Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Defenders Once More ❯ Realizations ( Chapter 9 )

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

Chapter 10

Dan Crimson stood in his quarters, a small dagger in his hand. He thrust it this way and that, sometimes holding the blade in and taking long swipes out horizontally. He did this every so often, to keep up his skills. He could fight with any number of weapons: the sword, knives, daggers, his own body, and of course the gundam LoneStar. It sometimes helped to get small things off his mind, which, although kept him from sleep, could easily be solved, with the simplest of solutions.
What plagued his sleep now was the new kid, Terrik Avalon. Dan had no hard feelings towards the torture-trained assassin and for some reason had no doubt of his loyalty either. What bothered Dan the most was the look Terrik had cast at him when they saw each other in the medic room where Terrik was now recuperating.
Those turquoise eyes were his problem.
At the Peacecraft's mansion, it was those eyes that had convinced Dan to save Terrik, instead of leaving him to an almost certain death at the hand of Daiken Lucar, for Terrik's display at the ball.
The bright orbs of bluish green Terrik possessed portrayed such sadness and forlorn that Dan found it hard to keep his gaze on them. Terrik had no doubt been through some kind of brainwashing by Lucar in order to get Terrik to work for him. Growing up with a life, unlike any other children, and never really living life at all, other than to serve the WFO head honchos.
Dan knew how it felt, to be kept on the outside. He had been on the streets, where a life could be lost without so much of a second thought. He had learned to fight on those same streets, sometimes for a purpose, sometimes for no purpose at all. He would go out looking for fights, not caring who it was with, only feeling the adrenaline to use his warrior muscles and strength against another.
He always hoped one day to find his limit. To be pushed so far that he couldn't be brought back to the lonely life he always returned to. He had a family; it was just disintegrated and lost. Home like peace broken apart by daily arguments between parents, or between his three older brothers and older sister. He left home frequently, sometimes for days, to live on the street and relieve his tired soul from the pain and stress.
He also searched for that someone, who would make all that pain go away. Some woman, who would wield the powers to make it so the world couldn't hurt him anymore. He could belong to someone, and hold someone close to him when things felt too much to bear. That was why Dan was the way he was. Maybe by acting the way he did, searching every inch of the galaxy, he would find her.
But that was going a little off track, wasn't it? It seemed every time Dan tried to be serious, the term woman always ended up in his train of thought.
Dan shook his head with a laugh and stood up, placing the dagger on his bed stand, and walking out of his quarters. He needed to go see Terrik. Maybe talk to the boy, see if they could relate to one another. The kid had some talent; maybe they could use him on their side. If he was asleep, though, Dan would just watch over him, let him know that he wasn't alone anymore.
And that neither was Dan.

