Disclaimer: I don't own a thing
Notes: Well I admit I have not been a very good authoress, in the sense I haven't updated anything. At all. I am sorry because I may get a few hit e-mails from people because- you guessed it- I'm starting yet another story. I just got through watching Daniel Craig in his James Bond roll and got totally pumped to right a secret agent type of story. Of course I could never write a 007 story sense I am not that well versed in those movies and characters so please don't associate that with this. This is an SxS pairing again, and will include many other couples we know and love. Another thing to be aware of please, this is an AU story and will have sci-fi elements in it.
Alright then, enough of introductions.
Roses Are Red.
By:
Louisiana-Southern-Belle
Article One:
The Case Within the Case: Mrs. Wheeler.
It was nearly dusk in the far countryside of Venice. The beautiful colors of the horizon swirled intimately together as the sun was setting beneath brightening the clouds like a blushing lover. A warm breeze swept into a vast open room with antique style burnishing and furniture alike setting it aglow.
A woman stood before a large vanity while a few maids tittered about her dress, tightening strings and ribbons and pinning something into firm positions. She gave herself a rather pathetic smile showing off her creamy lips and fragile looking skin. She scowled at herself then. She hated these parties. A maid gave a particular tight yank on the back of her dress sending her forward a bit. She huffed and straightened while the woman gave a curt apology and continued.
She glanced back to the mirror and smoothed a slightly curled piece of hair behind her ear. The setting sun made her light blush stand against her pale skin and her bright chestnut colored hair glowed like an ethereal halo. Her fiery red hair had been pulled up half up and the rest spilling down her shoulders.
Of course her burgundy silk gown just topped the cake and the glittering jewels around her wrists gave that extra sparkle. She would have liked nothing more than to rip it off and say to hell with all the aristocrats that she had to look presentable for. Then of course, all the hard work the maids had put into making her acceptable looking would go to waste.
She sighed softly but haltingly because of the slight lack of oxygen she had stolen from her by the gown. She heard the huge oak double doors open behind her and glanced into the mirror once again and a small smile took the corner of her mouth.
"Serenity, darling! Look at you! You gorgeous thing!"
Serenity turned her head over her shoulder and turned fully to face her guest.
"Oh please Mother! That's not embarrassing or anything!" she stepped quickly from the pedal stool she had been placed upon and ran, or tried to with her heels on, to her mother's waiting embrace.
It appeared that her mother had been put through the same treatment with the hair and gown bit. But how she glowed.
A man came in behind her with dark hair and a mustache and another shortly behind with a scruffy mop of blonde hair.
"Well don't I have the two prettiest dates?"
Her mother turned from Serenity and smiled slyly at her father and gave him a chaste kiss beneath the mustache. Once her father had claimed he was shaving the damn thing off, or so to say, but her mother had strictly forbidden it. Said it made him look dashing. Well, her mother was never really wrong anyway her papa later admitted.
"Aw Pop, ya don' have ta make a scene." The blonde mop's owner whined as he also but a bit more grudgingly went to their mother's embrace.
"Oh, stop your whining my son. You look dashing yourself." Her mother replied soothingly.
"Jou, what did I tell you about speaking like a human being?" Her father's booming voice held slight scold.
Jou blushed slightly at the reprimand but nodded all the same. "Yes sir."
Jou was too busy trying to fix his small formal bow tie to argue either way. Her mother hit his hands away and fixed it accordingly.
"Now, let us make our grand entrance." Serenity's father led the way out the door with her mother in one arm.
Serenity turned to her older brother as they followed suit behind their parents.
"You look nice Jou." She complimented to him.
"Aw, don't try to make me blush sis, you know you're the one who looks beautiful anyway." He gave her a smile when she lightly pushed on his arm at the compliment.
"So are you ready to empress some people?" he snickered at his own quip as they continued their parents path until they could hear the light chatter from the main ballroom and clicking from glasses as the party went on.
