Wanders: Ascension
By Eve
Part Six: Karma
Vienna, Austria
Emerald Conference Center
4 February
A.C 202
The conference center was beyond crowded for a
Thursday. Reporters and representatives from all
countries as well as the colonies swarmed the streets
for entrance. Everyone wanted to know what UESA
had to say about Larson's seemingly outrageous
declaration.
"This guy really knows how to attract a crowd."
Sally Po smiled and turned to greet a grinning Duo
Maxwell. The former gundam pilot and now Preventer,
stood proudly in his ironed uniform. He moved closer to
her, his long chestnut braid swaying with his movement.
His violet eyes were alert and ready for whatever task
that had to be finished. She sighed, sipping her coffee.
"I heard he's a real jackass."
Duo nodded, leaning against the railing overlooking
the delegates' seating. "Where's the Wu?" She
snickered. Duo was always coming up with lame
nicknames for Wufei. The poor pilot of 05 was going
to have a coronary before thirty if Maxwell kept this
up. "So what's the briefing, Po?" Sally looked up at
him and handed him a thin file. Duo took it and
looked at her quizzically, but she motioned for him
to just read it.
"The Blood War?"
She nodded. "Larson was Harrington's protégé. That's
all we know so far." Duo closed the file. "Blood War...
I was just starting my training then. God tha-"
"We were never exposed to it."
Both Sally and Duo turned to see Chang Wufei
standing behind them with a steaming cup of
coffee in his hand. His hair was pulled back in
his usual slick ponytail, while his chocolate eyes
seemed as if they were readjusting to lighting in
the center.
"Sleep well Wu?"
Wufei snorted and replied with an arrogant
tone, "Can it Maxwell or I'll kick your ass."
Duo grinned and winked at Sally. "You my
dear have my dire respect for putting up
with him. You should receive the Nobel."
She smiled faintly, but her thoughts still
lingered on the topic of the Blood War.
Her family had been protected under
China's social policy. Yet she
remembered the unfortunate
few who were subjected to the
camps... She shuddered.
"Onna?"
She snapped out from under her trance as she
heard Wufei's soft voice in her ear. "I'm okay.
Just remembering..." Duo looked at her. "You
were in the war?" She shook her head and
sipped her coffee. "No, my family was protected
because of the class policy. But I remember when
they would lead people away. It was every day at
noon, right at lunch break. I got in trouble once.
You weren't allowed to stare at them... They were
called the-"
"Untouchables," Duo breathed.
"Yes, the Untouchables. We were taught that
they were dirty and deserved nothing that we
had. You have to understand the Society back
then was like a large cult. People turned to
them because the Alliance was not doing their
job. We were basically in political chaos. They
were a way out..."
Sally brushed a loose strand of hair out of her face.
She watched as all the reporters began to file in. She
let out a bitter laugh. "Little did we the people know
where our 'saviors' would lead us... Anyway, I was at
least ten at the time and a soldier caught me staring at
a group of soldiers beating a mother and her baby. I
wanted to help them so badly, but I knew... The soldier
was going to kill me. He took me into the alley and took
a large dagger out. He was so close to slitting my throat...
But then I was saved. She was at least two years younger
than me, an extremely beautiful girl for her age... She took
the goddamn knife for me, probably leaving a scar under
her right cheek... My point is this is something we have to
be careful about. An uprising would be more than fatal..."
She said, trailing off.
Both men looked at her. "You believe that there will be
an uprising?" She nothing and watched Thomas Larson
take his seat at the table in front of the assembling UESA
delegation. She then turned to the two men behind her,
waiting for answers.
"This is something," she began. "Something that no
matter how hard you try, will never understand. We
have to be prepared for the worse of the worse
because we don't have the experience needed to
handle any of this."
Wufei sipped his coffee. "Onna, do you doubt that we
can fight? Is that it? I most certainly sure that we can
handle someone like Larson." Duo nodded in firm
agreement. "We're trained for this kind of thing, Sal.
Two bloody wars... I think we can handle this." She
shook her head. She couldn't believe that they totally
ignored everything she just said. Larson could not just
be ignored.
She looked directly into the eyes of both gundam
pilots. "Inexperience, pride, and lack of understanding
will be your downfall." She turned and began to walk
to her post. Stopping, she turned to look back.
