The Petite Rebel 2/12

[Little Green Miko]

CHAPTER TWO: OLD COMRADES REUNITED AND GENE SPLICING

Duo came back a couple hours later with groceries stacked up ready to take them in. When he entered the house and yelled out that he was home, what he saw led to the immediate reaction of dropping everything he had been carrying and staring. ?Oh no?? He left the bag on the floor to frantically search the house for his best friend.

The house was a complete disaster area, obvious signs of a huge struggle. The couch was turned over, books were on the floor-scattered paper was covering the place, a few chairs were broken and pictures had fallen off their hooks.

?Hilde? Are you here?! Hilde answer me! Where are you babe? Please-don?t go playing games on me, not now! Where are you?!? He searched the house twice over before he gave up and collapsed on the floor in a tired heap. ?Damn-Damn it!? He didn?t know what to do from here. He?d searched the house thoroughly. He then remembered the Lewis guy. ?Fuck! I bet he has her! I knew I should have followed my gut instinct! Oh shit, shit, shit! I?m gonna need help on this one...I knew that name sounded vaguely familiar...he was out to get her...Shit! I gotta call Heero!? Duo was up and at the phone in a matter of fluid seconds.

?Come on you stoic fucker-pick up that cell phone...? He growled at the phone.

A few seconds later the familiar monotone voice of Heero Yuy answered in somewhat static filled waves. ?What do you want, Duo?? He asked.

Duo jumped back a couple feet. ?Heey! How?d you know it was me?? He asked.

?It?s a new invention Duo, caller ID, ever heard of it?? Heero answered him flatly.

Duo slapped his forehead. ?Yeah, whatever...anyway...I called you because Hilde is missing! She got these weird calls the other night and they made her totally upset, I tried to ask her about them but she wouldn?t tell me anything. I had a very bad feeling about them and I think I was right. I went out to get groceries this morning and when I came home I found the house a total disaster area and Hilde was missing. I searched the place twice over and finally resolved to call you for help. God alone knows where she is-or what people are doing to her...? He spazzed out and sat in a huff on the floor after relinquishing his short lived story to Heero, in one breath, as only Duo could do.

Heero on the other end was silent for a little bit, till he answered quite unnoticeably, unless you knew him, with a simple: ?Did you try looking anywhere other then the house??

Duo sat up abruptly. ?Where would she go other then the house when she said she?d be home the whole time? And why leave the house in shambles when it was pristine when I left??

?Wait-wait a second-you went grocery shopping?? Heero asked somewhat dumbfounded.

?He-ero!? Duo cried out.

?All right, all right...Sorry Duo. Do you think the strange caller will call again?? He asked.

?I have no idea...No-no idea...? Duo stumbled slightly over his words.

?Was the stranger the last person who called?? Heero tried again, sounding somewhat aggravated.

Duo sat and thought. ?Yes...he was.? He related.

?Now we get somewhere.?

?I also remember the guy?s name if that?s any help.?

?It depends...he might have given out a fake alias to cover up, but what was it anyway??

?Rodney Lewis.?

Heero went dead silent at that given name.

?Heero? -Heero-what?s the matter? Do you recognize the name? Is Hilde-?

Heero interrupted him. ?Duo-Hilde is in a lot of trouble...I?m coming to L2 as soon as possible...This is bigger than I thought.?

?That?s nice to know! My best friend is missing and it isn?t such a big deal-tell you about the reason I think she?s missing and suddenly it?s a problem! You?re real good.? Duo growled.

?Duo shut up and listen to me.? Heero suddenly had a commandeering tone to his voice. ?This is a big problem...I?ve heard of Lewis, and there?s no time to explain now-I?ll have to call the others and we will all rendezvous at the L2 space port at 0300 hours, got that? If he has Hilde like you suspect the whole fragile peace Relena has worked so hard to strive for will be shattered very easily. Now get yourself ready.? And with that he hung up on Duo, who sat there dumbfounded. But knowing Heero through and through he followed the boy?s instructions and prepared to meet the rest of the pilots at the L2 spaceport in five hours, not without worrying about Hilde.
~*~
She woke up in a cold cell. Why not? She expected nothing less from old army factions looking to destroy Queen Relena?s long sought after peace. She rolled over onto her backside to find she was chained to the walls of the imprisonment. ?Shit...well this will make it more difficult won?t it now?? She mumbled to herself. She found rather quickly she couldn?t stand up, let alone sit up. She was strapped to the cot in her cell. Not very pleasant from her prospective. ?Ow!? She cried out as some of the springs pinched at her lower back. This was beginning to feel like a bad trip to the doctor?s all of a sudden, because just as she was beginning to get uncomfortable-there was a man leaning over her wearing a white doctor trench coat. She scowled. ?What do you want?? She hissed. The man said nothing to her, and proceeded to prod at her body in all sorts of spots, not paying any heed to her, just poking and prodding like she wasn?t there and not human. ?Hey, hey! Get off me you dickless bitch!? She yelled but got cut off because he drove his fingers into her mouth to examine her teeth and such. She bit him. Amazingly enough he ignored that and turned to someone beyond the cell she hadn?t and could not see.

