Wing's Last Impression

ch. 14

Wufei immediately sprang to Sally's side, in a fighting stance. Both of them squinted as they tried to distinguish the figure walking towards them. Sally broke into a big grin and ran forward.

"Howard! It's about time you got here! Had me worried about you," Sally said affectionately.

"I had a few buddies I had to see first before coming here, sorry," Howard said.

"Are we ready to go now since we have all the talking out of the way?" Wufei asked.

"Ai-yi, Captain Wufei, lead the way!" Sally said.

Wufei grumbled and treaded ahead. Sally lagged behind for once to fall into step with Howard. She noticed all the equipment he was carrying on his back. She politely inquired about it and Howard's eyes lit up at the mention of his equipment. Howard told her he had many things, and after the war was over, he and his colleagues were able to come up with a few inventions. It would have helped during the war, Howard added silently.

The sun was high and blazing and annoying as it has been for the past hour when they reached the clearing. Bruno spotted them immediately and waved towards the three-people troop. He jogged towards them, shaking the hand of Howard. After introductions, Bruno led them to the temple again. Howard knew at a moment's glance that the temple wasn't as old as it portrayed to be. They each took a torch and chased the dark around as they twisted through the halls.

Sally, Bruno, and Wufei stopped short of the mobile suit, and Howard placed his bags down as his eyes drank in the sight. Howard mumbled to himself as he walked all around the towering MS. He ran excitedly back to his bags, taking out a few unnamed contraptions. Howard went to the right leg of the suit, attaching some wires and bits to the heel. Howard then turned on his computer and began to furiously type in the laptop.

Sally got tired of waiting, so she walked to where Howard was. She peered over Howard's shoulder and watched the screen. On the screen, she could see a 3-D image of the mobile suit. She asked what the various colors on the screen meant. Howard told her those were the mixed metals that made up the suit, each not pure. She grew more interested as Howard focused on the right arm. Howard typed a message and sent it. He waited patiently and a few minutes later he got a response.

"Ah!" was all Howard said.

Sally arched her eyebrows at Howard's discovery. Howard closed the laptop and took off all the wires off the heel. He then walked back to his bags and took out another set of wires, this time they were thicker and bigger. Sally watched as Howard skillfully climbed the mobile suit. He plunked himself on the right shoulder and began to attach the wires to the middle of the head. Howard turned on his laptop again and began to type furiously.

Wufei watched with sullen interest, running possible theories on this new mobile suit. Bruno was checking in with his comrades every now and then, asking their whereabouts and updates. Howard gave a satisfied sigh as he hit the enter button. A hissing noise came from the mobile suit, making Sally, Bruno and Wufei stand guard. A hatch began to open from the middle of its' chest, going down slowly.

"Now it's getting interesting," Wufei said as he made his way towards the suit.

Wufei climbed to where Howard was, sleek and graceful as a cat. Howard was already in the cockpit, hooking his computer up to the main panel board, from what Wufei could tell.

"Now to get this baby up and running," Howard said triumphantly to Wufei.

Wufei only stood back and observed his surroundings. The cockpit resembled the Gundam's cockpit, but there was a strange aura about it, something that distinguished this suit from the regular Leo and Aries suit. The room all around them lit with buzzing activities; sounds and messages everywhere. Wufei whistled under his breath as he looked at the monitors. He felt as if he were suspended in air, nothing but him and the wind.

All around him was a clear view. Unlike the Gundam cockpit, his view was limited to only three screens. This suit, it was as if its outsides were made of glass. Wufei could see everything in every direction. He couldn't even see the mobile suit itself. He glanced down and he could see Sally standing at the very edge of the foot of the suit.

"This is… amazing," Wufei said quietly.

"Isn't it, eh?" Howard said with a smile.

"I can't believe whoever made this is more advanced than our own Master O and his colleagues," Wufei said as he walked towards Howard.

"Well, let's see what else this thing has besides a first-class 360 degree view," Howard said, typing up more information.

The sounds temporarily stopped and the messages stopped flashing on the screen. Howard sighed in frustration and began typing. Only the messages came back, but this time it wasn't in a code. Both were able to read and follow the instructions on activating and using the suit. Wufei claimed the pilot's seat for himself, finding that the chair swiveled whichever way. 'This is a very good advantage over Nataku,' Wufei had to admit.

"How's the suit, Wufei?" Sally asked below him.

"It's good enough," Wufei said.

Explosion and gunfire brought about the attention of all four. Bruno tried to contact his fourth division squad who was supposed to be on patrol right now. He received no answers, and Bruno told them to be ready to flee in case it turned out to be an attack. An explosion rocked the temple, sending debris falling from the very top. Howard climbed down the suit, grabbing his equipment and asking Wufei to pick him up to the cockpit.

Wufei obliged and demanded that Sally joined them on the mobile suit. Sally refused by shaking her head, pulling out a machine gun from her bag. Wufei muttered under his breath as he closed the suit's hand around Sally, who was cursing and yelling at Wufei.

"It's for your own good, onna! We can't loose you at this point!"

Sally quieted down as she slipped into the cockpit. Bruno ran ahead, and contacted Sally that there was a full attack on his men. Wufei broke the temple, dust and crumbling rocks at his feet. Another chill ran through his body, excitement and longing taking control of his hands. Wufei wondered if this mobile suit was capable of anything, since the only control device he had was a sleek silver keyboard and joystick. Drawing up the directions again, Wufei read and memorized the controls.

Sally saw the battle that raged on below her, mad and frustrated that she couldn't be down there helping Bruno and the others out. Sally peered at the menu, and saw the control to open the hatch up. With quick and nimble fingers, she typed in the code before Wufei could stop her. The hatch opened slowly and Sally took hold of a slide bar.

