DC: I don't own GW (or anything affiliated with them, though I wish I did) All other characters are mine and created from the mind of insanity, mainly me. All resemblances to any characters of other fics are purely coincidental. Otherwise, don't sue me, all I have is my laptop.
Safe House (8:01 p.m.)
Taking into consideration that Melinda might report back to Lee, Heero had decided Melinda was going to be their little nugget of information. Supervised by Shin and Yume of course, the first order of business was to fix the mess in the living room. There were desks, dressers, lamps, bed frames, mattress's, a dining table and couches that were piled onto each other. They couldn't even reach the kitchen because there was so much obstruction.
Shin and Yume tossed Melinda into a closet and helped Quatre sort out what needed to be put in which room. Obviously Shin and Yume had chosen specific colors for their dressers and lamps. That was easily fixed. The dressers that remained for Kirin and the other pilots were a different story. None of the males had cared what kind of dresser they had gotten so Kirin had done random selecting and eventually landed more than enough dressers for the pilots.
Quatre had decided on a smooth, oak dresser. It was almost as big as the others, but also matched the color of his lamp, a light brown, almost a sandy color, and a brown, hardwood desk. Unlike the other differences, the beds were pretty much the same with the equivalent comfort level and firmness each pilot needed. Kirin wasn't picky and neither were the male pilots.
Wufei had taken a long, white lamp with three levels of adjustment. His desk was sturdy, yet simple, and with so little, he even took the smallest section of the couch to put in his room. With the addition of the bed, he didn't care it was cramped. He cared more for comfort than appearances.
Trowa had taken twin lamps that would be set on either side of his small table. He, at the very least, chose what he wanted in his room. He had a job as a circus clown, and he knew at times he wouldn't be able to be home, so he decided to keep his room simple. He took a chair and stand, two items for his personal use, for his flute. He was an avid musician, and at times, late at night, he'd play a beautiful concerto.
Duo, at last, had taken what was left. He had a lamp that branched out into three sections. His dresser was inhumanely large, taking up more space than his desk and bed combined, and had even a bedside table for himself. The most anyone could get from his room was two feet on either side when standing in the center.
At last it was Kirin's and Heero's necessities. There was a silver, metallic dresser. A lamp that looked somewhat like and angel with a halo and a desk that was so simple, yet advanced to the point that they didn't want to even touch it.
"We'll arrange it the Kirin would have liked it." said Yume.
Heero heard Yume's tone. They spoke as if she were dead! The two girls disappeared upstairs, carrying the lamp and the un-constructed bed frames. He shook his head. Kirin wasn't dead! She'd come back...soon.
What remained was the dresser, desk, and lamp for Heero's room. Heero took two, very tall lamps and a small drawer. He wore no other clothes except for the ones on his back, the ones he used to go out on missions, and the other clothes he had taken from hospitable people.
Quatre and Trowa were already deciding where to place the couches. Underneath the couches was a large, flat-screened television. The two friends looked at each other and tried to find a place to put the television first in order to arrange the couches around it.
Shin and Yume returned and with the help of Duo, got the rest of Kirin's furniture into her room. Wufei was in the kitchen arranging the dining table. Heero was looking at the furniture Kirin had gotten for him. Like Wufei, he didn't care what he got as long as it was simplistic and durable. He sighed and walked towards his room with his lamp. Tonight he wasn't going to sleep. He was to damned worried.
Heero's hand gripped the knob. The metallic scent of blood reached his nostrils. He turned his head from side to side, sniffing the air. It seemed to be emanating from his room. He set aside his lamp and got on one knee. His hand slowly turned the knob, ever so quietly, and opened the door, letting it swing open. He hoped it was Kirin-
Relief turned into shock. Shock turned into rage. Rage turned into concern. His eyes fell upon the curled up form on his floor. The moon shone down on her from the window. He spun and turned on the hallway light. He called for the members of the household and fell to his knees in front of Kirin. He lifted her up from her pose and smoothed back her hair. Blood streaked her silver tresses; there was blood on her face, on her clothes, in her mouth, every possible location. He shook her gently, trying to find some life in her.
