Barren Paths

Summary: She was just a waitress doing her job when she is a witness to the assassination of Sylvia Noventa. Now she's in a pit trying to find a way out without dying in the process.

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing in any way, shape, or form but I do own Lilka Aston.

Chapter 1: Shattering Fear

Lilka Aston was a normal 19-year-old girl, with an underpaid job, and attended college at Saint Jacob's College on L3. She had no sense to be driven into the world of politics at all or even worry about it. It was the wealthy people's decision about that kind of thing not hers. The only thing that plagued her mind was her grades and keeping up with her hectic schedule.

That was until November 11 in her sophomore year of college when everything came falling down on top of her. Crossing the street hastily Lilka berated herself under her breath for being late tonight, of all the nights to be late it had to be this one. The brunette had been studying and had eventually fallen asleep, only to be shaken awake by her bothersome roommate Tabitha saying how she was taking up all the room on the couch. It had all gone hill from there she supposed.

Pushing open the Employee's Only door she hurried to her cubby and grabbed her uniform. Hustling toward a free bathroom she quickly shut the door and stripped of her clothes putting on her mandatory uniform of formal black pants and a button down white silk shirt. Placing her hair into a french twist she pinned back her bangs and practically tripped on her way out.

"Glad you could finally make it Ms. Aston," her boss's cold voice floated over toward her," I don't want to hear about you being late again or I guess you can tell what the results will be."

Lilka nodded vigorously," Yes sir, I'm sorry," she bit her lip in distress she couldn't afford to lose her job she needed it to pay for her board.

"Good now go serve our special guest of the evening. Don't make a fool of yourself or I'm the one who's going to be blamed for it," shoving menus, a pad of paper, and a pen into her hands he pointed toward a table in hidden view from the prying eyes of everybody," Sylvia Noventa and some of her colleagues are here tonight I want them to think highly of our food and service so they will help boost our popularity. So don't mess up."

Nodding meekly Lilka hurried off keeping her celery eyes positioned on the table, plastering a smile onto her face she approached them all. She noticed all of them talking quietly amongst themselves the occasional laugh was heard.

"Good evening and welcome to the Chateau, my name is Lilka and I will be your waitress for tonight," passing out the menus along the table her vision strayed toward the gorgeous blonde woman who clung to the arm of what she could guess was a diplomat.

All were dressed in expensive business attires looking as if they had just stepped out of the office. She felt very intimidated in her uniform, next to that blonde girl she was just a rag doll that was to skinny. Swallowing she tried to maintain her composure as she face threatened to burn up," Is there anything I can get you? A drink or perhaps an appetizer?"

"I wouldn't mind a bottle of champagne if you don't mind," spoke a elderly man with a grey moustache.

Jotting it down she let her gaze wander across the table again when the blonde spoke up," We'll take stuffed crab and salads all around for an appetizer. And please make that two bottles of champagne instead of one."

"Do you all want wine glasses?"

A round of yes's and nods answered her question as Lilka finished writing it all down," I'll be back with your drinks in a minute."

Bowing she retreated from the table silently cheering for not being under their critical gaze. Honestly she had no idea why she even worked here, she got paid next to nothing, everyone was snotty, with the exception of Juan who didn't speak English, and the looks she received with the people eating were not at all pleasant most of the time. Don't get her wrong sometimes there was a charming elderly couple who would stir up a pleasant chat with her but usually it never happened.

Picking up her pace she went through the velvet swing doors that led to the kitchen and winery. Passing by the kitchen she stuck a note on the door which someone promptly picked up and hurried off to make the salads. Still walking down the hall Lilka stopped at a steel door and clasped the handle. Opening it a cold breeze swept through her as she entered the chilled wine room. It's walls were filled with every kind of win imaginable, but Lilka didn't waste a moment of her warmth and grabbed two bottles of champagne from the rack next to the door and quickly exited the room. Walked down the hall she grabbed a large tray and set the two bottles of champagne on top.

Her next stop led her to where the crystal wine glasses were opening the glass door she carefully grabbed 7 of them and placed them all on the tray. Hoisting it up upon her right hand she walked out the door and back toward the table where the party was laughing merrily at something a raven haired woman had said.

"Here is your champagne, I hope you find it to your liking. If you need anymore just flag me down and I will get you more," put on a smile that did not reach her eyes she set down all of the crystal glasses and carefully set the two bottles of champagne in the middle of the table," Have you decided what you would like to eat?"

