated, and rammed her head forward, hitting him square in the forehead. He grunted in pain and quickly rolled to the side to avoid any further sudden movements she might make. She jumped to her feet and came at him. He rolled to the side and stumbled to his feet, slightly light-headed. He shook his head, clearing it away, and prepared to block any punches and kicks she would throw at him.

Across the room, Jake watched as Vienna fought Heero and Riley fought both Meiran and WuFei. At least it's even odds, he thought. With Riley's strength she can take on two people at a time, but Vienna can only take on one person. She has the thinking capacity of two world-class geniuses, whereas Riley has the strength and agility. He whistled. I would hate to have to fight both of them at one time. The two of them are like a two-piece jigsaw puzzle.

He turned his attention to Katana, who was glaring at the computer screens. He had been so keenly focused on the two brawls going on that he hadn't even heard the blaring siren. Bold, red words were flashing at the bottom of every screen in the room: INTRUDERS. He frowned, knowing who these intruders were.

Just then the door to the control room opened again. Jake watched to see who was coming in. He took a double take to make certain his eyes weren't deceiving him: it was Solo, Riley's brat. Jake cursed. How did he get out? He sprinted across the room, heading for the small boy.

Solo looked around, staring wide-eyed at everything that was going on around him. He looked to his right and his mouth turned up into a grin. "Riley!" he shouted happily, and started running to her. Riley didn't turn around; she kept on punching and kicking the two people surrounding her. He knew something wasn't right about this; Riley wouldn't hurt her friends, but all he cared about at that moment was that Riley was in the same room, and that all he had to do was run until he could be bundled up in one of her hugs.

To his surprise a man ran at him and pulled him away from Riley. He backed up against the wall and held Solo against him. The boy struggled wildly, desperately trying to get away. "Let me go!" he cried.

The man held him tighter. "You're going to get yourself killed, kid!" the man muttered in his ear. Solo stilled, continuing to gaze at Riley across the room.

"Rawthorne, lock the door!" Katana shouted at him from the other side of the control room. "We can't have them getting inside!"

I'm a little busy, Katana, Jake thought as he inched his way to the door, still holding Solo in his arms. He shifted the small boy so he was holding him under one arm and with the other reached out to shut and bolt the door. Just as the door shut he could hear shouts and storming feet coming down the hall. Jake frowned, thinking grimly, This is going to be one hell of an hour.

------

Trowa slowed to a halt before the control room door with Zechs at his side. Noin and the others were behind them fighting off anyone that came forward to stop them. There hadn't been many since most had left hours ago when the Gemini base had exploded, and the remaining others were in space fighting the Preventers forces.

Zechs twisted the doorknob and shook his head. "We're gonna have to break it down."

Trowa nodded. He could hear the sound of people running around inside the room and the occasional grunt and shout of pain; he didn't exactly want to know what was going on inside there. He wasn't sure if he could face it.

Duo, Quatre, Hilde, Midii, and Noin came running around the corner, Noin and Quatre bringing up the rear with their weapons raised. Quatre reached for a grenade hanging from his belt, pulled out the pin, and tossed it down the hall; a loud explosion ripped the air a few seconds later.

"All clear," Midii announced, slowly down. She glanced at the door. "We're going to need a bomb for that one," she stated, taking in the entire door with a glance. "A grenade won't be able to do it."

"Bomb coming right up," Hilde replied, bending down to set the bomb up at the foot of the door. She plugged in all the right wires, set the timer, and started it up. "Everybody back!" she exclaimed, pulling Midii down the hall after her. Everyone that had been gathered around the door dispersed down both sides of the hallway trying to escape the blast. They all ducked down as the bomb went off, scattering debris and bomb fragments all over them. They all got to their feet and rushed through the open, mangled doorway.

------

Jake had heard Hilde shout for everyone to back away, and he had done just that. Tossing Solo over one shoulder he had rushed across the room where Katana was standing with Jackson. He had barely escaped the full brunt of the explosion, saving both his and the little boy's life. He set the boy down on the ground at the same moment Trowa and the others rushed in. He shoved Solo behind him, thinking Jackson was standing somewhere close at hand so he could take him. But, as it was, no one was anywhere near; but there was something right behind him.

Katana realized what was about to happen before it went through. Her eyes widened and she spun on her heel, shouting out to get Jake's attention. She reached out to grab the boy before he fell backwards, but she was too slow.

Solo fell backwards, his arms flailing wildly as he tried to grab something to prevent him from falling. His lower back hit the counter where the M.C.D. was set up, and his arms reached behind him instinctively to grab hold of it. His hands went past the counter and struck the machine. The heels of his palms slammed down onto the machine's control panel and the one key button.

Riley and Vienna's screams of pain jolted Jake to reality, and he turned around to see what was going on- what he had caused. Solo, his face pale and brown eyes wide in terror at the screams, was leaning back against the counter and the machine, his hands still resting on the control panel. He had frozen in place, afraid to move. Jake's eyes traveled down the boy's arms to the control panel, and his heart skipped a beat when he saw a light at the top of the panel shining in all its red glory. His mouth formed the word `No' but no sound came out. Even if it had, no one would have heard it over the screams of Riley and Vienna.

