Chapter One
It had been a particularly rough battle. He'd nearly died out there.
Maybe in a way he had.
-*-*-*-*-
"It's an invitation to my birthday party."
Heero took the envelope in both hands and ripped it into bits. "I'll kill you."
Heero's eyes snapped open. When would it stop? He couldn't get any rest if his memories wouldn't pipe down.
The door of the hospital room opened, and a nurse leaned partway through. "Heero?" she called gently.
He turned his head to face the nurse.
"You have a visitor," the nurse said. Heero grunted softly.
Relena entered the room and shut the door behind her. "How are you feeling, Heero?" she asked.
"Relena." Heero sat up in bed. "What are you doing here?"
"You have to stay still," Relena said, approaching the bed. "You almost died, y'know!"
"Get out." Heero glared fiercely at Relena and stood up with a quiet groan.
Relena pushed Heero's tousled hair from his face. "You need to lie down," she instructed.
Heero took a step back from her. "Leave. Now."
"But... Heero..."
Heero backhanded Relena across the face. "Leave me alone, Relena."
Relena whirled around and ran from the room, bursting into tears as the door banged shut behind her.
He couldn't stay there much longer. The inactivity was driving him crazy. He needed a mission. But first ... he needed to feel sane again.
Heero closed his eyes, hoping for peace, freedom from his own mind.
"Heero! Why didn't you kill me? You said you were gonna!"
Chapter Two
Heero walked casually out of the hospital. You're safe now, his mind seemed to whisper. Now where's the girl?
"At home," he muttered softly. Hush up. People will think you're going crazy, and we can't have that.
Heero glanced around. Should he hail a cab and go to her house? He didn't even have a plan yet.
See that car idling there? Heero nodded slightly. We're going to steal it. Go on, hurry.
He strode quickly over to the car at the curb. It was a nice car, he noticed as he jumped in, a shiny black Eclipse. As Heero squealed away, the owner of the car dashed out of the hospital, shaking her fist and yelling.
-*-*-*-*-
"Heero! What are you doing out of the hospital so soon?" Relena frowned slightly.
"I came to ask you to go for a drive with me." Heero gestured toward the Eclipse. "We could drive up to the bluffs, look at the city..."
Relena smiled and kissed Heero on the cheek. "I'll get my coat."
Chapter 3
Heero stopped the car just a few feet away from the edge of the cliff and got out. He walked around to Relena's side of the car and helped her out. Hand in hand, the two walked to the edge and sat down.
"It's lovely up here, isn't it?" Relena asked dreamily, gazing out at the city lights.
"Yes," Heero agreed. "Relena ... there's something I want to tell you."
Relena turned to face Heero, trying to smother a broad grin. This was it, she thought, he was finally going to admit his love for her. "What is it, Heero?"
Heero put one hand on Relena's arm. "I wanted to tell you... goodbye." With one deft move, he shoved Relena over the cliff.
Excellent, Heero, the voice said. Now, let's go back to her house and leave the note.
Heero stood and walked quickly to the car, which had started blaring a Megadeth song.
"Hello, me. Meet the real me."
Chapter 4
Heero drove mechanically to the Winner mansion. It was time for justice. It was time to eliminate the threat named Chang Wufei.
That Wufei boy is an excellent fighter, the voice said. So excellent that he might someday be better than you. And we can't have that.
So Heero parked the stolen car by the front gate of the Winner home. He stared for a moment at the locked gate, then shimmied up a tree and dropped onto the lawn.
Heero entered the house quietly. He pulled his gun from the back of his bike shorts and silently shut the door behind him.
You're doing well, Heero. But they'll already know we're here. Get the job done, or we'll be caught.
Heero tiptoed upstairs and found Wufei asleep in bed. Heero slipped into the dark room and aimed the gun at the sleeping boy.
Something rustled in the hallway. Heero whirled around to see Duo standing there, looking worriedly into the room.
"Whatcha doin', Heero?" Duo's voice rang with false nonchalance and poorly concealed fear.
"Relax, Duo," Heero said calmly. "It's just an experiment. I want to see how he'll react."
"Oh... uh... okay. G'night, Heero." Duo shuffled away with one last glance over his shoulder.
Heero released the safety and stared down at Wufei.
Now, Heero. Stop stalling, we're about to be caught!
Quatre ran into the room, skidding on the wood floor. "Put the gun down, Heero," he commanded softly.
Don't do it! Heero's mind-voice screamed. Don't you dare!
"C'mon, Heero." Quatre walked up next to Heero and gently pushed the gun downward, so that it no longer pointed at Wufei's head. "Give me the gun."
No! After all we've accomplished?! You can't!
Heero started to tremble. "I'm insane," he whispered as the gun fell to the floor. "I really am insane."
Conclusion -- 1 year later
Heero walked out of Ferncliffe Mental Health Center, flanked by Trowa and Quatre.
"It's still hard to believe I killed Relena and almost shot Wufei," Heero mused. "And then to get off so easily..."
"You were lucky," Trowa said softly.
"Yeah," Quatre chimed in. "What did they say was wrong with you, anyway?"
Heero pushed his permanently rumpled hair off of his face, looking obviously uncomfortable. Quatre immediately regretted saying anything at all. "The head injury crossed some wires," Heero answered simply. "Now where's Duo with the car?"
BEEP BEEP!
Duo swung the car sharply to the curb and slammed on the brakes. From the passenger seat, Wufei started slapping him and demanded to drive.
"C'mon, Heero," Quatre chuckled. "Let's go home."
