Written by Talon Harvilicz
Chapter Eight: In the Hands of Thirds
It was easy getting in, for a Third. Duo did most of the tricks in breaking in, overriding the security systems, evading the cameras, and traveling down the right corridors. It was almost like he had been here before.
They had to make it quick. They broke into a run, armed to the teeth. Duo had scrounged up a good amount of weapons, guns, and even a few explosives. On this mission, they disguised themselves as humans, covering up their collars; Quatre used a white turtleneck to hide his.
They raced to a door on the left that Duo led him to. He watched as he cracked through the lock, curious how it did it so fast. In six seconds, they were in, prepared to do mercy for their kind.
Inside was a lab, equipped with machines to support the subjects, computers and terminals to aid and program them, then there were the Thirds themselves, suspended in cylinder chambers. It was just like the lab his father's mansion, except there were Thirds in the chambers here, full with clear liquid while in production. Quatre had never seen a Third in production in his father's labs. He may have been the last.
The two exchanged quick glances, then moved further in. Quatre stepped by the chambers, and stared up at one of the Thirds, while Duo walked towards the computers and terminals.
"It's a mercy killing," he whispered to himself. "They'll end up dying if they're completed. They'll end up like Rashid---or those Thirds at the shelter. It's my mercy gift to them. There is no other way."
Quatre heard a gunshot. Duo had destroyed one of the terminals. He fired over and over.
It was time to do what he was here for. Quatre aimed his rifle at the Third inside the chamber, let a few tears leak from his eyes, then opened fire. The bullets shattered the glass of the chamber, pelted into the Third's artificial skin, eating at the internal frame. He moved onto the next one, doing the same. Duo screamed as he fired onto the computers. He even fired up into the ceiling and walls.
Quatre suddenly stopped firing and turned. At the doorway floated a security bot.
"You are trespassing," it droned. "Leave the facility now, or you will be arrested."
Quatre walked towards it, slipped his sunglasses on, and aimed the rifle at the bot. "Arrest this." He fired a single shot into its head area, sending it crashing to the ground.
Duo leaned towards the doorway. He grinned lightly. "That thing gives me one reason to be thankful to be a Third."
Quatre grinned. "Want to be a security Third, Duo?"
"Hell no," Duo replied. "I'd rather do this." He fired around the room.
Quatre grinned bigger this time.
"Let's finish the job," he said.
"Okay," Duo said. "But one thing first. I know a way that'll destroy all of the Third's programing and function in this whole factory."
Quatre stepped towards him. "How?"
Duo waved him over. "This way Mr. Winner!" He followed him to a untouched computer. Duo had saved it before he turned it into scrap like the others. "It's a little thing called hacking. I learned it from Wufei. Watch and learn." He hacked into the main facility files, and opened the ones connected to the Thirds in progress with the tap of his fingers over the keyboard. "I could do this faster if I hooked myself up to it, but, eh, I didn't think of it until now." He hacked into the production files of all one hundred and six Thirds, and canceled the orders. He shut down all progress. He then uploaded a block on it so it couldn't be overridden. The production of the Thirds in the factory was ruined. Beautiful, Duo, beautiful. "Saves time."
Duo then backed up and fired into the computer. "Come on," he said. "Let's get outta here."
"Yeah," Quatre said., and walked towards the doorway. Before reaching it, he heard a light mechanical wail. It was another security bot, no doubt. He held his rifle, and grinned, ready to blow this one away.
Reaching the doorway, he froze. It was no security bot, it was Kyle---Kyle in a mobile suit. The skin on the portion of his face was melted, and his hair was tasseled.
"Well it's the fucking Third," he said.
Quatre backed up, eyes wide. Kyle eyed him down, watching him.
"What have you been up to?" Kyle said. "So unlike a fucking Third to do this." He looked around at the wrecked lab room. "Trying to kill your own kind?"
Quatre blinked out of his stunned stated, and returned to his strong nature. "You should ask yourself the same thing, Third Kyle. You killed your own kind by assassinating President Darlin."
"When are you going to get off of that?"
"When you're arrested."
Kyle looked down on him. "Or when you're dead."
