Chapter 143: Operation Meteor II
AC 195, April 27th. Tolle boarded the space shuttle to Earth right on time, together with Ange, Zola, and the others.
What surprised him most was that Sophia passed the security check smoothly. As expected of a Humagear—the robot closest to being human—not even the inspection gate made a single beep as she passed through.
He had originally thought about hacking the security system, or simply storing her away in his personal space. He hadn't expected that none of those preparations would be necessary.
On the shuttle, Tolle actually spotted Relena herself, and coincidentally, she was seated just one row ahead of him.
A quick glance told him she looked decent enough, but what left the deepest impression were Relena's large, round eyes.
When she wore a serious expression, those eyes gave off an unsettling feeling, especially when looked at directly—it could send a chill down one's spine.
If that same expression were on a man's face, it would have been downright terrifying. Fortunately, since she was a girl, it didn't feel quite so frightening.
Tolle thought that perhaps it was precisely because of those eyes—eyes that could make people tremble—that she was able to become the Queen of the World.
Otherwise, how could such a young girl, with only the minor post of Deputy Foreign Minister, possibly hold down so many high-ranking officials of the Earth Sphere Unified Nation?
And yet, she had managed to persuade most countries to adopt her proposal of [Absolute Pacifism], uniting the world's will and paving the way for lasting peace.
Still, that sort of fierce "saintly mother" wasn't to his taste. A glance was enough to satisfy his curiosity about what she looked like.
At that moment, the shuttle was about to enter the atmosphere, and the broadcast came on.
"This space shuttle is now entering Earth's atmosphere. For your safety, please fasten your seat belts. Remain seated and do not leave your place."
Tolle immediately understood that the Wing Gundam should be somewhere nearby in the atmosphere. He pulled open the window shade, gazing at the scenery of space outside, eagerly awaiting Heero's descent.
Beside him, Relena's father, Dorian, turned to ask her:
"What's wrong, Relena? Coming back to Earth makes you that unhappy?"
Relena replied with a sulky face, "Yes. I hate it."
"I'm sorry, I've always been so busy with work that I rarely find the time to spend with you."
"Dad, if you have to go on another business trip to space next time, please make sure you free up more time, okay?"
…
Listening to their father-daughter conversation, Tolle sighed. This wasn't quite what he had imagined—Relena was also a problem child, a bit rebellious.
Her only real trait was that she dared to speak and act boldly, a straightforward, single-minded girl. No wonder she'd eventually grow into the true "saintly mother" type.
He already had one problem child at home; another would be too much. He couldn't handle more.
Perhaps he'd have to rely on brainwashing then—but wouldn't that make her no different from a robot or a Humagear? What use would she be then?
It would be better to focus on training his MS piloting skills in this world, and fighting more against OZ forces. He hadn't practiced much in the last world, and if he went on like this, his piloting skills would get rusty.
He still needed to prepare a machine. Too powerful a unit wouldn't be useful for training. The Black Astray Noir should be reserved for stronger enemies later.
That Tallgeese RX-78 Gundam, with some modifications, could finally serve its purpose.
Though, when Zechs Merquise saw it, what would he think of his own Tallgeese? Would he end up slapping a Gundam head on it too?
And should he let Ange, Coco, and Miranda train for a while as well? They were all within the right age range.
It would do them good to interact more with girls their own age, and it would also give him a chance to take a look at what Heero actually looked like.
Just as Tolle's thoughts wandered, Relena suddenly cried out:
"Is that a special re-entry craft?"
Her father replied, "Is it part of the Meteor Operation?"
Tolle quickly looked outside, and sure enough, he spotted the Wing Gundam in MA form.
He knew that if not for the presence of OZ's armed transport nearby, Heero—this self-destructive maniac—would surely have shot down the shuttle to complete his mission.
Right now, Heero was still nothing more than a heartless, emotionless child assassin.
Fearless like a newborn calf, he was at the stage where he feared neither heaven nor earth. Anyone who blocked his way, he would kill.
It was the same as with Kira and Ange—before their growth, they were unbearably annoying. Why did they always favor this formula? Coincidentally, every projection he encountered seemed to feature such protagonists.
And yet, these protagonists were always troublesome. Unless they had taken lives and suffered near-fatal wounds, they never seemed to grow. They were impossible to manage.
If not for their protagonist status and plot armor, they'd have died countless times already.
Elsewhere, the Wing Gundam had pierced through the atmosphere, shedding its outer MA disguise armor as it plunged straight toward Earth.
Tolle figured Zechs aboard the transport must be itching for a fight—this would be their first clash.
And the Leo that had fallen into the sea could also be salvaged. He could use it to manufacture a few Phantom Gs for Zola and the others.
While salvaging, he could also search the seabed for any usable resources. There were still many things he lacked materials to build.
Especially spatial-compression storage devices—those were the best gifts for girls. With them, he wouldn't have to carry shopping bags himself anymore; they could just put everything into compressed space.
Before long, OZ's armed transport opened fire on the Wing Gundam, strafing it with machine gun fire.
But Heero, piloting with agility, easily dodged every shot.
Still, he wasn't the type to just take hits without striking back. He abruptly halted midair, spun his rifle around, and charged straight toward the transport.
At that moment, Zechs launched in his Leo Commander Type, ejecting from the transport's rear bay.
As soon as he appeared, the Leo fired its cannon. The shell exploded near the Wing Gundam, erupting into a massive fireball.
The Wing Gundam accelerated straight at the Leo. Yet strangely, Heero didn't fire a single shot.
What was the point of provoking him then? If Tolle had been in his place, he would have fired his Buster Rifle at the transport the moment he turned around. If one shot didn't work, he'd fire another.
Otherwise, what was the point of this provocation? Just flying around showing off the Gundam's maneuverability? It was like a rebellious kid flaunting his ultimate toy.
Walk by the river often enough, and you'll get your feet wet—sure enough, just as the Wing Gundam skimmed past the Leo, Zechs nailed it with a cannon shot.
Luckily, Gundanium alloy was tough enough. Otherwise, the Wing Gundam would've been headed straight for heaven.
Though every Gundam world's Gundanium differed somewhat, the W universe's version was probably the hardest of them all.
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