It had been a particularly rough battle. He'd nearly died out there.
Maybe in a way he had.
-*-*-*-*-
"It's an invitation to my birthday party."
Heero took the envelope in both hands and ripped it into bits. "I'll kill you."
Heero's eyes snapped open. When would it stop? He couldn't get any rest if his memories wouldn't pipe down.
The door of the hospital room opened, and a nurse leaned partway through. "Heero?" she called gently.
He turned his head to face the nurse.
"You have a visitor," the nurse said. Heero grunted softly.
Relena entered the room and shut the door behind her. "How are you feeling, Heero?" she asked.
"Relena." Heero sat up in bed. "What are you doing here?"
"You have to stay still," Relena said, approaching the bed. "You almost died, y'know!"
"Get out." Heero glared fiercely at Relena and stood up with a quiet groan.
Relena pushed Heero's tousled hair from his face. "You need to lie down," she instructed.
Heero took a step back from her. "Leave. Now."
"But... Heero..."
Heero backhanded Relena across the face. "Leave me alone, Relena."
Relena whirled around and ran from the room, bursting into tears as the door banged shut behind her.
He couldn't stay there much longer. The inactivity was driving him crazy. He needed a mission. But first ... he needed to feel sane again.
Heero closed his eyes, hoping for peace, freedom from his own mind.
"Heero! Why didn't you kill me? You said you were gonna!"
Chapter Two
Heero walked casually out of the hospital. You're safe now, his mind seemed to whisper. Now where's the girl?
"At home," he muttered softly. Hush up. People will think you're going crazy, and we can't have that.
Heero glanced around. Should he hail a cab and go to her house? He didn't even have a plan yet.
See that car idling there? Heero nodded slightly. We're going to steal it. Go on, hurry.
He strode quickly over to the car at the curb. It was a nice car, he noticed as he jumped in, a shiny black Eclipse. As Heero squealed away, the owner of the car dashed out of the hospital, shaking her fist and yelling.
-*-*-*-*-
"Heero! What are you doing out of the hospital so soon?" Relena frowned slightly.
"I came to ask you to go for a drive with me." Heero gestured toward the Eclipse. "We could drive up to the bluffs, look at the city..."
Relena smiled and kissed Heero on the cheek. "I'll get my coat."
Chapter 3
Heero stopped the car just a few feet away from the edge of the cliff and got out. He walked around to Relena's side of the car and helped her out. Hand in hand, the two walked to the edge and sat down.
"It's lovely up here, isn't it?" Relena asked dreamily, gazing out at the city lights.
"Yes," Heero agreed. "Relena ... there's something I want to tell you."
Relena turned to face Heero, trying to smother a broad grin. This was it, she thought, he was finally going to admit his love for her. "What is it, Heero?"
Heero put one hand on Relena's arm. "I wanted to tell you... goodbye." With one deft move, he shoved Relena over the cliff.
Excellent, Heero, the voice said. Now, let's go back to her house and leave the note.
Heero stood and walked quickly to the car, which had started blaring a Megadeth song.
"Hello, me. Meet the real me."
Chapter 4
Heero drove mechanically to the Winner mansion. It was time for justice. It was time to eliminate the threat named Chang Wufei.
That Wufei boy is an excellent fighter, the voice said. So excellent that he might someday be better than you. And we can't have that.
So Heero parked the stolen car by the front gate of the Winner home. He stared for a moment at the locked gate, then shimmied up a tree and dropped onto the lawn.
Heero entered the house quietly. He pulled his gun from the back of his bike shorts and silently shut the door behind him.
You're doing well, Heero. But they'll already know we're here. Get the job done, or we'll be caught.
Heero tiptoed upstairs and found Wufei asleep in bed. Heero slipped into the dark room and aimed the gun at the sleeping boy.
Something rustled in the hallway. Heero whirled around to see Duo standing there, looking worriedly into the room.
"Whatcha doin', Heero?" Duo's voice rang with false nonchalance and poorly concealed fear.
"Relax, Duo," Heero said calmly. "It's just an experiment. I want to see how he'll react."
"Oh... uh... okay. G'night, Heero." Duo shuffled away with one last glance over his shoulder.
Heero released the safety and stared down at Wufei.
Now, Heero. Stop stalling, we're about to be caught!
Quatre ran into the room, skidding on the wood floor. "Put the gun down, Heero," he commanded softly.
Don't do it! Heero's mind-voice screamed. Don't you dare!
"C'mon, Heero." Quatre walked up next to Heero and gently pushed the gun downward, so that it no longer pointed at Wufei's head. "Give me the gun."
No! After all we've accomplished?! You can't!
Heero started to tremble. "I'm insane," he whispered as the gun fell to the floor. "I really am insane."
Conclusion -- 1 year later
Heero walked out of Ferncliffe Mental Health Center, flanked by Trowa and Quatre.
"It's still hard to believe I killed Relena and almost shot Wufei," Heero mused. "And then to get off so easily..."
"You were lucky," Trowa said softly.
"Yeah," Quatre chimed in. "What did they say was wrong with you, anyway?"
Heero pushed his permanently rumpled hair off of his face, looking obviously uncomfortable. Quatre immediately regretted saying anything at all. "The head injury crossed some wires," Heero answered simply. "Now where's Duo with the car?"
BEEP BEEP!
Duo swung the car sharply to the curb and slammed on the brakes. From the passenger seat, Wufei started slapping him and demanded to drive.
"C'mon, Heero," Quatre chuckled. "Let's go home."