?This one is a perfect specimen for our tests. She is in perfect health and amazing shape, I suggest you use her for your first experiments. The Commander will be pleased.? He took off the latex rubber gloves he?d had on and moved out of the lights way. She heard a low chuckle and the familiar voice of her captor.

?I knew she would be. She was-always perfect with that sort of thing. Her mind is beyond belief as well when she trained here she aced all her IQ tests. She?s a genius. That and her military history helped me choose her for these experiments.? Hilde made an ugly face as he came near to her to look her in the face.

?Your not using me for ?tests?, Rodney. I?m not one of your little lab rats anymore!? She hissed at him.

?Now, now Hilderine, my dear-?

?Hilde!? She screamed, correcting him.

?You belong to me. You always have. I made you-you know that, you were built for these tests.? He answered with a smile. She growled at him and spat in his face.

?I do not belong to anyone.? She said slowly and dangerously.

Rodney wiped his face of her spit, and turned to the ?doctor?. ?Heh, heh did I mention she had spunk?? He said. ?I want to start immediately. Bring her in as soon as possible.? He said and began to walk away.

?Rodney!? Hilde yelled at him. He turned slightly to her. ?What do you plan to do with me now?? She asked in a dead monotone voice.

?You my dear are going to be the first test subject to create the ultimate soldier on our lovely and fair Commander?s orders. Better than that of Heero Yuy and you are going to win back for us what the colony?s lost. Along with others of your kind. But feel honored-your the guinea pig.? He chuckled again and disappeared. The doctor injected her with something else. It made her loose consciousness again, the next time she woke up, she wouldn?t be ?Hilde? anymore.
~*~
Duo arrived at the spaceport on time and searched around for the five familiar faces of his fellow pilots. Quatre was the first to spot him he came running over calling his name till Duo turned and acknowledged him. ?Duo! Oh Duo I heard the news! I?m sorry...? He said in his cute voice.

Duo just blinked and fidgeted. ?Yeah...? He said quietly.

Trowa and Wufei came up next. ?Well we?re all here, where?s the great leader? This better be as bad as he says. I left Sally to do my work in Preventers headquarters to come here.? Wufei grumbled. Trowa shook his head at Wufei?s remark.

?You still don?t trust women do you Wufei?? Quatre asked him. Wufei scowled and made no further comment.

Duo looked at Wufei. ?No derogatory comments on women while we are on this mission, Wufei.? He stated plaintively. ?This mission consists of saving my best friend Hilde- whom you know is female. Got it??

Wufei said nothing to Duo as Heero arrived at last to join the little group. Trowa nodded at him in acknowledgement, Heero looked at him and made his curt nod. ?Good, you?re all here.? Heero began. ?I?ll be quick and straight to the point. Duo has met up with another threat to the peace Relena has worked so hard to achieve, he didn?t know he had but he was smart enough to call me, for once, and tell me so now we all know.?

?That?s a surprise.? Wufei muttered. Duo gave him a cold stare.

?Shh Wufei-? Quatre hushed the pilot of 05 up and returned his attention back to Heero. ?So what is the new threat?? He asked.

Heero looked around the small assembly of four boys and cleared his throat a bit. ?The new threat is a scientist I had heard about just as the war ended. This scientist had taken up on the study of altering human genes to make them into no less then perfect soldiers to fight in the war. However his study was completed a little to late, because the war ended. But that didn?t stop him. Some how he has taken it in that the colony?s didn?t get justice at the end of the war and he has taken up the study to use its effects on humans now to regain that ?justice? he believes the colony didn?t receive.

?He decided to use soldiers who had betrayed the factions he worked for, for his guinea pigs for the experiments, and it appears Duo?s girl Hilde was a prime target for the experiments.?

?Why Hilde?? Quatre asked, Duo raised his head to look at Heero now for an answer he didn?t know and Hilde would not tell him.

?Because Hilde was part of Oz and White Fang, she betrayed both military factions and apparently had a perfect physical and mental record. Therefore she was the perfect choice specimen for these insane gene alterations.? Heero answered. Duo bit his lip. Then this was mostly his fault! Hilde would not have betrayed Oz if not for him, and would not have joined White Fang if not for him! This was enough to make him want to take out his pistol and shoot himself through the head right there and then, but Quatre seemed to know what he was thinking.