But Terrik Avalon wasn't getting any sleep at all.
Terrik's sleep was uneasy, restless. He couldn't fall asleep, no matter what he did. Thoughts crowded his mind, ripping at his soul and clawing at the very fiber of his being.
What am I? How could I have become so loyal to White Fang? Look at what they did to me! I killed… no, murdered innocent people! I'm a murderer.
He held his hands in front of his face and saw blood. The blood of thousands of innocent people who had died at the hands of White Fang.
White Fang is at fault for this carnage, this… massacre. They've corrupted me!
His thoughts turned to his former commander, Daiken Lucar.
That twisted, evil bastard! I must avenge those who have died at his hands. Those he killed in cold blood.
Terrik threw off stifling covers and climbed out of his bed in the dark. He went over to the closet and changed out of his hospital uniform. His black clothes and boots made him all but invisible in the dark, save for his pale skin and turquoise eyes.
He glanced at a chronometer and noted that it was a bit past oh three hundred hours. He opened the doors to his spartan hospital room and closed it behind him as he left it. A rare flash of anger passed through him, and his eyes narrowed into slits.
Terrik entered the hanger, finding it easily in the North wing of the base. The doors opened upon his silent request and he noticed a woman, probably the same age as himself, bent over a gundam MS, Leo class, which the New Hope team had been reported capturing. It was no doubt that it was also how they found the weapons depot.
She had long red hair and striking emerald green eyes.
Upon hearing the doors close behind Terrik, Nikki Rune stood up with a smile. She had already heard of the teen's presence at the base and wanted to meet him herself. "Hi there! I'm Nikki Rune! You're Terrik Avalon, ain't ya?" She introduced enthusiastically. "How are you doing?"
Terrik swept past her, ignoring her very presence; his mind set on a single, and ultimate goal: destroy White Fang. He eyed the available mobile suits. Terrik settled on one and assessed its offensive attack capabilities.
Nikki shrugged and clamored up a scaffold, going back to her work welding gundanium alloy plates to their captured Leo suit. She was modifying it for her personal use; if WFO ever attacked, she would not have to seek total refuge behind the gundams.
Turning to a pile of components behind her, Nikki picked up a large macrowelder torch, and turned back only in time to find…
The Leo had walked away, and was now out in the launch zone of the hanger. Nikki waved a fist at the false gundam and yelled. "Dammit Dan!!"
She had already been well acquainted with that pilot. He often came at the worst of times when she was refitting one of the gundams, or doing some other important things. He found enjoyment in distracting her from her work, by talking to her or asking senseless questions like: "What does this do?" or "Why are you putting that there?" And "Can I touch it?" Also "Where are you putting that thing?" Sometimes even. "Is that supposed to leak like that?" He also found amusement in 'test driving' new works of Nikki's and she always scolded him for it later.
"Quit using my work for a joyride!"
Dan suddenly rushed in as Nikki began ranting at the space Leo.
"Hey! Hey!" Dan objected as he pushed his hands out in front of him to calm Nikki down. "I didn't do it! It's not my fault! Now…" He said next. "You happen to see Terrik come by here? He ain't in the med and his clothes are gone."
Nikki gave Dan a blank look, gazing at him, then back at the Leo, and repeating the process. "But…didn't you…and he…and then…" Then it connected. "Aww…. TERRIK!!!" She screamed at the exit.
Dan shook his head, crossed his arms, then closed his eyes and looked away. "Man!"
"I don't know what's wrong with him." Nikki said, obviously flustered.
"I'd better go after him," sighed Dan as he climbed into Lonestar and took off.
"I will defeat all enemies to ensure peace," Terrik murmured. The Leo activated its burniettes and began its ascent into space. Closing his eyes behind the controls, Terrik let the hatred of White Fang build deep within his soul, a searing emotion that charred his heart as its burning embers blazed and demanded revenge.
Terrik, though not in a gundam, was already several miles ahead of Dan.
Dan stayed with him, trailing comfortably behind. Dan sighed as he watched Terrik flee into space. "I suppose that guy is off to rejoin White Fang. Oh, well. I'd better stop him before he gets back. Too bad. I was hoping he'd stay on our side. He's not a bad kid, just misguided."
Switching on his comm. system, he addressed Terrik.
"Kid, don't do this. C'mon. You can fight for what's right and-"
His comm. unit went down, disconnected. He contemplated that with a raised eyebrow, but then simply decided, "Alright, so words aren't your specialty. Maybe this you'll understand!"
He flicked a switch on a panel labeled, Fire Control to the Missile Pod selector. His 'Missile Ready/Armed' light went on and he pulled the trigger. A quiet beep was heard as the computer confirmed a successful launch. The missile streaked out in front of Dan, it's sensors automatically locking onto the Leo.
Suddenly, about a hundred yards from Terrik, the missile went haywire, as if trying to fly in every direction at once. Terrik had activated an anti-missile-lock field, which, not many pilots knew was a feature on the Modified Leos and it scattered the Gundam's signature around, making the missile think he was jumping around from place to place in literally no time.
Unable to make heads or tails of Terrik's 'movement' and running out of fuel, the missile self-detonated in a last-ditch effort to hurt the enemy. Terrik was already far enough away from the missile that he was outside its blast radius as it detonated.
Dan frowned and then laughed at the same time.
He's good, he admitted. Really good.
Dan prepared to fight off Terrik, but he never came to bear. Dan was confused at why Terrik did not retaliate, so he followed him instead, without firing on him again.

