Two character challenge
Title: Reaching an Understanding
Author: ingvild
Characters: Sally, Zechs (mention of Noin, Une, Wufei)
Rating/Word Count: PG, 637 words
Sally punched the 11-digit code, had her retinas scanned and pressed her palm against the sensor on the lock. Zechs looked at her in amusement.
“Isn’t that a little excessive?”
“We don’t want anyone unwelcome to get it,” Sally replied shortly. She motioned for him to follow her inside the vault of what had once been the mobile doll production facility on the Moon. There, looking like some sort of a dark god, was Tallgeese III.
“It fuses both Tallgeese and Epyon,” Sally said. “Even though we don’t have the Zero system readily installed on it, we had it sealed off as much for the protection of the person who might try to steal it as for our protection.”
There was a faint hunger in Zechs’ voice as he said: “Who did you intend to pilot it? Noin?”
Sally shook her head. “Noin has her modified Taurus suit locked up in our Brussels headquarters. I’m not sure who would have used this one - Une thinks she could have handled Tallgeese, but maybe not Epyon. That’s the reason we didn’t upload Zero system on it, though. You can punch in the code if you want, but I’d advice against it.”
Zechs glanced at her. “I mastered the Zero system before.”
“And it told you that turning Earth into a desolate wasteland would be a good idea,” Sally said sharply. “I don’t trust that thing. Quatre says that it allowed him to see which pattern to choose, and from what I understand, it let Heero escape from that tunnel vision he usually has, but I don’t know what it did to you.” She looked away. “And Quatre also says that when you master it, it only grasps onto what’s already inside you.”
“I thought I was doing what was best”, Zechs said quetly.
“Yeah, okay. We don’t have time for this. I’ll load you up and drop you off close to the resource satellite. Noin will come pick you up later.”
“How is she?” Zechs asked.
Sally took a deep breath. “She never stopped believing that you were alive. Of course, it turned out she was right about that, but...”
“But what?”
“But it pained me to see an intelligent, warm-hearted, skilful woman like her count the days until her maybe-more-than-friend-but-who-knows-with-him came back. She’s too loyal. I don’t know what you did to deserve it.”
“You don’t know me.”
Sally held up her fingers and started ticking off items. “You jeopardised your sister’s work by calling yourself an ambassador for Sank and then turning around and doing the opposite of what you preached. You hid from the world behind that mask, and from yourself as well. You took Noin for granted, you betrayed your friend, and when your country was dissolved, you went into a big enough sulk to join up with a group that wanted to commit genocide.”
Zechs winced. “You don’t mince words, do you?”
“Why did you come back?”
He sighed. “To do penance, I guess. To find that part of me that was once honourable. And maybe, because when you’re all on your own, you find that you actually do need someone who understands. I can’t ask Noin to stay by me, but I think maybe I need her to. She keeps me honest.”
Sally let her breath out with a sigh. “Just don’t break her heart again, or Une and I will draw lots over who gets to rip your kidneys out.”
*****
Sometimes, you need someone who understands.
Sally looked at the young man watching the smoking remains of what had once been his Gundam. He was a proud one, very independent. Not someone who would normally ask anyone a favour.
That was alright. She was quite good at telling stubborn mules exactly what they needed to hear.
“Wufei. Want to come work with me?”
Author: ingvild
Characters: Sally, Zechs (mention of Noin, Une, Wufei)
Rating/Word Count: PG, 637 words
Sally punched the 11-digit code, had her retinas scanned and pressed her palm against the sensor on the lock. Zechs looked at her in amusement.
“Isn’t that a little excessive?”
“We don’t want anyone unwelcome to get it,” Sally replied shortly. She motioned for him to follow her inside the vault of what had once been the mobile doll production facility on the Moon. There, looking like some sort of a dark god, was Tallgeese III.
“It fuses both Tallgeese and Epyon,” Sally said. “Even though we don’t have the Zero system readily installed on it, we had it sealed off as much for the protection of the person who might try to steal it as for our protection.”
There was a faint hunger in Zechs’ voice as he said: “Who did you intend to pilot it? Noin?”
Sally shook her head. “Noin has her modified Taurus suit locked up in our Brussels headquarters. I’m not sure who would have used this one - Une thinks she could have handled Tallgeese, but maybe not Epyon. That’s the reason we didn’t upload Zero system on it, though. You can punch in the code if you want, but I’d advice against it.”
Zechs glanced at her. “I mastered the Zero system before.”
“And it told you that turning Earth into a desolate wasteland would be a good idea,” Sally said sharply. “I don’t trust that thing. Quatre says that it allowed him to see which pattern to choose, and from what I understand, it let Heero escape from that tunnel vision he usually has, but I don’t know what it did to you.” She looked away. “And Quatre also says that when you master it, it only grasps onto what’s already inside you.”
“I thought I was doing what was best”, Zechs said quetly.
“Yeah, okay. We don’t have time for this. I’ll load you up and drop you off close to the resource satellite. Noin will come pick you up later.”
“How is she?” Zechs asked.
Sally took a deep breath. “She never stopped believing that you were alive. Of course, it turned out she was right about that, but...”
“But what?”
“But it pained me to see an intelligent, warm-hearted, skilful woman like her count the days until her maybe-more-than-friend-but-who-knows-with-him came back. She’s too loyal. I don’t know what you did to deserve it.”
“You don’t know me.”
Sally held up her fingers and started ticking off items. “You jeopardised your sister’s work by calling yourself an ambassador for Sank and then turning around and doing the opposite of what you preached. You hid from the world behind that mask, and from yourself as well. You took Noin for granted, you betrayed your friend, and when your country was dissolved, you went into a big enough sulk to join up with a group that wanted to commit genocide.”
Zechs winced. “You don’t mince words, do you?”
“Why did you come back?”
He sighed. “To do penance, I guess. To find that part of me that was once honourable. And maybe, because when you’re all on your own, you find that you actually do need someone who understands. I can’t ask Noin to stay by me, but I think maybe I need her to. She keeps me honest.”
Sally let her breath out with a sigh. “Just don’t break her heart again, or Une and I will draw lots over who gets to rip your kidneys out.”
*****
Sometimes, you need someone who understands.
Sally looked at the young man watching the smoking remains of what had once been his Gundam. He was a proud one, very independent. Not someone who would normally ask anyone a favour.
That was alright. She was quite good at telling stubborn mules exactly what they needed to hear.
“Wufei. Want to come work with me?”