What a day to get attacked! - 1. Chapter 1

“Don't let them in!” cried the guard as the gates. He knew it to be a futile thing as once these three showed up there was no chance. The sirens were already blaring to mobilize the troops and even the few mobile suits were already in motion. Would it be enough? He asked himself as he ran from the tower to the bunker where he would not be a hindrance the actual soldiers. There was no thought in his head that he would survive, even with his high powered assault rifle. “Have the psions found them yet?” he asked the man beside him.

“No. It's taking everything they have to even find the Titan. You know their psychic is powerful when it comes to shielding the minds.” Unfortunately he did know. He knew these three all too well. “And good luck even finding the Chameleon.”

Don't I know it, he thought. But why had these three chosen to attack here. They knew he was here, knew he would have to defend the base, knew he would die if they tried as hard to attack as they did to conceal their powers in the past.

The radio was loud and busy, the sound of tense conversations and all of leading to one thing. They hadn't been spotted. “Orders, sir?” the private asked, scared to get the order to resume his post in the tower. He was the only one who could see them here no matter how hard they tried to avoid him. And Heaven knows they've tried.

The major in charge was chewing on his lip. He knew to send the private out there was a death sentence, but to keep him in reserve would doom them all. “Are you willing to do this?” His gruff voice was full of need to order him to do it, but to order a man to his death was the most dishonorable thing a commander could do.

After a moment the private nodded. “Here's hoping they remember they're supposed to love me,” he said with a shaky quip. He ran back outside. The climb to the tower never seemed so scary before, but then he had never faced these three during an attack. When he crested the top he could not see them yet, which meant the Chameleon was shielding them from sight. But not his sight. The private closed his eyes, dipped into his pool of power, and opened them again. The world around him shifted into a different plane, one where nothing could be concealed or hidden from him. He found them standing atop the nearest hill and looking right at him. He adjusted the helmet on his head and prepared for the worst. “Gunner...target...”

“Don't let them see,” Fran said to Endora. Fran was the eldest of them with the family white blonde hair and ice blue eyes. She was also the one with the powerful psychic gifts she must keep in check. Her mighty emotions could cause mass panic if she was even a bit upset.

Endora nodded and used her abilities to shroud them from sight. It was a subtle but potent power, something akin to her sister's psychic mental shield. She told those who might see them that nothing was there. Nothing was there, nothing to see here, you are looking at nothing. For a young lady who was shamed to look as she did, it was a blessing. Small scars for the chicken pox scared her face and down her neck. She kept her blonde bangs long to hide them even better. She nodded that it was done.

“Ozzy, be the good boy...” Fran began.

“I always have to be. I got it. I know what happens,” he said a bit testily. His powers were based off of his emotions and could cause earthquakes and thunderstorms if he wasn't careful. All his life he had to control himself. Which was hard when you had two older sisters and a younger brother who didn't want to associate with the family at all. He had grown up trying to prove he was every bit the man his father was before he died. Had to be proper, had to be calm, couldn't run around and be a kid. It made for no outlet for his emotions. That is until they exploded. Then all hell broke loose.

The trio made there way towards their objective. This base held the only thing they had been searching for these many years. Their guns and missiles were nothing compared to what the trio was capable of and they wanted this...today was they day everything would come together. Even their puny psychics who searched in vain for them were no match at all. Nothing would stop them from getting what they wanted. What they promised their mother they would do.

The mountains surrounding the base were old and worn and the base well camouflaged, the rock from the mountain used to build the base itself. There was only one road in, but tunnels led out of the base and into the old mine shafts as escape routes. Tunnels that they knew well enough to block some of them but not all. To block all would bring the mountain down and that would defeat the purpose of this mission. The wildlife in the mountains ignored them as even a single flying bird or scampering squirrel could show the base where they were and stealth was paramount.

When they found the road they slipped onto it and walked along it for quicker travel. They knew they had been sensed; there was too much activity if they were undetected. Still, even with Endora's stealth they would never expect them to simply walk along the road. It was brazen even for them, but they were not here to cause too much of a fuss. If they could get the mission done without casualties they would.

They said nothing. Silence was nothing new to them as they rarely spoke if they didn't have to. The siblings were not all that close having been fostered out to minimize their powers from working together at their young ages. Only when they had gained some control over their powers were they introduced to the other siblings. It had not made for the closest of ties. And yet, they knew each others minds so well that they need not talk at all.

Conceal, Endora was chanting in her head, keeping the steady flow of thoughts only about keeping them a secret as they walked swiftly along, carrying a box with great care. To drop it, jostle it or damage it would mean disaster for the mission. Her siblings trusted in her stealth and agility to keep it safe until it was needed. It was something she had never had to feel. Responsibility. She'd never had to do chores or work. She had her lessons at home and had very little contact with anyone who was not staff in their home. This was actually the first time in six months she had stepped out of the house at all. But they asked this of her and she agreed.

Don't feel, Fran was saying, keeping her empathic gifts from getting out of hand. One slight mistake and they would know exactly where they were. She didn't underestimate the four psychics abilities. She was the one keeping them from sensing their minds at all and they were no duffers. Each one alone would have been squashed but the four together was enough to give her pause and keep her on the defensive. It was very nerve wracking having to be this wary and that was making it harder to keep it all in. She kept the litany up, but didn't dwell on it else the psychic coven would detect that single-minded thought.

