Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Secrets ❯ when the world cries ( Chapter 17 )

SECRETS 14: when the world cries

 

The Commander stroked the soft flesh. It was wet and sticky. The soft whimpers were like music to his ears as the screen re-played the destruction brought by the weapon. An entire city, leveled, with a single push of a button. It was so glorious, so gratifying, seeing all those people so unaware of the death that awaits them.

 

“Look.” He whispered. “Look at all that glorious power.” With a sigh, he leaned down and kissed the shaking man's forehead. “We made a beautiful creature together my good Doctor.”

 

Pulaski cried, tears streaming down his battered face as the tape replayed again and again. He'd been tied to this chair for what seemed like hours, his body had been beaten. The Commander gloriously describing in detail as he showed him the fruits of genius. When he'd joined the group, he'd thought they would make the world a better place; instead he'd turned it over to a madman.

 

The Commander wanted to laugh, but he never could pull of the sound without it revealing how truly evil he was. Licking the Doctor's face, he relished the taste of blood and tears. “I've always wanted to rule over the world. Do you know that I planned for centuries just for this moment. Centuries of watching mankind grow and breed and develop.”

 

Pulaski jumped as the Commander came around him only to be greeted by a woman with long red hair and shining emerald eyes. She wore the Commander's robe, it hugging her very generous curves. She raked her long, red scrapping against his skin as he opened his tattered shirt.

 

“Do you like this face better, Doctor?” She asked in a breathless voice before she leaned down and covered his mouth in a hard, angry kiss.

 

Pulaski jerked as his mouth was invaded and his mind clouded.

 

`Your colleges were worthless, but you good Doctor, are not.'

 

The doctor whimpered as the voice taunted inside his head and hands roamed freely over his body. He struggled not to give in but he wasn't strong enough. Slowly he felt his mind slip from him, his soul give over to the creature now taking his body.

 

The door opened to the Commander's dark office and his First moved to attention. Dr. Pulaski had been brought to him last and had been kept the longest. The others, or rather their bodies, had been removed shortly after they had been taken into the darkness.

 

“Take the Doctor to the infirmary to rest and recover.” The Commander ordered from within.

 

First nodded and stepped inside. He kept his eyes on the slumped form of the Doctor, not wanting to incurred their leader's wrath. He shouldered the half-dressed man over his shoulder and headed to the door.

 

“First, find me something young and supple.” The Commander purred. “I feel the need to indulge myself a little.”

 

“Yes, sir.” He answered and shut the door behind him, cold brushing down his spin.

 

 

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Duo shuddered as the helicopter flew over the debris field. It spread out for miles and looked nothing like the remains of a city.

 

“Try not to touch anything.” Trowa whispered as he rubbed his back.

 

Duo nodded but his eyes remained locked on the darkened ground below. To him it didn't look like there wasn't going to be much to touch; the town was a crater.

 

“We'll be setting down in one minute.” Heero announced. “I think we need a plan of action.”

 

Quatre nodded.

 

“Search and rescue are keeping to the outer rim of the blast. It's their best bet for finding survivors.” Orah told them. “I'll keep tabs on them and take statements from anyone able to talk. That will leave you guys free to do what you do.”

 

Heero stared hard at her, surprised by her willingness to give them free reign.

 

 

 

Quatre nodded. “We'll need a map of the area, both past and present. It'll make a grid search easier.”

 

Orah nodded. “I've got the name of the head of SR and will get with him as soon as we land.”

 

Duo stared at the large burned hole. The edges went on for miles, the center still had fires burning, as they circled around to find the base camp. Anger built up inside him and the darkness that was Shinigami screamed for vengence.

 

“Duo?” Trowa placed a hand on his shoulder. He could see dark waves echoing off the braided boy. “We'll get them, just stay calm.”

 

Duo visibly relaxed and forced Shinigami down. Turning he smiled at Trowa to reassure his friend and kept his eyes away from the window as they landed.

 

The base camp was a flurry of activity. The sight had only been open for a two days, the attack still too fresh, the fires too large. Air drops had been the only effective means in which to put out the fires along the outer rim, but the heat kept them from flying in over the center. Where one would think rubble would be, there was only dust. No building had been left standing within two miles of the center and further out those that did stand were being condemned. The entire area was a disaster zone. ESUN was going to have to give these people a lot of help.

 

Their copter was met by a man wearing a yellow rescue suit, his head hat being held on by his hand as he ducked under the blades.

 

“I'm Ethan Clark, head of Search and Rescue for the area.” He shouted as he lead them into the clear.

 

“Lt. Orah Shorbah, Preventers. This is my team, Heero Yuy, Quatre Winner, Trowa Barton, Wufei Chang, and Duo Maxwell.” Orah introduced everyone as they followed the haired man into the command tent. “Commander Une sent us in to look over the sight. We'll stay out of your way, but we will need maps of the area in order to investigate.”

 

Clark looked over the group, making note that most of them were too young to be anything but cadets. Why ESUN would send kids to this way beyond him.

 

“Well, I have several maps of the area before the blast, but only one of it now.” He searched the desk and pushed aside papers to reveal the crude hand drawn map. “It's not much. Just what we could see from the air, a few pieces of satellite images, and our own scouting. The area about a mile in, is just too hot to get to.”

 

Orah nodded as she and the others looked over the map.

 

“Duo and I will head toward the center to see what we can find out.” Wufei offered.

 

“What? How?”

 

Orah looked at the Chinese youth. “Um, they have special equipment.” She offered when no other answer was forth coming.

 

Clark just nodded at the vague answer, deciding to ignore the whole thing. “Well, if that's the case then you should start with the center of the blast area. It's still hot as far as sensor go, but if you want to find some answers for us that's the place to start.”

 

Wufei nodded as he memorized the crudely drawn map. It had a lot of gaps in it. Quatre began to ask questions about survivors. Where they were, who they are, and where they had been taken; while Trowa stood silently behind him memorizing the schedule of workers and equipment. Heero walked the tent, mentally placing sensors he no longer needed. Old solider habits died hard.

 

“How big is the blast area?” Duo asked from his corner of the tent. He was standing by a table covered in pieces of `things' from the rim. Some were hardly recognizable.

 

Clark looked at him, startled that he'd forgotten about him. He was the one that took his breath and made him wonder about the Preventer's requirements. “Um, the center is the whole of the town square. The whole thing was blasted to dust and from in about a six block radius creates the crater. For about eight blocks from there you have nothing but dusty remains and fires, no buildings, no recognizable rubble. Ten blocks from that you begin to get recognizable rubble, fires, and blown down buildings laid like sticks. After that you get what we call the rim. It has damaged buildings, downed trees, power lines, cars blown around, people who are recognizable. Survivors were found within the outer ring of that rim. Along the inner part of it, we've found bodies.”

 

“We need a jeep and some radios.” Wufei stated as he moved around the tent to grab Duo's hand before he could touch the debris. “Duo.”

 

Duo looked sheepishly at Wufei. He hadn't meant to be grabby but he wanted to look. “Sorry.”

 

“Um, we have a jeep you can use, but radios haven't been working well inside the rim.” Clark murmured as he watched the Chinese boy pull the other boy away from the table, keeping their hands locked together.

 

“We can take care of communication.” Heero announced and gave his comrades a subtle nod.

 

Quatre nodded. Orah smiled at the confused Clark as the boys all left the tent.