"After today, gentlemen, after today nothing will be
the same again."
**
"All right, Mer. I'm outside the entrance. You're
my ear now," Catherine mummered, talking
through her earpiece.
"Roger that Cat."
She bit back a smile and headed towards the entrance
of the conference center. To play the part of a reporter,
she had chosen very relaxed but elegant attire. She wore
a pink, beaded suede skirt that came down to her knees
and heavy black turtleneck. Over top of everything, she
wore a long black leather jacket with a pink wool scarf.
Around her neck, she wore a gold cross on a simple
chain. To complete her outfit and to satisfy Dorothy
and Hilde's attempt to dress her accordingly, she wore
tall, high-healed boots.
She gave the guard a small smile and flashed her 'reporter
pass'. "I'm in," she whispered.
"All right," Merian began. "This is your instructions until
further notice. Make sure you avoid Barton at all cost. We
are not ready for that type of confrontation just yet. As soon
as you ask your question, I want you out of there. Keep
walking until you think it's safe to relax. The car will be
eleven blocks from the building. Remember you have
Dee, three seats behind you. This is why you're in the
back of the press seating. Hil and Rellie are three floors
above, watching over everything. Only use your connection
with them if in dire need of help. You have your gun?"
"Yeah."
She heard Merian sigh. "Talk to you in ten."
She entered a large, vast hallway following the
other reporters into their 'special' room. The
hallway was lavishly decorated. Red and white
roses were spread through out, entwined in
some sort of wicker holding.
"Miss, can I see your press pass?"
Catherine startled out of her thoughts, found
herself looking into two beautiful emerald green
eyes.
She sighed heavily.
Shit...
**
She had never been this nervous for anything.
*Fidget*
Talking in front of people never did it to her.
*Fidget*
Even showing her artwork to someone didn't do this to her.
*Fidget*
Yet after seven years of not seeing him, Quatre Rabera
Winner still had one of the most profound effects on
her psyche. Especially since she shouldn't be here.
She was supposed to be finding herself.
*Fidget*
"Miss Dorothy?"
She froze, like a deer caught in the headlights of a
car. Sparkling blue eyes stared at her in anticipation
for an answer. Forcing herself to regain her composure,
she let a mischievous smile form on her face.
"It's been a while, Mr. Winner."
It hasn't been long enough...
**
Hilde Schibecker hated being bored. The feeling of
boredom made her restless and she would fidget
beyond control. And when she lost self-control...
"You got to stay with the program, Shi-chan."
Startled out of her thoughts, she growled in annoyance.
"Don't call me that, CHANG." She heard Relena and
Merian snicker. Looking across the railing, she gave her
best friend a look. "You're supposed to be on my side,
Rellie."
She earned a smile from the other girl, who blew her a
kiss. Her soft Irish voice danced on their connection.
"So you can subject me to mindless torture and I can't
make fun of you once, love?"
Merian laughed. "She's right dear. You do annoy us to
no end and then get angry if we tease you." She sighed,
leaning against the railing. She and Relena were on the
fifth floor, watching for any signs of their 'mission' to
appear.
"How are the others, Mer?"
She heard Merian shuffle papers of some sort and several
clicks in the background. "Dorothy is conversing with
Winner or rather Winner is making an attempt to talk with
her. And Cat nearly had a huge confrontation with Barton."
She looked at Relena who rejoined her at the railing. "Find
anything?"
The other girl shook her head silently and said nothing. Hilde
had an even greater respect for Relena. She had faced the most
ruthless of politicians and experienced the harshness of two
ridiculous wars. AND to top it all off, she was the only one
of the pilots who had experienced the full effect of the Society's
ignorance. She was the only one who could understand any of this.
"Girls," Merian's voice broke out. "Girls, I've found the other
three. Chang and Maxwell are on the second floor with Yuy
approaching them. There's also an indication of movement
on your floor. Be careful."
Hilde smirked and pushed a strand of fallen ebony hair out
of her face. "Sí, mamá. Anything else?"
"Bitch."
"Slut."
"Whore."
"Shithead."
"Girls..."