She smiled at her brother's comment but kept quiet. She knew her parents had to have this party tonight. They were leaders in their work group. They traveled around the world and we very respected by their peers. Serenity really didn't know what all they did as a general rule her parents never talked of it much and refused to share any intimate details, claiming children should enjoy youth and its happiness. But she always wondered. Serenity never was one to go against orders or question her parents, but they were barely around during the week and you would think she and her brother could go to the cool places her parents had explored. Of course she always had a trinket her father slipped to her whenever they arrived home with a wink and knowing smile on his lips.
They finally reached the top of the winding staircase in their summer home that her father had leased on last year. Their true home was in Domino, Japan but her and Jou had begged their parents to share some of their trip to Rome. It was a dream of Serenity's to see the beautiful history and landscapes she had read about only in magazines.
She looked slightly over the railing to see many smiling and charming faces. Some were engaged in conversation with diplomats and waiters buzzed between the couples to and fro taking orders for drinks. She was only seventeen but her eighteenth birthday was coming up in the next couple of days and she had no doubt her parents had something big in mind to celebrate.
"Mr. and Mrs. Wheeler have arrived."
Serenity snapped her attention back to the front of her to see her parents smiling faces as they waved to people below as all stopped to watch the top of the open and beautiful stair case as the smiling hosts came down gracefully.
Her mother looked beautiful in her cream colored silk gown with the square neckline and capped sleeve that flowed down her curved body. Her father's proud smile beamed and radiated to even the people in the farthest part of the room Serenity imagined.
Jou gave a slight squeeze to her arm he had captive and she was about to snap at him when she realized it was there turn to be announced.
"Mr. Jou Wheeler and sister Serenity Wheeler."
She stepped up to the first step and smiled slightly at first and waved. From the corner of her eye she could see Jou trying to act serious and not smile, but she would have none of that. She gave a slight nudge with her elbow to his slim side and watched as he crumbled into his famous goofy grin.
Her attention swooped back to the people before her as she descended the steps slowly. She suddenly felt very self conscious with her neck line that was also square cut but had thick straps that flowed from her shoulders to her back that then scooped to a mid length cut. The bottom of the back had a corset like outline. She knew how it looked on her and definitely understood what it looked like when she spied a few younger men glance down her lithe body and curves approvingly. She wanted to roll her eyes.
…………………………………………………..
Seto Kaiba was now annoyed. Who the hell did his boss think he was to send him to some godforsaken ball? Dressed in a designer tux and combed brown locks. To top it off he was wearing one of those annoying dress bow tie things that you couldn't do all that great by yourself so he had to ask his team mate to do it for him. It was most embarrassing to say the least.
He huffed unamused at the glance sent his way by some of the female population. Sure he enjoyed a woman's company, but that was not the plan tonight. Not by a long shot.
He looked up from his spot in the back of the room as the hosts were announced. He heard a voice in his ear piece and replied back quickly.
"Target sighted. Commence operation Save, over."
His hard blue eyes took in the smiling husband and wife with no remorse. They were his job, nothing more. He proceeded to watch entranced as a young woman stepped into view after the parents made it down the marble stairs.
She was magnificent in every aspect of the word. He guessed she had to be at least close to twenty but no more than that. He was just turned twenty himself although many thought he was much older. Her shiny hair danced around her slim and creamy shoulders and the gown flowed modestly around her breast and waist. He could imagine what she looked like without the silk material and he wouldn't mind getting to see it. Her face was long slightly but with rounded cheek bones and shy smile adorned her lips. An angel in disguise he mused.
He heard a low whistle from his partner standing a few feet from his post and rolled his eyes. Sure she was nice to look at but she was nothing more than the mission. He had seen many beauties in his line of work. Besides, she was probably full of nothing but hot air inside that pretty head.
His ear piece buzzed.
"Objective sighted near far right windows. Men, take positions. Blue One make your move. Over"
"Making specified command now. Over."
Now the party would begin. When he glanced back up he cursed silently for his lack of attention. The girl had moved into the crowd and just made his job harder.
………………………………………..
On the last couple of steps Serenity spotted a pair of cold blue orbs gazing in her direction. They traveled up her form and she shivered slightly. His eyes held no emotion whatsoever and suddenly her gaze locked with his and she couldn't breathe. He had heart stopping beautiful eyes. They were so haunted yet so enticing. A waiter passed in front of her and her line of sight was disconnected. When she shook herself and peered around the obscurity for those eyes she found no sign of them.