Don't let them know, Ozzy was saying, fighting his own battle with his emotions. He knew what could happen. He'd hurt people when he lost his temper and had even burned down a house when he felt strong attraction to a young lady. It had burned within him and when he confessed it to her, and she had reciprocated, the emotion exploded from him and her family had lost their home. It was attributed to a gas leak or something, but he knew it was him. Since then he dared not even love anyone. It was hard to be a young man and not have a girlfriend when all his college buddies had them. He'd never played sports, never competed at anything. He was a model student. All so no one would know that within him was an emotional monster.

They crested the top of a hill and looked up in the tower. Their sentries couldn't see them, but there came a feeling of being watched. Someone knew they were right here. In the left tower stood a young man...and his eyes glowed. That was when the gunners opened fire on their location.

“Well, now they know!” exclaimed Ozzy and he broke left.

“Ozzy, let it go!” Fran yelled and put up barriers around them and forgetting mental stealth. Ozzy looked shocked and then at Endora who was slipping around to the right.

“Let it go,” she said softly and then faded from even her sibling sight. “Just don't kill anyone.”

Ozzy grinned and did just that. “Can't hold me back anymore.” He let go of his emotions and a brisk wind picked up immediately, the bite of winter's chill upon it. It was August. He stomped his foot to bring up a wall of earth to protect him while he worked his magicks.

Inside the base their tarps were getting blown all around. The private, knowing he was no longer needed in the tower, slid down the pole to the ground and went to help keep things from getting blown away. It was almost futile because their heloes were even being lifted, held fast by the sheer will power of the coven who had finally come out of hiding to wage open mental wars with Psia. They could only just block her powers and she was not even concentrating on any one thing. He knew that and so did the coven.

“Let it go!” shouted the Major and the coven released their mental hold on the helo. It went up and smashed into the rock above them. It exploded in a fiery mess of metal and stone which fell to the ground but nothing hit anyone.

In fact, the private was seeing no one was getting hurt. They were cold now as the Titan's weather magic got stronger and stronger, but no one was taking injury at all. Not even the slightest bump. “Sir, we need to get everyone inside.” The major knew about his power and knew that if he said so it should be done

“Everyone, retreat to the bunker! Move move move!” Everyone ran. “Fall back!” he yelled again and everyone ran for the safety of the bunker. The doors would hold against even these three...hopefully. The insane laughter from the Titan spurred them on and into the hold until the last man was inside.

Except the private. “Go, I'll deal with them!”

“Get your...”

“No, sir. I can stop this!” The winds were howling around him and snow was already piling in drifts. The major grabbed him by the sleeve, but he stopped when he saw the surety in the private's eyes. “Let it go, sir. Get to safety. Just turn away.” The major let go and saluted. He ran for the bunker.

“Slam the door!” he ordered. There were so many protests, especially from the coven who knew what he faced better than anyone else.

“Sir, what will the higher ups say?” asked the coven leader.

“I don't care what they're going to say! He's made his choice. Now close the door!”

The private turned when he heard the door slam shut. He was shivering only a bit. Not much at all really. “That's it! Keep it coming! Is that all you got, Titan? Let the storm rage on!” he screamed at the top of his lungs. He could see Psia was just rising over the walls, held aloft by her mind.

“They're clear,” she said and the storm stopped as if it never had been blowing things around at all. Psia landed within ten feet of him as the front gates were opened rather forcefully by the Titan's strength. “You know why we're here?” she asked the private.

“No. I don't. Where is she?”

That was when he felt someone behind him. God he felt stupid. He hadn't seen her at all once the fighting started. It had been too hectic and she was too sneaky. “I'm right here.” He spun to look at her ice blue eyes only slightly hidden by her hair. She carried the box he had seen. It was a simple box, almost delicate, and he felt that if he were to smash it he would rouse their ire.

But what if he didn't? What was in it? It had to be something deadly. “So why are you here? Why now? Why today!?” He shouted at them. Today was the worst day they could have chosen...and they knew that. They knew what today was as well as he did. He watched as they moved to stand side by side with the box between them.

“You do know what today is, right?” asked Psia.

“Yes, of course...I...” He trailed off as Titan opened the box.

Inside was something he didn't expect. He stared as it was lifted gently out and held by the Chameleon. It was almost lovely, really. He actually began to cry, pulling off his helmet and wiping his eyes. “Happy Birthday, Andy!” was written on the cake with a big number 21 in red icing. “Seriously? You did all this to bring me a darn birthday cake?” He ran his hand through his buzz cut white blond hair.

“You're our little brother,” said Ozzy, “and it's our twenty-first birthday. We had our cakes at home, but mom made this one for you.”

Andy laughed. “God, you guys. You are really messed up.” They nodded and he just laughed. “Well, since you brought it all the way here.” He had no utensils, but then Fran produced some plastic forks and a card. His grin as he looked inside was huge. It was a picture of all of them at the age of one. The last time all four quadruplets were together. Before they were split up. “Were we ever that tiny?” They nodded and served up a slice of cake to him. “So all this was just to get me some cake and a card?”

“Yeah. We tried not to hurt anyone.” Fran had been doing her best to keep anyone from even being hit by a pebble.

“I think no one got hurt, just really really cold.” Andy took a bit of the strawberry cake. They even brought his favorite.

“Sorry about the storm. I just wanted to make them leave us alone for a bit.” Ozzy was punched in the shoulder.

“The cold never bothered me anyway.”