Wufei was the first in the room. Quatre and Trowa joined him shortly. Then it was Duo, Shin, and, at last, Yume. They stood at the doorway, not believing that Kirin had been there the whole time. But now there was another problem...was she dead?
Heero put a hand to her wrist. He brought her close to him, trying to hear any indication of breathing. He shook her again. "Kirin...answer me...!"
"Heero, she might've been here for a very long time..." Quatre said softly. "I think she's-"
"No!" Heero growled. "She is not dead!"
No one had heard that tone in Heero's voice before. There was a mixture of pain and sadness as the realization hit. How long had Kirin been there, possibly crying, bleeding, waiting for him? How long had she suffered before she let go and left him?
Heero pulled her close and spoke in a voice no one could hear. He shut his eyes and let the pain settle in his heart. "You and I were suppose to die together..."
"Why do you always have to be so negative?" came the similar, barely audible reply.
Heero almost dropped her if not for her arms around his waist. He stared at her and saw the weak light in her eyes. Knowing better on not showing his true feelings in front of the other houseguests, he resumed his hardened-heart facade. "You were alive after all."
Kirin sighed. She knew why he hadn't what he wanted to. "I can't die so easily, Heero."
Shin and Yume were instantly around her, talking at incredible speeds. Heero simply stood, leaving Kirin to her two friends. He looked at the room. It needed light. "We can have a reunion later. I'm going to fix my room."
"You prick-" Yume began to say. A hand came up and silenced her.
"Not right now...I'm exhausted." Kirin pleaded faintly. "I just need some food, a hot shower, and sleep."
"Will do." Shin chirped. She and Yume then helped Kirin out of the room. There was some ecstatic chatter from Kirin, though faint. She had seen the living room and some of her energy returned.
Wufei shrugged his shoulders. "I guess everything's back to normal now, eh, Yuy?" He turned and joined the three girls in the living room.
Duo looked at Trowa who beckoned for them to leave. He tugged at Quatre who shook his head. The clown and the braided wonder gave each other another look then left Quatre alone with Heero.
"I thought I'd never see the day that you were worried for another human being."
Heero's head slowly turned, a sidelong glance was laid upon Quatre. "You were worried, too."
"Yes, but not as much as you. You practically had enough worry for all of us." He mused.
Heero didn't find that funny. So he was intense and demanding. It was his nature! Among other things. "What are you getting at, Quatre?"
"How much does Kirin mean to you?"
Why, of all people, was Quatre getting into his personal business? Wasn't it enough that they had fought in the war and now they had to discuss his personal affairs? Especially with Kirin? "I don't seeing that as any business of yours."
Quatre's cheerful demeanor didn't falter. "I think its enough that you're too embarrassed to say anything..."
Heero was ready to slam his fist into Quatre's pale face. Instead, saving him the wasted movement, Quatre gave a curt laugh and turned, resuming to help Trowa rearrange the furniture. And now that Kirin was there, she'd help out, too.
Heero moved into the hallway to pick up his lamp. He heard a faint voice which was followed by a pair of boisterous laughing. It was Kirin and her companions. Apparently all she needed was to be with company for awhile and she'd be her normal self again. But a thought nagged the back of his mind. What had happened in the shack? Who could have done such a terrible and gruesome thing? His mind was seriously thinking it had been Kirin...but he needed to hear it from her.
Heero placed his lamp as far away from the window as possible. He liked the moon shining down on his bed. For a brief moment, he though Kirin looked beautiful curled up like a fetus and seeming that she was in a death-sleep. Luckily she was alive or else Lee would suffer his wrath. He went into the living room to pick up the bed frames and mattresses. He spotted Quatre, Trowa, and Wufei adjusting the television height. Duo was fixing up the coffee table and one of the three girls was watching, dictating everything.
Heero picked up the frames without a sound and began dragging his mattress to his room. A faint sound made him stop. He turned to the source and found Kirin smiling at him. She beckoned him with her finger and patted the seat beside her. He gestured with his head that he needed to fix his room before he could spend any time with her. She was ready to stand but the quick jerk of his head made her stop. He went into his room and decided that it could wait later. Right now, Kirin wanted him.