She shrugged and allowed herself to be pulled gently along the crowd by her big brother. He led her to the one place he knew how to mingle around. The buffet table. She nearly laughed out loud but gave a light and airy chuckle at his predictable behavior and he flashed a grin over his shoulder.
The table held many assortments of Venice specialties that her mother had ordered and other rather delectable looking desserts nearby.
Jou released his grasp and turned to her.
"Whatdya say we hang here for awhile?" he gave her his lopsided grin and she smiled and nodded to him. He turned back as a hand grasped his shoulder lightly for his attention.
She gazed about the festive room. The tall windows allowed her to see the dark terrain of the gardens and the gentle breeze between the tree branches. Then something caught her eye.
A pair of red eyes seemed to be searching the room and its guests. Serenity could only stare in wonder and awe, what kind of bird would be out so late? She certainly couldn't think of any birds in Venice with eyes like that. She tilted her head slightly. In fact it really didn't look like a pair of bird eyes at all, really. More like…
Her heart nearly stopped and she took a sharp intake of breath. Cold malice shone through the piercing and devilish orbs straight to her heart. A cold bucket of ice must have been dropped on her because she couldn't breath, couldn't think.
Then suddenly just as it came, they were gone just as fast.
She nearly screamed when a hand landed on her right shoulder. Her sharp intake of breath must have gathered slight attention because the grip tightened slightly as she was whirled around to come face to face with those haunting blue orbs.
…………………………………….
Kaiba finally spotted her. More like he spotted her goofy looking brother. The man was talking animatedly with a diplomat by the look of the merits adorning his coat, so Kaiba's presence was not yet found. It was said the older brother was very protective of his little sister. Kaiba understood the notion all too well.
He found her staring at what seemed to be the windows by the garden, if he remembered correctly. He followed her line of vision and found her looking straight into the eyes of his objective. Damn. Hopefully she would think it a fluke or her imagination and not cause a scene. His major would have his head if this was botched in any way.
He did only what he could at the moment and grabbed her shoulder nearest to him and swirled around in a twist of crinkled hair and silk gown. Her startled gaze locked onto his and he could've sworn she became more startled than before.
Her eyes were even more enchanting up close he concluded. Before she was whisked away into the crowd of gowns and aristocrats he caught her gaze. And held it.
Then it was gone and he went on his hunt through the throng of people.
She came to herself and her mouth set to a hard line.
"May I ask what you think you are doing, sir?" her voice held sophistication and haughty blue blooded tones.
He smirked at her.
"Well I just wanted to see you up close. I did seem to remember your gaze from afar."
Serenity brought herself more sternly up at the simple answer. How dare he just come over here and twirl her around like a tart.
"I was speaking more of the terms of proper etiquette, sir." He raised a dark brow at the woman.
He really was handsome. His sculpted features and sexy mouth held a hint of never ending sarcasm, as if the world constantly amused him. That damn arrogant eyebrow rose slightly. His eyes were cool and held a hint of playfulness.
"Is that so? And how have I offended the lady on this night?"
Her honey colored orbs narrowed dangerously and her pretty mouth frowned slightly. He was becoming more amused by the second. Usually his presence sent a female into giggles and flirtatious gestures or they crumpled underneath his cool gaze. Apparently the color of her hair matched her temper.
"If you are trying to rile me, sir, your tactics are crude and quit laughable."
"Is that so? May I inquire then, how you think my tactics should change? Because by the color of your cheeks and slight flush on your scrumptious body I believe my efforts are not in vain." He gave a charmingly devilish smile. Making Serenity all the more flustered.
"Why you-!"
Her sentence was cut short as a scream erupted through the hall that echoed into the open room. Shouts were heard and then a gun shot. Many gun shots.
Kaiba cursed as his ear piece was suddenly buzzing rapidly with information. Someone screwed up.
He looked down the hall that led to the ball room and cursed as black shadows began to crawl along the walls. Of course they had to get the crawling ones!
