The Mermaids Scar…Gundam Style
Chapter 7
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Une was stirring, but Heero wasn't sure if she was conscious or sleeping. He knew he should be looking for Duo and Mariemaia, but for now, he wanted to stay with Une. He could tell she wouldn't live much longer, she needed him here. Or at least he wanted to be here. The flesh had run out of magic for Une, and she was beyond its healing powers. It wouldn't even bring her back when she dies.
"Poor lady," He murmured from his spot on the floor, uncomfortably close to the dead creature, but he was too tired to move after transporting Une's limp and shredded body to Mariemaia's bed.
Besides, he thought, Mariemaia is safe with Duo…he'll take care of her.
But even as the words echoed inside his mind, he was troubled.
Une let out a cough, and fresh droplets of blood wet her lips.
"Try not to cough." He advised, thought he knew she probably couldn't hear him.
"You have to listen to me--" She suddenly sputtered, her eyes fluttering open. Heero's head snapped in her direction. Her voice was thick, and a small trickle of blood seeped out of the corner of her mouth and dripped off her chin.
"Une, try not to talk…rest. Make it easier on yourself." Heero said through clenched teeth.
"No!!" She gasped savagely, "Listen to me, please!!"
Heero paused, thinking of how much strength she was already zapping and decided to listen. He gathered all of his strength and shuffled toward her, and sitting back down at her side.
"What is it?" He asked softly. Une hacked again, and more blood flowed. Her shirt at this point was a dark brownish red and stunk horribly of the beast. Heero reached over and wiped the blood from her lips.
"Mariemaia isn't my real daughter," Une began, fighting to breathe, fighting to live. Heero's eyes widened. "Oh God, this all started during World War II--"
She let out another choking cough and rested a moment before she continued. "My village…my home….all gone. My husband had died in the war, fighting…" For a moment, she trailed off into a faint voice, and Heero instantly assumed in fear that she'd died. But he studied her, and she was merely crying, but her eyes were shining with love. "And my daughter…my real daughter had died right in front of my eyes!!"
Heero welled with sympathy. He knew what it was like to have someone you cared for die in front of your eyes…(1)
"And I gave up…I had lost all will and desire to live…I wanted to die, I welcomed it!!" She was crying loudly now, and occasionally she broke out into fitful coughing, and Heero gave her time to collect her breath.
"And then she appeared…she gave me the flesh, but at the time I didn't know what it was. And for a while, I was happy!! I had a wonderful child, it was like having my life back…"
More coughing, much more violent. Her body thrashed harshly, the sound enough making Heero sick. The sight of blood was more than enough.
"But years went by, and neither of us changed…we stayed young. She told me she had given me the flesh, and that I would be Immortal. After this, I was scared of her…I had good reason. She's….powerful… I tried to escape so many times…this time I managed to stay away for the longest…and her first night here she tried to cut my throat." Une was angry now, her tears had dried. She spoke with harsh tones of hatred. "She missed, but even then she was terrified when I didn't come back to life right away…" Une reached for her collar and pulled it down, exposing her breast and the jagged gashes above it from the monster. And then there was an old scar, a long one etching from the base of her neck and going down.
Heero gasped. True, he knew that Une would die, but it still shocked him to see that the wounds hadn't healed, not at all.
"And now this." She spat acidly. "She wanted Relena because Relena had been so good to her. She took a chance and gave the flesh to Relena, to replace me. She probably would have cut off my head if the flesh had worked…"
Une was silent, and Heero watched her for another moment, positive this time that she was dead.
A low growl emitted from Une. "I tried to stop her…I couldn't…but you can!!!" With a deep breath, she was shouting. Her body arched from the bed as she coughed up more blood. "Kill her!!! Kill her!!!" Une raged. "Get the mermaid's flesh and stop her!!"
Quickly, Heero leaned over and held her down. She coughed and sputtered a bit more before she calmed and her head lolled over to the side. She was still breathing.
Heero watched her rest, her breathing short and whistling, and he sank back down to the floor to recover from his own pains.
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Duo woke on the floor, his body screaming in agony. There was a dull throbbing everywhere from the electric shock, and splitting pains on his arms, waist and legs due to the fact that he was tied up with barbed wire.
His mouth opened wordlessly, open in a silent scream.
"I'd let you go," A soft female's voice said from nearby, "But you'd run straight to Heero."
Duo's eyes darted to Mariemaia, who sat a few feet from him, her pack on her lap. She was smiling, but the smile turned his blood to ice.
"Damn right I will!!" Duo shouted angrily. "Untie me-- NOW!"