Everyone politely told her as she scribbled down the meals quickly and grabbed her tray, bowed slightly and quietly excused herself from the table.

Lilka had only gotten a few steps when a rumbling noise shook the building violently and glass shattered from one of the main windows. Tumbling to the ground she scrambled to get up as shards of glass sprayed everywhere like a fountain. In her attempt to get up a long jagged piece embedded itself into where her knee and shin met. Biting back a cry of pain Lilka got up almost to fall back down since she wasn't expecting the pain that throbbed through her knee and shin.

People in the restaurant screamed and shouted in fear as they tried to get out of harm's way. Limping as fast as she could Lilka tried to get over to the kitchen doors. Vaguely hearing the gun shots that rang out and what seemed like an explosion she threw her body against the door falling onto the tiled floor.

'I have to get out of here,' she painfully thought as she crawled along the floor wondering where the rest of the staff had gone to. A explosion shook the ground making thing clatter to the floor, she could hear voices outside the door talking in code. When the name Sylvia Noventa and target came upon their mouths her eyes filled with horror and Lilka hurriedly got to her feet and numbly ran forward. After about 3 feet or so she careened into a glass cabinet sending it to the floor making a loud crashing noise. The voices outside stopped and Lilka could hear her heart in her throat throbbing wildly.

All conversation stopped outside, the door swung open and two people stepped into the dimly lit hall. Lilka had somehow rolled into a place between a refrigerator and a corner in the back of the kitchen. The lights flickered and went out as another explosion shook the poor building. No one was screaming anymore, it was dead silent within the building and that was what scared her the most.

Silence could kill, and if she didn't find someway out of this place she was going to die. The brunette had collected numerous scrapes and glass shards along her body from crawling around on the ground and falling onto the glass cabinet. Her body convulsed as she felt bile rise within her throat, she was completely petrified with fear. She came to a reasoning she must keep moving no matter what if she stayed in one place to long it made it easier for them to find her.

Another bad thing was that if they did happen to find her there was no chance of escaping she was completely cornered where she was at the moment. Tears silently dripped down her cheeks but she could barely feel them as the caressed her skin.

A footstep resonated off of the walls pulling her out of her misery which was completely replaced with blind fear. Her breath was coming out in gasps as if she couldn't get enough of the air. Without thinking she sprung up from her corner and started to sprint toward the door, but the man outsmarted her still and shot a trail of bullets after her form. It was then that she felt it a piercing, violating feeling in her shoulder and hip, but in her wildness she only stumbled a little. The blind fear that controlled her didn't register the pain as the bullets continued to graze her by centimeters. Some of the bullets tore at her skin leaving gashes all along her body.

Her once carefully put up hair was a mess as is stuck to her cuts while the others flew around in wild disarray. Her vision started to blur and black spots appeared as she rammed into the swinging door and tumbled out of it. Her head hit hard against the tile floor jarring her head, but upon hearing the footsteps again quickly picked herself up. Dizziness overtook her and Lilka fell against the wall to her left holding her head in her hand.

Placing her free hand against the cold wall she blindly ran forward pushing another set of swing doors open. The restaurant that she had been serving in just 10 minutes ago was scorched with bodies strewed amongst all of the rubble. Holes in the floor were apparent as wells as the walls, it was like being in Hell. Her celery eyes widened in horror and bile rose within her throat and released on the floor mixed with blood. Clutching her stomach in agony she half crawled, half dragged herself toward the entrance to the once elegant restaurant.

The blazing inferno scorched her face and arms almost immediately as she got to about a fourth of the distance. Right now dying seemed so near, offering it's dark gnarled hand toward her, but even though she felt it Lilka couldn't stop it was just that blind fear that was keeping her going. The doors swung open again and a single bullet rang through the air before the two people who had been hunting her turned tail and ran.

The force of the bullet forced her down onto the ground embedding itself deep into the bottom of her shoulder blade just centimeters from her spine. The blackness started to take over as she saw people in uniforms swarm in through the entrance.

Lilka opened her mouth and rasped," H-help...Help!" her cries were weak and almost lost among the sound of flames. Trying to get up her body revolted and she fell back onto her stomach. The last thing she saw was someone taking hold of her wrist and shouting something to the others.

A bit graphic and sort of speedy I think, but all in all I think it was good. You got the capture sort of my OC Lilka Aston. I had a major itch to write an action fic and this was the first thing I could think of : ) lol

Toilet (plus the Toilet Gang)