Gravity II: Opposing Forces Chapter 3- Objects in Motion
Title: Gravity II: Opposing Forces
Chapter 3: Objects in Motion
Characters: Iria Winner, Sylvia Noventa, Sally Po, Trowa Barton, Nichol, Chang Wufei, Mariemaia Khusrenada, Middie Une, Lady Une
Summary: Trowa has a thought. Eleven begins her mission. Sally recovers.
A/N: May be aquatinted.
Iria woke to the muffled sound of arguing. She sat up and stretched in the uncomfortable chair of the small clinic's waiting room. The past few hours had been a blur of racing to that location, Sally being rushed off into surgery, and the odd glances from the small clinic staff as she waited patiently for any kind of news. The argument grew louder, and she recognized the lower tones of Sally's voice as she tried to calm whomever she was speaking to.
"Don't give me that!" And then the barely audible continuation followed by, "-and for what? For her?"
The door opened and the doctor Sylvia had seen when she arrived with Sally stormed out of the room flush with rage that tried to calm itself once she realized that Sylvia was watching her. She tried to smile when she said, "You can see her now."
Sylvia wasted no time and stepped into the small room.
Sally smiled at her weakly. "We weren't discussing you."
"I should hope not," Sylvia replied lightly.
"We're safe here for now," Sally stated calmly. "If only because Iria won't let me leave until she thinks I'm field ready."
"She's mad at you because…" She shook her head. She could guess.
"Because I am doing my job," Sally said to finish the unspoken thought.
Sylvia nodded and took Sally's hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. She smiled and then said, "Is this where we pick up our conversation about friendly exes?"
Sally laughed, and nodded.
**********
Trowa was taking copious notes, while Nichol did nothing but watch completely agog at the vidclip Middie had handed over to them. The clip was a top secret taping of what Eleven could do, and as Trowa considered the performance (because Eleven was clearly hamming it up for the hidden camera) he tried to imagine the look on Tubarov's face when Lady Une faced him on Barge. She was one of his greatest works. The mobile dolls were nothing compared to what had been achieved with Une. How it must have irritated him to see her fixed, or at least healing.
He stopped the clip as Eleven was mid-strike on an attack dummy. Nichol looked at him, too many thoughts floating around his head to make a coherent sentence.
"She's impressive," Trowa stated.
"Impressive," Nichol shouted, he couldn't help himself. "She's a goddamned nightmare! And did you see? Did you see? She knew right where that camera was hidden."
"Good, I was afraid you'd missed that part." Trowa pursed his lips and then said, "I wonder."
"What?"
"I just wonder if the developers of this program might have…" He trailed off and then stood up. "Yes, they probably did."
"Where are we going," Nichol asked.
Trowa grinned. "No one gives you enough credit, Nichol. You're very bright." He grabbed his coat and swung it over his shoulder. "We're going to a colony. Grab that vidclip will you."
*******
Chang Wufei had read over the note at least a dozen times. It was in code, and he knew it had to be because otherwise it just didn't make any sense. He stood in Une's former office and reread it again and tried to figure out what the woman was trying to tell him. Her leave was not exactly medical. She was trying to protect something, or someone, or multiple people. She wouldn't just retire. It wasn't her style. She'd respect the need of her subordinates to say goodbye, even if she was not particularly good at them.
He set the paper on what was now his desk and looked up as someone knocked on the door and immediately entered. He grimaced as faced Mariemaia Khushrenada. She looked nonplused for a moment and then nodded sadly.
"I thought it was a joke when someone told me," she said.
"She didn't see you?"
"No." She approached the desk and looked at the piece of paper sitting there. "May I?"
Wufei nodded and said, "It doesn't make sense."
The girl, ran her fingers through her short red hair as her eyes moved over the words in the note. She mouthed the words and repeated her reading at least twice before a strange grin slid onto her face. "But it does. It makes perfect sense, except her reasons."
He arched an eyebrow.
"Code." She stated.
"Yes, but-"
"Oh," Mariemaia blinked. "You didn't get it." She chewed at the bottom of her lip and then said, "Family sort of forbid us from speaking, but there was just no way I would listen to that. Anyway, the code- I'll teach you- but first the gist of it is Barton and Nichol are on special orders, and Sally is off grid."
He nodded. "You think she'll send more notes?"
"Probably."
"Then congratulations, Ms. Khushrenada, you are now a temporary Preventer."
"What?"
********
Eleven looked at the men in front of her. They were cowards, and so giving them orders was easy. Especially since she had just quite literally ripped the beating heart of their leader out of his chest. She looked at the blood on her hands and grinned.
"You understand," she asked and then drew two bloody lines down the right side of her face with her fingers.
"Yes."
"Good. Take the bomb and plant it at the Vice Foreign Minister's house. Make sure it's found, and only detonate it once it's been reported. I want to jog the Minister's memory."
"W-why?"
Eleven did her best not to laugh at the sudden courageous question. "Because, this is a rebellion, and it's the sort of thing rebels do."
The two men nodded and she waved them away.
She smiled. Yes, it was rebellion, but not the sort these men were looking for.
"If you're too scary they won't follow you," Middie said from the far corner, trembling just slightly..
"Yes, they will," Eleven said. "They will follow me because I'm a monster, and do you know why?"
Middie shook her head.
"Because it is what they secretly imagine themselves to be. But, they've no idea. So, I'll teach them and watch it destroy them from the inside."
"But why?"
"Because there is no place for men like that in His Excellency's vision." She looked down at the body at her feet. "Get me a towel, would you? I need to start cleaning up this mess."