?Duo-don?t even go thinking this is your fault...It?s not! Just focus on the fact that we?ll be getting Hilde back for you.? He said soothingly.

Trowa put a hand on Duo?s shoulder, and Duo looked up at the tall boy. He sighed slightly, and remained silent. Trowa on the other hand looked back at Heero and asked ?what is this scientist?s name??

?His name is Rodney Lewis...? Heero responded quietly. As he said that name Trowa?s eyes shot wide open and his jaw crept open just the slightest bit to gape at Heero as his mouth formed the two words.

Wufei studied Trowa?s features and the reaction speaking the name had caused. ?Trowa,? He said. ?Do you know this man??

Trowa nodded vaguely. ?I do.? He answered tersely. He did know him-he had been in the very training sessions in Oz that Hilde had been in, before he had began to work on the HeavyArms and gain the name of Trowa. ?I never thought I would see or hear of the man again...? He said quietly as the other boys stared at him.

?Hilde didn?t think that either.? Duo responded arching a brow at the tall quiet boy beside him.

?How do you know who he is Trowa?? Quatre asked both his eyebrows arched.

?By a strange turn of events-? Trowa said.

?Elaborate on them.? Wufei said crossing his arms.

Trowa looked at Heero who had stayed silent through this. He knew that Heero had been in the training sessions as well. Heero nodded and affirmed that he knew that Trowa would remember. ?I was in a training sequence in Oz-with Hilde and... Heero-and Rodney Lewis was a major part of it.? The other three turned to Heero.

?You knew him too?? Quatre asked disbelievingly. Heero didn?t respond.

?Y-you mean you both knew my Hilde before I even did?!? Duo asked with wide eyes. ?Why didn?t you ever tell me?!?

?It was irrelevant at the time. It would have made things even more complicated had you known Duo.? Heero said.

?Typical answer from you!? Duo hissed.

Wufei broke in before a fight could sprout. ?Was this Lewis character working on these gene-altering studies while you were in these training sessions??

Trowa nodded. ?He was, Heero was his ultimate achievement at the time. Apparently he has upgraded his formula and Hilde was his next target.?

Heero nodded at Trowa. ?Hilde was, and now he?s got her and we have to stop him before he alters her-I don?t know what they will do to make these alterations, but I do know it won?t be good.?

?Ya think?! We need to find her now!? Duo yelled at him.

?Don?t go getting jumpy, Duo!? Heero growled. ?We need a plan of attack and to find out where she is!?

Wufei nodded. ?He?s right, we can?t just go barging into any random place and ask if ?Rodney Lewis is here and does he have a girl named Hilde with him.??

Duo growled quietly. ?Ok, ok I get your point...So what do we do??

?We have to get information on him and his latest whereabouts.? Quatre said.

?Well duh!? Duo said. ?But how??

Trowa motioned his hands. ?Don?t you and Hilde own a salvage business with computers?? He asked quietly.

?Yes...? Duo said and slowly came to grasp why Trowa had asked. ?Follow me...?

?He?s getting smarter. Amazing.? Wufei commented to no one in particular.
~*~
She hurt. Ok, she?d made one coherent thought. She hurt and she didn?t know why. That?s two. Could she make to three? She hurt; she didn?t know why and-where the hell was she? Why was it so blindingly bright? She had made it to four and at that point opened her eyes to find out why it was so damn bright. She quickly shut them again.

A few seconds later she opened her eyes again and blinked adjusting to the bright light that flooded wherever she was. She tried to sit up but found she couldn?t. She hurt too much. Where was she? She couldn?t remember anything at all! Nothing...It was all-blank...The last thing she remembered was...Waking up...Finding that bright light and thinking the four actually coherent thoughts...Hell she couldn?t for the life of her remember her own name.

She tried sitting up again. She managed this time and put up her arm to shield her eyes from the light. She took the opportunity to look at her surroundings. She didn?t, of course, recognize any of it. She found she was in a gray jumper and in a dull gray room with two doors. One was leading to a small bathroom and the other leading to the outside apparently. The one leading out was thick steel with a small barred window in the top of it.

?Peachy, a cell.? She thought. ?Question is how?d I get here, why am I here, and who am I?? She stood up and groaned a bit at the pain that shot through her small frame. She meandered to the bathroom and stole a peep in the mirror. The face that stared back she did not recognize at all. She had figured she wouldn?t, she couldn?t even remember her own name. But some where in the recesses of her mind something registered that something had changed that she didn?t look the way she had before. She ran her hand through her hair. Why did the color of it bug her so much? And her eyes...The color of them bugged her too.