Hilde held up her hands. "Okay, okay, okay." Relena sighed
and lifted her hand to readjust her earpiece. "We'll talk in
twenty." Hilde felt for her gun on the side of her leather
pants.
"And so it begins..."
**
She had become irresistible.
Long, golden blonde hair spilled out from a half
ponytail. Random strands were curled here and
there.
He felt his desire begin to unravel itself from inside of him.
"Mr. Winner?"
She...
"Mr. Winner, are you all right?"
was...
"Mr. Winner?"
beautiful...
"Quatre?!"
Heavenly emerald green eyes...
SMACK!
Startled, Quatre emerged from his thoughts. The sting of
Dorothy's slap on his face lingered behind harshly. He
looked at her in shock and she shrugged.
"It wasn't like I didn't call you several times."
He looked at her, catching the hint of mirth in her
sparkling green eyes. "You didn't have to hit me," he
replied sourly. She laughed, the sound seeming to him
like bells. "I see you've regained somewhat of a backbone."
He studied her. She wore a short black skirt, with intricate
beading on the brim and a long red polo shirt. Over the
polo shirt, she wore a gray v-neck sweater. He also noticed
the leather jacket on the back of her chair.
"How's life been treating you, Miss Dorothy?"
She seemed a bit startled by his question and knew
exactly why he went with his specific tone, but
regained her composure.
"I'm quite all--"
"Quatre, honey there you are!"
Dorothy seemed to flinch at the voice behind him. He
felt two arms pull him into a warm hug. "Michelle," he
greeted with a warm smile.
"Michelle, this is Miss Dorothy Catalonia. Miss Dorothy
this is my companion Michelle 'de Coligny."
Quatre watched as Michelle's eyes narrowed when she saw
Dorothy next to him. "Ah, Mlle Catalonia. Comment
allez-vous aujurd'hui?" Quatre watched as Michelle and
Dorothy shook hands, Michelle's eyes darkening.
"Trés bien, Trés bien. Juste ayante une conversation
gentille avec Monsieur Winner ici."
Michelle's eyes narrowed and her grip on him tightened.
Quatre looked at her in concern. "Il m'est á." Michelle's
tone of voice was dangerous, warning. He didn't like the
way this was headed.
"Oh Michelle! J'ai pensé vous étiez passé tous ces jeux. A
vous pas n'apprenez pas á la piece avec les coeurs d'hommes?"
The familiar spark of battle shone in Dorothy's eyes. Both girls
seemed to be further and further into whatever they were talking
about and content to leave him out.
"Jaloux?"
Dorothy threw her head back and laughed. Her eyes met his
and she seemed to know he was worried. She shook her head
at him. She stood up. "N'est pas intéresser mon estcher. Votre
recueille des habitudes ont développé dans quelque chose
commee le recue illir de metá l'amende le vin."
"Si vous etes jaloux..."
"Pas un morceau. Seulement pas surprised." There was that
look in Dorothy's eyes again. The two girls seemed to know
each other from before, but how?
"Vous etes bitch calme."
"Oui, j'al eu'l'air de maintiens qu'un par hors de qualité
les années."
Michelle huffed away and called over her shoulder. "I'll see
you at lunch baby. Au revoir, Mlle Catalonia. I hope this is
the last time we meet."
"Baby?"
"You speak french?"
"Trés bien, Mousier Winner. You've been listening well."
She sat down again, her silky hair brushing his shoulder.
"I expected better than this from you, though."
He looked at her surprised.
"Whatever do you mea-"
"We would like everyone to be seated this meet..."
**
"...is about to begin shortly."
With the speed of a cheetah, Relena moved through
the floor with natural grace. Her senses, which she
had less than a week to reopen, were working with
her smoothly and efficiently.
"Do you see anything?"
She sighed, peering around the corner. Someone
was here; she could sense it.
"No, but I have a feeling that the assassin is near here."
She saw Hilde appear from the shadows from the
other side of the floor. She shrugged at her. "I
haven't found anything either. This is a clean job..."
Hilde disappeared back into the shadows.
She wandered further into the darkness, remembering
some of the passageways. She had been fifteen and a
politician, so naturally escaping was her forte.
"Rel, Larson's starting."
"Bloody hell..."