To be continued…
Chapter 3: Objects in Motion
Characters: Iria Winner, Sylvia Noventa, Sally Po, Trowa Barton, Nichol, Chang Wufei, Mariemaia Khusrenada, Middie Une, Lady Une
Summary: Trowa has a thought. Eleven begins her mission. Sally recovers.
A/N: May be aquatinted.
Iria woke to the muffled sound of arguing. She sat up and stretched in the uncomfortable chair of the small clinic's waiting room. The past few hours had been a blur of racing to that location, Sally being rushed off into surgery, and the odd glances from the small clinic staff as she waited patiently for any kind of news. The argument grew louder, and she recognized the lower tones of Sally's voice as she tried to calm whomever she was speaking to.
"Don't give me that!" And then the barely audible continuation followed by, "-and for what? For her?"
The door opened and the doctor Sylvia had seen when she arrived with Sally stormed out of the room flush with rage that tried to calm itself once she realized that Sylvia was watching her. She tried to smile when she said, "You can see her now."
Sylvia wasted no time and stepped into the small room.
Sally smiled at her weakly. "We weren't discussing you."
"I should hope not," Sylvia replied lightly.
"We're safe here for now," Sally stated calmly. "If only because Iria won't let me leave until she thinks I'm field ready."
"She's mad at you because…" She shook her head. She could guess.
"Because I am doing my job," Sally said to finish the unspoken thought.
Sylvia nodded and took Sally's hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. She smiled and then said, "Is this where we pick up our conversation about friendly exes?"
Sally laughed, and nodded.
**********
Trowa was taking copious notes, while Nichol did nothing but watch completely agog at the vidclip Middie had handed over to them. The clip was a top secret taping of what Eleven could do, and as Trowa considered the performance (because Eleven was clearly hamming it up for the hidden camera) he tried to imagine the look on Tubarov's face when Lady Une faced him on Barge. She was one of his greatest works. The mobile dolls were nothing compared to what had been achieved with Une. How it must have irritated him to see her fixed, or at least healing.
He stopped the clip as Eleven was mid-strike on an attack dummy. Nichol looked at him, too many thoughts floating around his head to make a coherent sentence.
"She's impressive," Trowa stated.
"Impressive," Nichol shouted, he couldn't help himself. "She's a goddamned nightmare! And did you see? Did you see? She knew right where that camera was hidden."
"Good, I was afraid you'd missed that part." Trowa pursed his lips and then said, "I wonder."
"What?"
"I just wonder if the developers of this program might have…" He trailed off and then stood up. "Yes, they probably did."
"Where are we going," Nichol asked.
Trowa grinned. "No one gives you enough credit, Nichol. You're very bright." He grabbed his coat and swung it over his shoulder. "We're going to a colony. Grab that vidclip will you."
*******
Chang Wufei had read over the note at least a dozen times. It was in code, and he knew it had to be because otherwise it just didn't make any sense. He stood in Une's former office and reread it again and tried to figure out what the woman was trying to tell him. Her leave was not exactly medical. She was trying to protect something, or someone, or multiple people. She wouldn't just retire. It wasn't her style. She'd respect the need of her subordinates to say goodbye, even if she was not particularly good at them.
He set the paper on what was now his desk and looked up as someone knocked on the door and immediately entered. He grimaced as faced Mariemaia Khushrenada. She looked nonplused for a moment and then nodded sadly.
"I thought it was a joke when someone told me," she said.
"She didn't see you?"
"No." She approached the desk and looked at the piece of paper sitting there. "May I?"
Wufei nodded and said, "It doesn't make sense."
The girl, ran her fingers through her short red hair as her eyes moved over the words in the note. She mouthed the words and repeated her reading at least twice before a strange grin slid onto her face. "But it does. It makes perfect sense, except her reasons."
He arched an eyebrow.
"Code." She stated.
"Yes, but-"
"Oh," Mariemaia blinked. "You didn't get it." She chewed at the bottom of her lip and then said, "Family sort of forbid us from speaking, but there was just no way I would listen to that. Anyway, the code- I'll teach you- but first the gist of it is Barton and Nichol are on special orders, and Sally is off grid."
He nodded. "You think she'll send more notes?"
"Probably."
"Then congratulations, Ms. Khushrenada, you are now a temporary Preventer."
"What?"
********
Eleven looked at the men in front of her. They were cowards, and so giving them orders was easy. Especially since she had just quite literally ripped the beating heart of their leader out of his chest. She looked at the blood on her hands and grinned.
"You understand," she asked and then drew two bloody lines down the right side of her face with her fingers.
"Yes."
"Good. Take the bomb and plant it at the Vice Foreign Minister's house. Make sure it's found, and only detonate it once it's been reported. I want to jog the Minister's memory."
"W-why?"
Eleven did her best not to laugh at the sudden courageous question. "Because, this is a rebellion, and it's the sort of thing rebels do."
The two men nodded and she waved them away.
She smiled. Yes, it was rebellion, but not the sort these men were looking for.
"If you're too scary they won't follow you," Middie said from the far corner, trembling just slightly..
"Yes, they will," Eleven said. "They will follow me because I'm a monster, and do you know why?"
Middie shook her head.
"Because it is what they secretly imagine themselves to be. But, they've no idea. So, I'll teach them and watch it destroy them from the inside."
"But why?"
"Because there is no place for men like that in His Excellency's vision." She looked down at the body at her feet. "Get me a towel, would you? I need to start cleaning up this mess."
To be continued…