"Good bye, Wufei," Sally said as she slid down to the ground.

"Sally!!" Wufei screamed. She landed with a resolute thud, and dodged gunfire as she ran for cover behind a tree. She took out her tracking device, trying to get Bruno online. Sally got nothing but static and a blank screen. Her battle instincts took over as she yelled, running out from behind the tree and firing. Sally saw hordes of men dressed in black, attacking Bruno and his men.

"Good," Sally hissed, "At least I know who the targets are."

Sally yelped as a bullet grazed her shoulder. She yelled when she realized how careless she had been. Sally threw herself behind the rubble of rocks and stone, trying to contact Bruno again. Bruno's bloody face came into view.

"Sally… I didn't expect them to have this many reinforcements," coughed Bruno, "I'll be fine! Get out! Get you, Wufei and Howard out now!"

"NO! I'll stay and help fight!" Sally cried.

"Sally, please…"

Sally tuned in Bruno's code and pinpointed his location. Craftily, she ran to him, passing bodies of dead soldiers. She found Bruno not too far away, sitting against a heap of bodies, tying his left arm with a bloody cloth. Sally said nothing as she rushed to him, breaking out her first-aid kit to tidy up his arm. He gave her a small smile and winced as she dabbed alcohol on his arm.

Meanwhile, Howard was still typing at the computer, transferring files from the suit's control panel to a disc for future use. Wufei had exited the menu, typing in various codes to activate the armor, shield, beam sword, and the weapon on the right arm. Wufei had also activated the strap code, which had the pilot's chair shoot out metal binding strips, closing over Wufei's thighs, waist, and upper chest. Wufei struggled and thought he had made a mistake in all the frenzy, but found out when he moved his left leg, the suit's left leg moved in the same fashion.

The only thing not strapped was his lower legs, forearms, and hands, which were free to move about and type commands into the keyboard. Wufei found these functions more advantageous as he swung his left arm up to grab the beam saber. He felt a humming and pulsing race through his body as he saw the sword's bright blue metallic light. Wufei swung the sword around for an estimated feel.

"If you are done playing, fight our way out of here!" Howard said.

"This unexpected adventure didn't leave much time for me to find out this machine's capabilities. So unless you want to bite your way out of here, I suggest you be quiet and leave things up to me here on out," Wufei said as he swung the saber and struck a few men down. He hated this kind of combat; he wanted one-on-one combat, but he knew they couldn't fight their way out like that. Most of Bruno's men had died, and more of the black clad men kept coming.

Sally had taken out all the arms she had out of her pack, estimating their supplies and how long they could hold out. She took the top off a grenade, poked her head up past the barrier, counted, and threw the grenade. Sally covered Bruno's head as it exploded shrieks of pain and horror filling the air. Sally repeated this many times, while Bruno tried to contact the other men. A body stirred almost six feet away, the bloodstains not showing up against his black uniform.

He coughed up blood, focusing his eyes on Sally and Bruno. The man reached about him, trying to find a gun.

"It's a Preventor bitch. She found my mobile suit. Gotta stop her from…" the man said angrily as he recognized the jacket.

He took a rifle and sat up, pain working its way to his head and limbs. He ignored the pain as he had his target in sight. The man aimed for Sally's back, but failed to see Bruno's eyes on him. He let the gun sing out, receiving a call from Bruno's gun. Sally sharply turned around as the gun sounded off near her. Bruno slumped on her, his gun falling from his hand. Sally scanned the field, catching sight of a man who fell back to the earth.

"Bruno… Bruno!" Sally cried as she gathered his limp form in her arms.

"You're okay," Bruno said weakly.

"You're gonna be okay, too, Bruno, you just hang in there," Sally said, fighting against the ill feeling that crept into her stomach.

"No, I'm not, and you know it," Bruno said with a slight smile. He clasped her hands into his, and motioned for her to come in closer. When she did, he placed a kiss on her cheek, water flowing freely from his eyes.

"Sally Po, neighbor and comrade, I have admired you from a distance since we were childhood friends. I dreamed of you, Sally, did you know that? But I thought to myself that we couldn't turn back to the old days we had if I confessed… that I…"

"Shh, save your energy," Sally said, stroking his head.

"What energy? I know I'm gonna go soon, I have to tell you this! I love you, Sally. I always will love you. I'll carry that love into the next life with me. You treat Wufei good… such a lucky man. At least I can have you in my dreams…" And with that, Bruno fell into eternal sleep.

"Rest in peace, Lt. Bruno Tsuko. Comrade and ever faithful friend," Sally said, releasing him.

Sally knew that Bruno had feelings for her, but she only saw him as a brother. 'No time to shed tears,' Sally told herself. 'Must move on with the present.' Sally reluctantly looked one last time at Bruno, and ran to Wufei's suit. Wufei saw Sally emerge from a pile of dead bodies, his heart racing as if he saw her as a corpse.

"Hurry! We must get back and out of here!" Sally said as Wufei picked up her body with his left hand. He opened the hatch and Sally dropped in, exhausted physically and emotionally. She breathed heavily as she adjusted her clothes. Wufei looked around him, not seeing Bruno anywhere.

"Where's Bruno?"

"He's dead," Sally said, giving no conviction of any emotion. "Come on, let's get out of here, Wufei."

"Right," Wufei said, startled.

With a quick glance around the field, Wufei grimaced as he saw the bloodstained flowers. Wufei shut his eyes in memory, quickly opening them and focusing on getting them out of there. 'Nataku…" bitter tears threatened his eyes, and with force and determination, he fought the urge of Nataku. 'She's long gone, but I feel as though we're getting more close and intimate when I think of her,' Wufei thought as they raced through the jungles.

~~~~~