The two girls, curled up into tight balls on either side of the room, were twitching, screaming, and gripping their heads in pain as the machine erupted into full force. All their friends tried to reach them to help, but the guards standing in the room restrained them all. No matter how hard they all fought, none could reach them. Not even Heero, Meiran, and WuFei, who were only a few feet away.

Jackson quickly pulled the young boy Solo away from the machine and held him tightly in his embrace. The boy was shivering uncontrollably, not understanding what was going on. Only Jack, Katana, and Jake knew. The turbo button had been pushed, and there was no way of fixing the blunder. If they turned it off now, there was no telling if either of the girls would survive, and that was not a choice anyone in that room wanted to make.

------

After what seemed like hours, the screams died down into silent whimpers, and then nothing. No one moved, blinked, or made any noise to disturb the deathly silence. Everyone was staring at the two curled up figures on the floor, holding their breath to see what would happen.

Slowly, the girls uncurled from their tight ball-like positions and got to their feet, moving with all the patience in the universe. They straightened and their faces were turned forward with their eyes closed. They both turned to where they were facing Katana, and if they had been shocked their eyes snapped open, startling everyone in the room. No longer were their eyes green and blue; they were a fiery red.

Katana stared at them in utter shock, frozen in place. The fiery stares emanating from Riley and Vienna were causing her to shake in her boots; never had she been more frightened in her life. Remember, she thought, you have full control over them. They will do what you command. They can't, or won't, hurt you. Her rigid body relaxed and a self-satisfied smirk came to her lips. She had not wanted to do this to the girls just yet; she had wanted to wait for another time, another place, when it would be more useful. But, since fate had taken control and had dealt her what stood before her, she would have to play the game fate's way. "Okay then," she said under her breath. If not for the fact that the room was deathly silent, no one would have heard her, but as it was everyone did, and it seemed to bring them all back to awareness.

Solo, even more anxious to get to Riley, squirmed his way out of Jackson's grasp, which had loosened during the past few minutes, and ran to Riley. She didn't even move or look toward him as he ran to her. When he reached her he wrapped his arms around her legs, hugging them close to him, and silent tears fell down his face, followed by muffled sobs. Slowly, Riley looked down at him without any sign of emotion.

"Solo, get away!" Duo shouted, understanding the extent of the danger Solo had just put himself unknowingly in. He strained against the guard holding him, and was surprised to find that Heero was as well. He stared at his friend in anger.

"There's nothing you can do, Duo," Heero said quietly. "You'll only get yourself killed."

"Riley," Katana barked at the brunette. Riley's gaze turned from the boy to Katana, her attention focused solely on her master. "Dispose of the brat," she commanded, folding her arms across her chest. "He's just a mere nuisance."

Solo quickly let go of Riley's legs as he felt her move and backed up a step. He looked up into her face questioningly. "Riley?" he whimpered, his eyes filling with more tears. The girl he had grown to love as a mother stared down at him coldly.

Duo watched in horror, his heart quickening, as Riley's arm drew back, preparing to slap the boy across the face. "No, don't," he whispered brokenly. "Fight it."

Riley stared into the tear-filled brown eyes, her face revealing nothing. Her brain was screaming at her to kill him. Katana had commanded her to, so why had not she not gone through with it yet? Angry at herself, her hand rose higher in the air, but just as she was preparing to let her hand fly, something stopped her- a small niggling at the back of her mind. She gritted her teeth, growing furious at her lack of ability to follow orders. Kill him! she shouted mentally. You must kill him!

Solo backed up another step, his eyes staring fearfully at Riley's raised hand. "Riley," he said again, his voice growing weaker and weaker as the seconds passed. "Riley?"

The hand flew.

Solo squeaked and jammed his eyes closed, waiting for the blow. But it never came. Slowly, he opened his eyes to find Riley's hand stopped a few inches from his cheek. His brown eyes traveled up to her face, and his heart filled with a kindling of hope. Small tears were forming in her eyes, and her lips were quivering. Though she looked upset, she also looked furious. Her face was contorted in anger, but her eyes told him otherwise. Gathering all the courage he had, he stepped up to her and hugged her legs again. He could feel her shaking.

Duo watched, his heart in his throat. She hadn't slapped him; she had stopped. The real Riley was still in there somewhere, fighting for control!

Katana stared in anger and frustration. "I said kill him!" she screamed.

Riley's shaking grew worse. She had to kill him, but something was holding her back. She bit her lip until she tasted blood, her eyes filling with more tears. Tears are a sign of weakness! she thought angrily. Why are you crying?!

I can't kill him.

The realization struck home, and she stumbled backwards, away from Solo. She gripped her head and cried out in anguish, her mind reeling with confusion and anger. "What is happening to me?" she growled, dropping to her knees.

