Author's Note: Yes! My first Heero/Relena fic (though other couples will also be featured) Moody yet subtle, a little eccentric with flourishes of romance (which is all building up and will come later, provided that this story generates some kind of response.) It's a little disconnected at first, but once you recognize the link between things it'll all fall into place, I promise. With that in mind, enjoy and do drop a review or two! ^o*

Iron Lung Serenade

by Glassic

Chpt 1: Plug in Baby

Relena cautiously perched atop her ancient wooden desk and sighed. Her sighs were always profound and sweeping – enough to make the world sympathize with this teenage princess whose childish idealism forced her into a faulty whirlwind of politics and mind games, danger and deception.

Now her legs were tiredly crossed under the gray skirt, and her arms were stiff as they gripped the desk. Her weary and envious eyes watched outside the window – watched lovers parting at the doorway of the 38th district, watched old friends leisurely walk down memory lane with fond smiles, watched children scamper and the rising distance beyond swell up like a beautiful green prospect of happiness.

           At her wrist was a coffeepot, at her ankle a bargain plea. And under her hair, now intertwined with flaxen suggestions, now woven back or brushed forward or twisted up in neat businesswoman buns – under it a secret too terrible and profound to dwell on for long. Ash, her fingers would become ash, her mind and eyes and watered-down heart would melt into colorless puddles.

Biting her lip at the thought, Relena swiftly leapt off the desk and adjusted her skirt. Her life was nothing outside of the endless gray, the crushing responsibility, the clinking china and old men associates, the naïveté, and the ringing assonance of bliss scraping at her window, away from her, it was always kept away!

Relena would have bowed her head, but the pain was still lingering. Her slim hand quietly reached up and pulled away the carefully arranged strands at the base of her neck. She shut her eyes and imagined a mirror behind her, a shocked assistant, a startled Duo, Quatre, or Heero…suddenly her eyes opened with a forced swiftness, wet from a freshened pain. Memories and pricking shards of conscience made her confront the discomfort, driving her fingers to run across the swollen patch of skin in spite of her winces and gritted teeth.

Relena's hand quickly dropped into her lap, and with a painful shrug she slipped her smooth locks of hair back over one shoulder, so as to once more conceal her neck and the glaring reminder of terrible things and irrational men - all an omen of an crooked world yet to come. Relena slowly lowered herself to the floor, stretching out on the plush carpet of her office. She rested sideways, with her palms beneath her head and her hair sloping down in a shimmering waterfall down the curve of her prone form to brush the beige hued carpeting. A barcode, she thought with a wry smile that threatened to crack her face. What…what did I do?

~

           Heero was tightly gripping the metal railing atop a deeply rumbling truck that ferociously quaked and dragged across the rocky desert terrain. His loose brown locks played against his forehead in the wind, and obscured his stormy eyes. The muscles and veins in his arms were taut from his fierce grip, as his loose shirt and gauzy muslin disguise flapped in the wind. The desert seemed a searing sea of blankness before him, with the sun's harsh white light permeating the cloudless sky and reflecting off the billions of restless grains. Shimmering waves of mirage rose from the scorched sand, obscuring the distance and distorting Heero's perception. Heero blinked once, relieving his reddened and sand-stung eyes.

He didn't need to see. He only needed to keep his eyes open.

Heero recognized Duo's muffled Arabic call as a signal and lowered himself to the floor of the rumbling caravan, while tapping out a message on his communicator. Presently, Sally Po emerged from the passenger seat, dressed in a jewel green cloak and brown sash. Her eyes were tired yet intense as she eyed Heero's hunched form. He looked up for a moment, noting the concern in her eyes.

"It's Relena," she whispered, not caring for him to begin. "She's…cancelled the operation. But I think –"

"We have no choice but to carry out the mission now," interrupted Heero gruffly, irritated at the princess' unusual demand and his own wasted effort.

Sally nodded and lowered her eyes. "I know…and we will. I've ordered a shuttle to bring her to Earth to meet with us once the mission is completed. I…think she's hiding something, though. Her voice and expression seemed strained. She could be under political blackmail or something similar. We have to find out as soon as possible."

Heero clicked off his transmitter and tilted his head up to face Sally. "So, I'll be assigned–"

"Yeah," Sally confirmed simply, already turned on her heel to return to the passenger seat. "We'll brief you further after Riam D'Abur's dead. You do have your data storage kit, right?" Heero lifted the slim silver cartridge from his belt and Sally nodded, "Good. We approach at 0900 hours." With a ruffle of skirts and clicking heels, she was gone.

Heero stared pointedly ahead, defying the sun with his brazen eyes while allowing his head to move synchronized with the tremors of the passing truck. A dozen situations and possibilities came to mind: another kidnapping, a colony threat, explosives, intrigue, undercover agents…but they all melted away in the presence of that one terrifying conclusion. Heero whipped out the communicator once more, with gritted teeth and fury-darkened eyes.

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So, the appearance of the cliffhanger – everyone's favorite, right? If you got this far, (and before you go any further) review please! Eh, I have a plan but its tentative. Can you tell that I love description? *cheesy grin* Anyway, I have some pressing math homework to get to now. Be sure to stay tuned until the next posting of "Iron Lung Serenade" (derived from/inspired by my favorite Radiohead song! whee!)