Kaiba threw his gaze to the startled girl and grabbed her arm as people began screaming and pushing their way to the exit none too orderly.
"Find your brother. Get to your safe house and hide. Grab any weapons your parents have from their base."
She looked at him like he had grown two or maybe even three heads.
"What base? I don't know how to use a weapon of any sort!"
Her eyes scanned his wildly and then it hit him. Hard. The two kids had known nothing about Mr. and Mrs. Wheeler's real jobs. Now it was going to get serious. Now he had to protect her and follow his ear piece's orders at the same time.
He began a quick stride with Serenity in one hand and pulled his gun from his vest pocket and clicked the barrel into position in one smooth motion.
…………………………………………
Serenity's mind was in shambles. People were screaming and there were shots, many shots, flying into the air making her ears ring terribly. The stranger with the blue eyes was dragging her along through the frantic crowd calmly as you please. And what in the world was he talking about? Guns? Ha! She couldn't operate the oven properly much less a weapon of mass destruction.
Then she saw him pull something shiny and long form his coat. Oh my, it looked quite like a…Serenity suddenly had the urge to run from this man with the tight grip on her arm. Run very far and fast. Another blood curdling scream split the air.
She whipped her head around to look behind her to see a dark shadow like creature slink down the wall of the building and launch itself right at a guest. It extended claw like talons and latched itself straight onto the woman's throat while two elongated knife like fangs sank deep into her flesh. She let out a scream as blood began to flow like a crimson stream stained her once white gown. The teeth ripped themselves from the neck and peered right to Serenity. She wanted to hurl as flesh and blood coated the sharp teeth as its jaw worked savagely.
She felt tears run down her cheeks as she was tugged along. She remembered her brother, and mother and father and… she had to find them. Now. She tugged at the hand but it wouldn't leave. No! She had to find her family! Didn't he see?
She planted her feet firmly on the marble floor as he suddenly spun to face her. His eyes no longer held a playful glint but were once again hard pieces of ice.
"Please let go! I have to find, have to find my family! Please!" she stumbled for her sentence slightly as she pulled again against his steel grip.
His eyes held no sympathy.
"You are coming with me. Your parents can handle themselves, trust me. And your brother should be with another one of my partners."
His mouth was set in a firm line and she could already tell she was fighting a losing battle.
"No! You don't understand! I have to find them! Those-those things could get them!"
Serenity was beginning to get hysterical. She glanced around the chaos and screaming to see her mother and father standing side by side with weapons much like her captors in each hand. They fired point blank as those terrible creatures swarmed at them.
She was rooted her spot as she watched two more men join the fight her parents were concentrating on. One long talon swooped for her mother's neck but her father shot right through it leaving the rest of the thing hissing in pain as it slithered back.
Her mouth moved to shout at them to watch out as she helplessly watched two dark masses curl along their feet to poise themselves at her parent's unsuspecting backs.
She hadn't even realized she was trying to run to them when she screamed for them. For a split second she felt the iron grip release slightly and snatched the open opportunity and fled.
She could practically feel her assailant a breaths width behind her as he tried to pry through the crowds to catch her, but she was too fast and easily slipped through the people.
Kaiba gritted his teeth. This was not going well. Not at all the way it was supposed to. The girl had spotted her parents and in a flash was gone. He wanted to kick himself for allowing her to get away for a second but thought better of it. Now he really needed to catch her and bring her to safer grounds.
His ear piece buzzed again as it was confirmed that two agents were down with three possible injuries. Forces were fading fast against the shadows. They weren't expecting shadow creatures, or Shifters to be political. They were anticipating two vampires at the most with the possibility of a few ghouls, so this change of scene was not good. Their weapon fired range bullets that exploded on impact with nitrogen and liquid silver. It would only affect a shadow for so long. Those things were damn annoying.
He had to get her before she got in the way.
Now.
…………………………………
Serenity lunged forward through the chaos. She was almost there! Her parents fought hard and she saw her mother's beautiful face with smears of blood and her gown ripped in areas. Her father sported a few minor scraps but one major scratch form a clawed finger down his right side of his ribs stood out against his white under shirt.