Mariemaia shook her head. "Sorry, but I can't do that." Her pale blue eyes swept over his bloody arms and the wire that held them. "Too bad the flesh doesn't prevent you from feeling pain. But I don't want you getting away!"
Duo glared at her, his eyes filled with fury, hate, and confusion.
"You're gonna stay with me for a while." She informed him. "Since you're already completely Immortal, I don't have to worry about giving you the flesh. It's a shame Relena had to die."
"You little witch!! Untie me, damn you!!" Duo snarled. Mariemaia shook her head again and made a little sound in the back of her throat. Duo struggled with the wire, but only succeeded in causing more pain to erupt from his torn arms.
"Aagh!!!" He screamed, but still continued to struggle, such was his desperation to escape. Mariemaia just watched him, making no move to stop him, still smiling her cold little smile.
"Duo…stop that." She chided. "There's no need to hurt yourself more."
But Duo continued to squirm and thrash, fighting to loosen the wire. Mariemaia said nothing else for a few minutes.
Finally Duo ran out of energy, and he lay on the floor curled up in a ball, his chest heaving and his body bleeding. Moonlight was spilling in through the open door, and in its eerie sense, Duo felt comforted by the soft light. Mariemaia's lantern had gone dim, and it had been terrifying sitting in the dark with this girl.
"You know, Duo," She said suddenly, startling him. "I have a feeling that you're not happy to be here with me."
Duo grinned coldly. "Now where would you get that idea??" He asked sarcastically.
Mariemaia stood up, taking her pack. "I think you won't be happy with me unless I get rid of Heero. You're too attached with him."
Duo froze. "W-what?" He whispered. Mariemaia walked toward the door, smiling.
"I'll bring you his head, Duo." She said cheerily. "That way he's not coming back."
Too horrified to say anything, Duo stared at Mariemaia as she walked off, and then he prayed…
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Heero was still tired, but his arm was fine, and he could breathe easily enough. Une's strength surprised him, she still breathed, but she'd slipped into a sleep and he couldn't wake her back up. She may not be dead, but she was gone.
There was a low whistling as she inhaled….and didn't exhale.
Heero looked at her. Her face and chest were caked in blood and mixed with her dried tears, but she was finally still, her face ashen in the moonlight. Her suffering had finally ended…
"Goodbye, Une." He said softly, and lowered his head.
But as he heard footsteps in the hall, he shot to his feet and stared out into the dark hall.
Mariemaia stepped into view, her red hair framing her smiling face. The moon's unearthly glow gave her an aura of power. Of control.
An aura that chilled his bones.
"Where's Duo?" He demanded in a whisper, scared of the answer.
"He's fine, don't worry about him." She said coolly.
Heero gritted his teeth. "Why are you here?" He hissed.
"I'm here to cut off your head." She said breezily. She lifted her arm, and Heero noticed the slingshot in her hands a second too late.
The small marble shot at him, striking him in his previously injured arm. It stung, but it was nothing. Heero yelped in momentary pain and growled at the girl. She smirked and took off running.
Heero jumped over the dead creature and dashed after Mariemaia madly. He caught sight of her skipping down the steps and disappearing down one of the halls. With his heart pounding in his chest, he followed her desperately.
Suddenly his foot hit something in the hall, and he fell forward. Wildly he reached out to break the fall, and something cold bit into his neck. He let out a loud scream of mixed surprise and pain.
Blood streamed onto the floor. He brought his hands back to his neck and clamped tightly on his slit throat until it had healed.
He looked around for the cause of the pain. A thin metallic wire was strung near the floor, perfectly positioned for cutting his throat. It glinted with moonlight.
"Piano wire!!" He exclaimed to himself. She really is gonna kill me!! He thought.
"Well," Mariemaia said disappointedly, appearing out of the shadows, "I guess it will be harder to take off your head than I thought."
Heero said nothing, and he jumped right onto her, bringing her to the floor.
"Why??" He snarled. "Why are you doing this?? You don't know half of what the flesh can do to you!! Don't you see?! Living forever isn't a damn blessing-- it's a curse!! It's a curse because everyone dies…and you're alone. I was alone for centuries before I found Duo!!"
Mariemaia stared up at his face, her expression oddly peaceful. Then her shoulders slumped and she looked remorseful. "I'm sorry," She whispered softly, "Go ahead and kill me."
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AnimeCat: Whoa…is she serious? *grins* Two more chapters should do it, seeya then!
Review!!!
1-I'm just following the manga! The character Heero is playing was named Yuta, and he had a lot of people around him die.