Hilde laughed. "My thoughts exactly."
**
"The dawn of a new era is coming. All those oppressed
will be freed from the bonds that have held them down
for so long..."
Trowa leaned silently against the door to the press
box. So far, so good... This whole thing would be
finished and then he could get home to Midii.
"Leadership is the key for success. We need new
leaders, new faces. I am not the only one who feels
this way..."
Midii...
Home...
Sleep...
"Senator Larson!"
**
Hilde found herself in a narrow corner of the
floor.
Cartridges...
Empty rifle case...
Bullet boxes...
Her eyes widened. "Rellie..."
"On it, love. I have a shot on the east side."
She searched through the stuff in front of her.
"Where is he?"
Bullet boxes...
Fake ID...
Wallet...
"He's above you." Hilde stopped. "Well, that's why we
couldn't find him."
"I'm at a good spot."
Identification...
She grabbed a knife from the back of her pocket and cut
open the jacket. Out onto the floor fell a sliver cross
causing her to hold her breath.
"Mer..."
"Hil, did you find the target? I was just about to
contact you."
"Mer, it's Alex playing sniper..."
"Oh god, Cat... Dee..."
**
Focus.
"Yes, your question please."
Determination.
"Senator Larson, why now? Why bring back something that
the people have been trying to forget for years? How do we
not know that you won't do the same thing General Harrington
did? Endless torment and the separation of family isn't very
pleasant..."
Silence.
Courage.
Catherine continued on. She could she the fiery anger in
Larson's eyes. "You've been a senator for four years and
quote, unquote worked for the good of the people. Do
you realize what you're about to do if you walk down this
path?"
The tall, skinny man leaned forward on the podium. At
forty-two, he hadn't lost any of his intimidation skills.
His dark brown eyes pierced her still. She fought the
smirk that was trying to force itself on her face.
Trapped.
"Young lady, I know the Society hasn't had the
greatest 'track record', but I feel and I know
others feel that its leadership will be extremely
successful in getting things down."
Her violet eyes sparkled, as he continued on. He had
no clue what was coming.
"Cat, warning Alex is the sniper. Keep Larson
talking for awhile and get out."
Her eyes widened.
Alex...
"Are you concerned for the future, young lady?"
Partially startled, she met his challenging eyes. A dark
calmness came over her.
"Personally senator, I just don't want the experience of
another concentration camp."
She got him.
As Larson began to re-ramble and was bombarded with
more questions, she quietly turned around and left, completely
avoiding Trowa's door.
She got him.
**
Rule number one.
When heading a mission, always have control.
Rule number two.
If out of practice, never panic.
"Fuck this," Merian muttered, typing in a few
commands to her laptop. Doctor Peterson's
picture popped up onto the screen.
"Merian, report."
She sighed. "We're through phase one. Found all gundam
pilots and made the contacts that were necessary. Phase
two is done and positions were easily found. Phase three
has some problems... But Larson has made no official
declaration."
The doctor nodded calmly. "What problems?"
Merian's green eyes met hers and she took a sip of
coffee. "We found the sniper."
"That's a problem?"
"Doc, the sniper's Alexi..."
Her eyes widened. "Alexi..."
She nodded. "Alexi as in Catherine's little brother and
Dorothy's dead, I repeat, dead fiancé. I think we should
alert the both of them."
"Both parts are complete?"
"Yes."
The doctor nodded. "The it's up to them, especially
Cat. We could use him though. He could hold valuable
information, but again it's up to them. Out."
The door to the van opened and Cat entered, breathless. Merian
looked at her with concern. The other girl looked up and gave her
a half smile.
"Just cold."
"Cat..."
Catherine's violet eyes searched Merian's. Her expression
darkened.
"Are you sure?"
She nodded.
Catherine's eyes closed.
"Bring him back alive."
**
Relena's eyes locked on her target.
Alexi...
"I have a lock on the target," she whispered. "Repeat, need
confirmation on whether or not to proceed."
She heard a sigh from Hilde as they both waited.
It had come down to this and only this. Past choices were
slowly coming back to haunt them. But wasn't that the
purpose of the past? To haunt and torment people whose
lives were laid for them? They had no escape, no gateway
out. There was no such thing as liberation for them.