A few feet away, Vienna's gaze left Katana and went to her friend kneeling on the ground. She could feel her friend's pain; understood it. She had to go to her. It was the loyalty of her friendship that moved her forward, closing the gap between she and Riley. Loyalty broke all bonds.

Katana watched, her anger growing. "Vienna, stay where you are!" she commanded. "I said stay where you are!" Vienna kept walking.

Jake watched, and he knew what was going on. He had always known the friendship between the two girls had been strong, but not this powerful. It connected them by a hidden bond that was unbreakable. Nothing could break it: not Katana, not death, and not mind control. He knew, too, what was going to happen, and he did not want to be in the crossfire that he assumed would ensue. Moving slowly so not to draw attention to himself, he disappeared from the room.

------

Vienna bent down beside her friend and placed a hand on Riley's shoulder. Again, she was fighting herself mentally. She was fighting herself: one half commanding her to get away, the other telling her to stay, that her friend needed her. She knelt there for what seemed like hours, fighting herself, until she felt a part of her give. Slowly, she gained control again. Her toes were tingling, like they would feel after having fallen asleep. Her heart was slowly, and she was starting to feel at peace. Underneath her hand she could feel the same changes happening inside her friend; she could feel the changes. Something was happening to the two of them, and they were going through it together.

Riley moaned, the wars inside her drifting away. Peace was starting to flow through her, as she it was flowing through Vienna. What was happening to them? She opened her eyes and turned her head to look into Vienna's eyes, a fiery red much like her own, but now they did not burn with a fire of hatred, but one of righteous anger. The knowledge of what had happened to the two of them came to her in a moment, and they both understood. Weakly, the two friends smiled at each other before lapsing into a deep sleep.

------

A strangled shout of range erupted from Katana as she watched her two chances of hope crumble. Those two girls had been her only chance of turning her dream into reality. With them dead, as they must now be, she had nothing. She was nothing. "NO!" she shouted, and bolted across the room to the two bodies on the ground; Heero and the others ran with her.

Suddenly, they all stopped, frozen in surprise and wonder as they watched one of the bodies move. It was Riley.

Riley grunted, weakly pushing herself up into a sitting position. She was shaking, breathing in rapid, uneven gasps. Her red eyes swept over the crowd before her, Katana closer than anyone else, and her eyes focused on Katana, and a fury burned to life. "You," she said waveringly. And as if forgetting her, her eyes went to the lifeless body of her friend beside her. The sight did not seem to affect her. Instead, she reached out and rolled her friend onto her back. Vienna's body flipped over easily, revealing her ashen face to everyone. They gasped, but not Riley. Calmly, she placed a hand on her friend's forehead and closed her eyes, taking in a deep breath. She let it out, and breathed deeply again. In and out, over and over she did this, keeping the full attention of every single person in the control room.

"Breath," Riley whispered softly. "Breath." She could feel it; she could feel Vienna's heart beat weakly, but it was there. A small smile lit her face. "Now grow." She paused, waiting. "Grow stronger." The heartbeat was beating more urgently pumping life into her friend again. She senses the rise and fall of her friend's chest, and she opened her eyes, revealing sparkling emerald green orbs. "Vienna," she called, smiling. "Come on, V," she said, using her friend's old nickname. "We aren't finished yet. We still have things and people to live for."

Vienna's eyes fluttered open, and brown eyes met green. She smiled, and Riley's body seemed to give out. She slumped forward, but kept herself up right nonetheless. "This is a change," Vienna said, her voice weak. "Since when are you ever awake before me?" Riley chuckled, her body starting to shake from overexertion.

The faces of everyone in the room were one of unbelief. What they had just witnessed they would never understand, but they didn't need to. All they knew was that the bond of friendship went beyond simple words and actions.

Katana stuttered helplessly, lost in amazement and fright at what she had seen. Vienna had been dead, and Riley had only been alive by a thread. How could they be sitting there joking? She blinked, and watched as Vienna closed her eyes again.

Riley straightened, somehow finding more strength from within. "You can't go back to sleep yet, Vienna," she said, and her head turned to look at Katana, the soft look in her eyes fading away. "We still have work to do." She pushed herself to her feet and bent down to help her friend up from the ground. Vienna leaned up against Riley, noticeably weaker than her friend. They stepped forward together toward Katana, and she took one step back. Riley reached up and removed a single dagger from underneath her shirt, her eyes remaining fixated on Katana. She passed it to Vienna, who took it. Katana turned to run, but the two girls were quicker than her.

With Riley's unwavering hand on her shoulder and her friend's strong presence, Vienna gripped the end of the dagger's blade, bent her arm back behind her head, aimed, and let the dagger fly. It went true, and katana fell, three feet from safety. No one needed to check to be certain she was dead.

"With mine and my mother's dagger she is stabbed," Riley said quietly.

"But by my hand she is killed," Vienna finished, and as one body the friends dropped to the floor.