Kitsune lay in her bed, facing the ceiling, not being able to sleep. The ball had not been disappointing in the least. After Lucar gave his speech, Terrik Avalon, the boy who had tortured and nearly killed Dan Crimson, had defected; a bomb had been placed in the ballroom, which the bomb mistress had efficiently disabled, well that was what she had told her comrades in any case. Now though, even after all that, Kitsune couldn't sleep.
Her thoughts kept reverting back to the boy…Terrik. He was good looking, even after working with the ugly soldiers at WFO. He was young, which was a plus, seeing as she was young also. Then there were his amazing skills in weapons. That intrigued Kitsune. Someone, beside herself, had uncanny abilities in the use of weapons. She had little doubt that he was the one who had set the bomb in the Peacecraft Mansion, and if it had been up to her, she would have let it explode. But, she was one of the Defenders, and so had to think of all the innocent lives at stake, besides the one that needed to be extinguished, that of course being Relena.
Kitsune sat up with a sigh, knowing she wasn't going to get sleep, any time soon. What can I do to pass the time?
The image of Terrik came to mind.
Kitsune smiled. Wouldn't hurt to check up on him.
She quickly got dressed up in all black, which was her usual attire, and set out the door. She found the med room where Terrik had been staying, only to find the door open. She frowned and peaked a head in. "Avalon?"
No response.
In fact, there was no one in the room. And all of Terrik's possessions were gone too.
"Kuso! He's gone AWOL!" Kitsune immediately concluded.
She ran back to her quarters, grabbed a few personally necessary things: triggers, C-4, and a couple grenades, from under her bed, and ran towards the hanger.
Nikki Rune was cussing a mumbling out the open door.
Kitsune frowned. "What's your problem, radish head?" She asked.
Nikki Rune turned to the gundam pilot. "Terrik just jacked my mobile suit, and Dan's playing space cowboy again!"
Kitsune's eyes widened. "Leave it up to those two to get into more trouble in such a short time." She muttered, running to her own cockpit.
Nikki Rune annoyingly ran after her. "Where are you going? It's 3 in the morning!"
Kitsune quickly glance down at the maintenance girl. "No time for sleep now. I've got to bring those two back before they hurt themselves." Or the gundams. She silently added, closing the cockpit, and firing up her burniettes and shooting off towards space.

Alexia awoke in bed, sweating and out of breath. She had seen them. Dan and Terrik, causing pain and suffering all throughout the enemy areas. Carnage was everywhere and innocents were dying needlessly. What were these guys doing? Then she saw Ben, facing off with a man she didn't recognize, dressed in a WFO's uniform. Ben held a gun to the man's head and was shouting at him. Then another man came out from behind Ben and shot him in the back.
No!
Alexia heard herself shout, but it was too late. Ben crumpled to the ground, blood seeping out of the wound in his back.
Alexia shook her head of the memories. She had to get out there! She had to stop this madness before someone got hurt! She got up out of bed, wearing her thin, sleek bed robe, and changed into her usual mid drift and pants, and hurried out of her room.
Reaching the hanger, she found Nikki, still huffing and puffing, shouting obscenities at the open hanger door.
Alexia raised an eyebrow. "Did I miss something?"
Nikki turned to her. "Only the theft of the millennium! Terrik stole my god damn mobile suit!"
Alexia nodded. "Hey, I can catch a hint." Alexia left Nikki to her cursing, and jumped into PsychicSoul. Powering up the burniettes, she spread her mechanical wings and took off out of the hanger.

Ben felt more than saw Alexia leave. He immediately got up and ran to the hanger. Upon seeing Ben enter, Nikki through a hand at the hanger door. "They all left that way." She was out of curse words and just sighed in despair.
"Thanks." Ben said, not fully understanding the situation, but jumping into ZeonLegacy nonetheless and taking off. He had to make sure they were all right.