Quatre aimed his rifle at Kyle, and fired. The bullets hit onto the metal of the mobile suit, making him backup into the hallway. Quatre leaned his head over, only to see Kyle ram the sides of the suit into the frame of the doorway. There were claw-like arms on the mobile suit, pushing against the frame, breaking it until he and the suit fit through.
Quatre pulled the trigger of his rifle, but got no fire out of hit. He was out of bullets. "Shit." He dodged out of the way before Kyle could run into him. Duo jumped out of the way, too.
Quatre crouched and threw empty rifle aside. He pulled a handgun from under his jacket. He took aim at Kyke. He fired onto the mobile suit, sending sparks.
Kyle charged at him, slashing the crab-like claws mounted on the mobile suit. He dodged out of the way, just as the claws collided into the wall. Quatre made his way to Duo. He looked to see Kyle turn around. Quatre looked at Duo from the corner of his eye. "Come with me," he whispered. He looked back at Kyle, flipped him his middle finger, then ran out the door, with Duo following.
Kyle gave chase. Quatre, with Duo whipped around and fired at him. Kyle rushed at them. Quatre tried to shift out of his way, but the claw on his mobile suit crashed into him, slamming him into the wall.
Duo fired at Kyle's mobile suit, mainly to get his attention off of Quatre. He ran up to him to distract him. "Leave him alone." He jumped on the suit, and began pulling on the frame of it. The claw on the suit grabbed him.
"Get lost you wasted Third!" He threw him across the hallway, screaming. His body arched down, and slammed into the floor, unconscious. Kyle then turned his head to Quatre. He grabbed him around his arms before he could stand up or aim at him. He pinned his arms to his sides and lifted him up to his level. He began squeezing Quatre.
"I guess the hunter becomes the hunted," Kyle said. "I like it!"
He squeezed harder, making moan and bare his teeth. He applied more pressure, pushing Quatre's shoulders towards his body. He sneered and shut his eyes tightly. His shoulders suddenly snapped inwards, dislocating the joints. Quatre's head dropped back, and he roar a loud agonizing scream.
Kyle laughed. "Scream! Scream you fucking Third!" He kept screaming in pain, until a little more pressure, Quatre's began to loose consciousness.
He had him in his claws, he could kill him. But the advantage never came. Something, jumped on the back of his mobile suit, and began to hit him on the back of the head. His head was thrusted forward over and over.
"What the fuck?" He looked over to see a human on him. He shifted over onto the side, and began ripping the metal frame of the mobile suit by his body off, piece by piece. He wasn't human, he was a Third. "Hey, cut that out! What the fuck do you think you're doing?" He went to grab for him, but the Third leapt off. There was a strangeness of the Third. He looked just like the Third that attacked him at the bridge, with the same attire, turtleneck and all, except this time he was wearing his visor.
The Third glared up at him. "You fucked with the wrong Third." He flipped him off and bolted down the hallway.
"What? You can't do that!" He threw Quatre across the wall, landing limp, shoulders bunched, and gave chase to the tall Third. "Get back here!"
The Third turned his head and said: "Come and make me."
The Third pushed his legs faster and faster. They raced down the several hallways, twisting at one point to the left. The Third was fast, even managing to escape the speed of Kyle's wheeled mobile suit.
The Third turned a corner on the right. Kyle kept on him. The two of them charged down the long corridor, with the Third with the blue turtleneck running ahead of him. He stopped at the end of it, and turned slowly around to face Kyle. He stood there as he approached him closer and closer. Kyle raised the claws on his mobile suit, ready to grab him. Behind the Third was a glass window.
With only a few feet to spare, the Third leapt into the air, kicked off the front of Kyle's mobile suit, and went into a midair flip. Kyle couldn't brake in time. He tried, but he couldn't. The Third had planned the trick.
The Third flipped to the ground, on his feet as Kyle crashed through the glass window, even taking a bit of the frame of it with him, descending to the street below, screaming.
The cunning Third, detective Trowa, watched as a small amount of smoke rose to the broken window. He looked out calmly. To make sure he didn't survive this time, or to cause any mor trouble, Trowa would have to go down there and collect any remains of Kyle. But first he had to see to Quatre and Duo.
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