A bitter smile crossed her face.
Freedom, the unattainable nirvana.
Karma's a bitch.
"Re, confirmation is accepted. Use tranquilizers, though.
Sniper is wanted alive. I repeat sniper is wanted alive. Hil,
you are to pick up the body. Wait 'til sniper and speaker
gets into position. Out."
Yep, she thought with a sigh while loading the silencer and
the tranquilizer. She signaled to Hilde to move.
For sure, Karma was a bitch.
**
He had a war in his hands.
A bomb ready to explode any minute.
"Mr. Peacecraft, you may take the stand." With slowly and
careful movements, he passed Larson's chair not missing
the smirk on the son of a bitch's chair.
He was six feet away from the podium when the shot rang out.
**
Panic.
Dorothy let out a rushed sigh as she followed the majority of
the crowd out. It was amazing to her how quick the human
reaction was to any signs of danger. She wouldn't have been
surprised if every person would run out with the hints of even
the smallest signs of danger.
Squinting her eyes because of the large amount of
sunlight, Dorothy finally realized she was outside.
She quickly turned the corner.
"Mer, I'm out. What happened?"
Her only response was a static connection. She moved
at a faster pace than before, hoping to reopen the connection.
"Mer," she repeated anxiously. "Merian, I'm out."
"Yeah, I hear you now. No problems?" She sighed in relief
when she heard Merian's voice.
"Um, besides the fact that I almost got trampled by crazy
people? S'okay. Did they get the sniper?"
There was silence.
"Just come back," Merian finally said. "Just come back and
I'll tell you everything."
Dorothy's eyes widened.
"Who is it, Mer?"
"We're around the corner, Dee. Out."
She sighed.
All ready getting into the swing of things, and the masks
were falling off.
Soon.
They would be back soon.
**
Heero Yuy studied the collection of bullet boxes intently. They
were scattered around the premise where he and the other
Preventers believed the sniper had been.
"It appears that there was a struggle here, Commander Yuy."
He turned to look at the rookie, but said nothing. A struggle?
The sniper hadn't been alone.
"Sir, we've found evidence of foul play at the end of the floor."
He nodded and followed the rookie. The sniper had obviously
intended to hit Zechs, but it seemed to be that he was prevented
from doing his job.
But why?
Question ran quickly through his mind.
"Sir?"
"Hn."
"We've already analyzed the blood."
"I'll take that." Heero turned around to see Trowa standing
behind him. The rookie handed Trowa the file and left
briskly. All rookies came to the Preventers with a perpetual
fear of each gundam pilot. He ignored Trowa and leaned
down to study the scene.
Blood was splattered onto the wall as well as the floor. It had
been quite the struggle.
"So who's our sniper?"
Trowa said nothing, but his facial expression told stories. His
eyes looked up into Heero's. Heero grimaced. It had been the
same look he had given him when he had told him Catherine
had died. Even Midii had remarked how empty he looked.
"Alexi. Alexi Bloom."
**
Blood.
There had been lots of blood.
She remembered walking through the debris like a lost child. She
had held him in her arms only several hours before.
Alexi...
Tears formed in her eyes, she reached up and violently rubbed her
eyes. Too many memories and so little energy to deal with them...
She remembered Cat had stood next to her and could only offer a
hand on her shoulder. She loved her brother and had been in shock.
Screams.
Oh endless screams.
He was supposed to be dead.
She had let go.
Or so she thought. She had been in love with Alexi. She had been
unbelievably in love with Alexi, that it got to the point where it hurt.
Her eyes followed Alex as he let a number yells and tortuous
screams in his cell.
"They'll kill me damn it!"
She closed her eyes in pain.
She did not want to be the first to turn.
**
Okay guys, here's the translation as bad as it is
of the conversation between Michelle and our
Dorothy:
**
He belongs to me
Oh Michelle! I thought you were past all these games. Haven't you
learned not to play with the hearts of men?
Jealous?
Not interested my dear. Your collecting habits have developed into
something like the collecting of fine wine.
So you are jealous.
Not one bit. Just not surprised.
You're still a bitch.
Yes, I've seemed to maintain that one quality through out the years.
*Good-bye= Au revoir
*Mlle= Miss