Another shadow claimed a woman not too far from her right. She blinked the image of the creature away and ran forward. She broke from the crowd suddenly into the open area they were fighting.
"Serenity! Get back now!" her father's enraged voice flew to her too late as a sharp claw was steadily making its way to her chest. She saw it coming in what seemed like slow motion and the world was so quiet, so calm. There were no more screams, no more running. She saw her parent's anguished faces and the other two men in uniforms emotionless faces as they turned to her attacker with readied weapons.
Then it all sped up and she steeled herself for the pain that would come with her flesh being torn and ripped.
………………………………..
Kaiba broke the crowd only a moment after Serenity and saw the Shifter fling its claws at the newcomer all too eagerly and acted. He lunged forward and pointed the barrel of his gun right at the creatures head and fired. His shot landed before the attack could hit and the claw collapsed at his feet and shriveled away.
He turned to the girl again and was about to make a grab for her when everything got worse.
A whole helleva lot worse.
……………………………..
Serenity opened her eyes as the world came back and shouts and screams filled her head once more and found herself staring at the man's back. He had saved her? He was fast! She ran around him just in time to see her father slashed again and crumple to the ground. Her mother ran forward to help him but suddenly she stopped as if she had hit an invisible wall. Her mother stopped and looked down at herself in time to see a clawed finger rip to the other side of her.
Everything stopped.
Serenity could hear her heart beat in her own ears, her own breathing as her mother slowly fell atop her slain father's form.
Tears. Never ending tears washed down her face. Anguish churned her gut. Nothing else mattered but getting to her parents.
Kaiba acted quickly seeing the Wheelers taken down and snatched the girl around the waist and practically ripped her off the ground as he turned.
She kicked and screamed and fought and was nearly successful in getting away, once. The hall was almost completely empty now except leftovers. Just peachy. Plates and dishes were scattered everywhere and he crunched down on a few missing…pieces of a person, as he made his way out the front doors.
He saw a few more men in uniforms run from the hall and towards him. He recognized the gray jumpsuit and red 'R' embroidered onto the back. The backup had arrived. About time.
The kicking and screaming girl refused to back down and he had to practically lift her onto his hip to continue on. He saw a Sergeant Roland running to him from his peripheral vision.
When he reached Kaiba he slowed his stride to face the ashen looking man.
He gave a curt nod. "Do we know how the objective escaped?"
The Sergeant shook his slightly gray hair. He had obviously removed his helmet in the battle in the hall where he was stationed.
"Not a damn clue." He glanced at the still slightly struggling girl on his hip and his face hardened.
"You make sure to get Target safe at Base, understood?"
Kaiba gritted his teeth. He hated taking orders from someone that was a mere step above him in rank.
"Yes sir."
A call came to them and the older man gave a final nod and turned abruptly away from Kaiba's mocking glare.
…………………………….
Serenity saw red. Everything was gone. She saw her mother's face one last time as she reached desperately out for her, for them. Mrs. Wheeler had given a slight smile to her husband beneath her and shared a chaste kiss with him before her beautiful face seemed to relax and drift and her chest no longer rose for breath at the same time Mr. Wheeler's stopped.
Then an even more anguishing thought filled her mind.
'Was her brother okay?'
She put all her strength into a prayer and passed out with the image of horrible creatures taking her family between their terrible claws playing in her mind.
………………………….
Kaiba was beyond pissed. The whole mission had gone wrong. Now their only chance at information and leverage were dead and the son, and heir, to their legacy as Rose Fighters was seriously injured. And the daughter?
He felt her body go slack halfway to the helicopter that their headquarters had sent. He turned and easily swung the passed out girl into his arms.
He peered down at her face. It was so peaceful and calm when she wasn't scowling at him. He lifted her to waiting men in their uniform and watched as they put her on a stretcher.
Damn.
The girl had seen her parent's final battle and didn't even realize the mess she was now in. She was the last key to the struggle his organization had been fighting for over a hundred years. And she wasn't even twenty.
Damn it to hell.
Pegasus was going to have his head on a silver platter now. And enjoy every minute of it.
Kaiba felt a headache coming on.
………………………
I hope you enjoyed!
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Love,
l-s-b