Twenty minutes later, they came upon a lonely White Fang outpost. Built like a miniature colony, the outpost housed several dozen soldiers as well as twelve mobile suits, all space Leos.
Dan growled, "Oh, no you don't," and called up his Vulcans, but before he got a chance to fire, Terrik ignited his beamsaber and slashed a gaping hole in the outpost's side.
Shocked, Dan gasped, "Huh?" and then realized what was happening. Terrik wasn't returning to White Fang, he was planning on taking it out… himself!
So, you're gonna take on all of White Fang by yourself, huh? Pretty gutsy. I admire that, kid. So I'm gonna help you myself!
Dan turned his Vulcans on a space Leo that had just launched and was bearing down on Terrik. Terrik didn't notice, caught up in the heat of battle, and dismissed the Leo's death as poor piloting.
He continued to carve the station into neat, bite-size pieces as he systematically destroyed all the Leos that came forth from the station. With the station's MS defeated, the pilots and officers dead, and the station cut into pieces, Terrik was free to look for his personal mobile suit, which he had custom built during his days with White Fang.
Amidst the debris of the station, Terrik saw his MS transport chamber, unharmed. He shot forward and docked to it. Entering the oxygen-filled cargo section, Terrik stepped out of the Leo, set it to return to HQ on auto pilot and approached his marvelous mobile suit: a gundam named Starblade.

Kitsune found the first base easily and mainly just followed the large fires throughout all the WFO outposts. At the first outpost, after totally killing it and slaughtering any survivors, Kitsune saw Terrik go to the only building that wasn't destroyed. He flew in and disappeared from sight. Kitsune stayed back out of sight. Looks like he doesn't need my help yet. I'll just stay here until he comes out…

Alexia watched the destruction Terrik and Dan created and had to pull her gaze away. Yes, this was war and people would perish, but did they all have to die like this? She didn't like it, but she didn't know how to stop it either. When all the fighting was done, she landed PsychicSoul a little ways away the last of the remaining buildings and hid inside the building, just as Terrik landed the stolen Leo.
So… Alexia thought. That's what he stole from Nikki. No wonder she's pissed.
She watched Terrik get out and go into the gundam that was stored there. Wait…gundam?
GUNDAM!
Alexia gasped. How'd he build a gundam right under his superior's noses? She wondered. Terrik watched the Leo return to base before suiting up in Starblade and taking off. Right after, two battered survivors came in arguing.
"I'm really not sure we should take this. Lieutenant Avalon told us to keep it here and stay quiet about it. He will not be happy…"
"Do you want to die here, Private?" The second one said.
"N-no, s-sir." Came the reply.
"Good, now go find two space suits."
The smaller one left and Alexia frowned. So, then Terrik had it hidden here for a while. Would he use it against Alexia and the others? Just then, a funny thought came to mind. In all the confusion and chaos, the guy down below didn't even notice the gundam was gone!
Or maybe he did, cause he turned around and cussed. "Damn you Terrik!" He shouted.
Alexia stifled a giggle.
"I wouldn't be worried about him if I were you."
Alexia gasped as Ben came out of the shadows. He had a gun up and it was pointed at the man. "Commander Rhodes, I presume? Timothy Rhodes?"
Rhodes gasped. "W-who are you?"
Ben smirked. "Don't recognize me? Is it because I'm not in my police uniform anymore?"
Rhodes gasped. "B-Ben Salazar!"
"That's right. It's time you paid for your crimes."
Alexia took out her sniper rifle. Whatever was going on wasn't good, and she had a bad feeling.
"T-that was a long t-time ago, Salazar." Rhodes stuttered.
Ben took a step forward, holding his gun at eye level. "You killed my family! My mother and four siblings! You murdered them all!"
"And you killed my brother! It was a fair exchange!" Timothy shouted back. From behind Ben, Timothy saw his Private with a gun in his hand, pointed at the back of Ben's head. "Besides, I've gone legit now. I work for White Fang now."
"Save the talk, Rhodes. Your life ends here." Ben replied, he pulled back the hammer of the gun.
"Then so does yours." Rhodes replied.
Just then, Ben sensed a person behind him, but before he could turn around, the man fell to the ground, a bullet wound in his head.
Rhodes dove for cover, pulling out his own pistol as he did so. Ben was ready though. He dodged the blast and fired back.
Timothy Rhodes collapsed to the ground, the bullet having gone straight through his neck and rupturing his Carotid Artery. Ben looked up to see who his savior was, but couldn't see or sense anyone.
Leaving the building and getting back into PsychicSoul, Alexia smiled. "Now we're even, Ben. And thanks for teaching me that aura suppressing thing." She whispered, before following the fleeing LoneStar and Starblade.

Kitsune watched as Starblade and Lonestar took off, before following them from a separate vector. For two knuckleheads, they were all right.