She didn?t have time to ponder on the colors though; a creak of metal from the other room let her know someone had entered the cell. She popped her head back out and saw a man there she did not know. Of course that would be obvious...If she didn?t know who she was logic would dictate she wouldn?t know anyone else. Not that it bugged her particularly, something in her mind told her it?d be better if she didn?t remember.

The man looked at her and smiled. Something about him irked her, but she ignored it as the man spoke. ?Ah, Hilde dear. You?re awake.?

She stopped and looked at him. ?Hilde...? Is that my name? Hilde?? She asked quietly.

The man?s smile widened. ?Why my dear! Don?t you know who you are?? He asked.

She scowled. ?No...I don?t remember anything at all before I woke up just a couple minutes ago...It?s all blank. Now, I asked a simple question that you have failed to answer. Is Hilde my name??

He grinned now. ?Still the same personality. Yes, Your name is Hilde Schibeker.?

?Hilde Schibeker...? The two words rolled off her tongue like water. They felt so familiar. ?Yes...that sounds about right...? She said. ?Now answer some other questions.?

?Fire away Hilde, my princess.? He retorted.

She grimaced at the name. ?Well first, don?t call me that. I don?t know you-or I think I don?t-?

?You will. You?ll get to know me very well.? He said.

?Yee-ah...well anyway, if I?m to do that, tell me, who are you?? She asked.

?Oh I?m sorry! I did not introduce myself did I?? He laughed at his apparent lapse of memory.

Hilde scowled again, crossed her arms in front of her, leaned on the wall and muttered a muted ?no.?

He walked up to her extending his hand, which she resolutely decided to ignore, and said all to cheerfully for her taste ?my name is Rodney Lewis. I am here to help you through this and help you remember what your here for.?

She left his hand in mid air and went to sit on the cot she?d woken up on and stared hard at him. ?Well you apparently know who I am, so I suppose there?s no need for me to introduce myself. Not that I could.?

?No my dear, you?re quite right.? He said as he turned to face her, letting his hand fall to his side.

?Mmm, so why am I here?? She continued.

?You were made specifically for the reason to fight. You are my ultimate creation, the ultimate soldier. You are going to win back rule for the colony?s that was so brashly taken away by Earth.? He answered her loosing his smile and going serious.

Hilde took this in with ease. She accepted it without question, some how she felt that was her destiny. ?All right, I?ll buy that.? She responded. ?Can you tell me about my past?? She asked.

He gravely shook his head. ?No, I can?t. You see Hilde; you are a drone...You didn?t have a past.?

Hilde found this harder to believe, but since the something in her mind still nagged her that it was better not to remember and it also explained why she couldn?t remember a blessed thing, she decided to believe him. ?Hn...If you say so...?

?I know so.? He insisted. ?But, we need to train you for the fight. On top of being our ultimate soldier, you?re our ultimate weapon. So you must endure vigorous training.?

Hilde nodded. Then sat for a second and thought, she looked up at him. ?If I had no past, how come some how I remember my eyes and hair being a different color?? She pointed at her head.

He broke into another smirk. ?We had to make you before we gave you the ultimate soldier capability. The odd color was a side effect of the serum we gave you. Your hair color was originally raven blue black and your eyes cornflower blue, but the new colors fit you better now. A shocking white hair and lime green eyes. Very pretty.?

Hilde?s eyes widened slightly and grabbed her long bangs into her nimble fingers and stared at them. Sure enough they were white, as Rodney had said. She looked back up at him. ?You need to change the mirror in that bathroom, I couldn?t tell my hair was white or that my eyes were green in it.? She snarled at him.

He laughed again. ?I suppose we will someday. But for now, I?m to move you to better quarters than this, so you?ll have a better mirror in there I?d assume.?

Hilde stared at him again. ?When does this ?training? start??

?Full of questions aren?t we? It starts the day after tomorrow since you?re so eager to know. Come on follow me.? He said and went out.

She quickly got up and followed. ?Where are we?? She asked as she caught up with him.

?We are on a hidden, secret, special base on Earth. Soon you?ll have other soldiers to work with. You were the prototype and so far you?ve come out perfect.? He smiled again to himself.

Hilde snorted. ?All except the hair and eyes.? She retorted.

He laughed. ?Yes, except for the slight side effects. Now I will show you your room, then take you to see your ?Mother?.?

?My mother? What??

?She is the Commander here at this base, my dear. All my drones call her mother. You need not understand. It?s just protocol.?

?Hnm.?

~*~Chap. 2 fin.~*~