He set down the frames and the pushed the mattress to the wall and emerged out into the living room once again. Kirin was laying down, still beckoning with her finger. Heero came to her side and sat beside her. "Tell me what happened."
Kirin shook her head. There were visible cuts on her face; a cut on her lip, a cut just above her right eye, a cut over her neck. He was glad, to an extent, that most of her injuries were bruises. Though he had seen the blood on the floor in that pathetic excuse for a hideout, he wanted Kirin to tell him every painful detail. "Can it wait until morning?"
Heero had to sympathize with her. She had been through a lot and she was barely hanging on to the energy her friends were giving to her. His hand came to a cut on her eye. "We have to fix you up."
Again Kirin shook her head. "I'll be fine. I can heal perfectly fine without any medicine."
What was he going to do now? He was trying to be helpful, but she kept giving him an excuse to refuse his help and his affection. Maybe not his affection, but she was refusing him some things a man in his position should do. One of which was that he had to protect her in times of need and distress, care for her when she was hurt, and love her at all times.
Kirin read his expression. She couldn't help that she was so completely independent. She saw him wrestle with himself on what to do for her well being. Wasn't there anything for him to do?
"Heero..." Kirin said in a hoarse whisper. "Are you going to fix your room?"
"My room?" Heero repeated. Where was this going?
"Yeah, I mean- are you going to fix your bed and all? Get settled in?"
"Eventually." Heero replied, giving a look at the four pilots who had stopped in mid-motion. "Why?"
"I was wondering...after I took a shower and all, of course..."
Heero felt like he was getting a smack in the face. She was going to ask him to fix up her room too! Of all the luck...
"If I could stay with you tonight." she finished.
Heero let out a long sigh, almost becoming a groan when he did a insignificant double-take. "Stay with me?"
"Just for tonight!" Kirin said quickly. "I promise only tonight. I don't think you'd want to fix your room then go upstairs and fix my room and...well...you know..."
Trust Kirin to boost up his ego. So he was going to be the protective boyfriend after all. Why would any man let his girlfriend, after being raped by a condemned man- condemned by Heero, that is, to be left sleeping alone? He had to seem that it was just another thing a man of his position would do. Except...this wasn't like him at all. Some change was good. Total change was bad. It could either go for better or for worst. "Fine."
Kirin sat up and put her arms around his neck. "Thank you, Heero! You're the best!"
With the ego to put down Wufei's monstrosity, Heero felt pleased with himself that he had made Kirin happy. She turned to Yume and Shin who had missed the whole conversation. They set down plates of food. Obviously they were going to eat with her. Kirin kept Heero close. "Are you hungry?"
"I'll eat later." Heero replied. He stood. "I'm going to fix up my room."
"Oh, ok." Kirin's hand went over to a bag of chips.
"Hey, did you know Heero went to the hospital?" Shin asked. She was about to tip her head back and take a drink of soda when she saw Kirin's expression. "What's wrong?"
Kirin looked at both of her companions. "He went to the hospital?"
"Well, yeah...he was shot a couple times, as if you didn't know." Yume said, in a matter-of-fact tone
"Then what is he doing up, walking around?" Kirin shrieked. She wondered why she was yelling at the girls when she could be yelling at Heero himself. She turned and repeated the question. "What are you doing up, walking around?"
Heero, seeing no objection to his ability to walk looked at her blankly. "It's not as bad as you think."
Kirin leaned over the arm of the chair, grabbing Heero's black shirt before he could back away. She lifted the material and exposed his well-muscled abdomen. There were at least four holes in his lower abdomen and the word ONI on his chest. She stared at the bullets for a long minute then settled at looking at the knifed, ONI tattoo. "Oh, Heero..."
"It's not so bad." Heero said, a little dully.
"You mean it doesn't hurt?" Kirin asked, her fingers feeling over the letters.
"Not any more." he said more quietly.
Kirin blinked numerous times then let out a hurried laugh. She pulled down the shirt and leaned her head on his chest. "It was my fault you got hurt."
"It was my fault you got hurt." He replied, reversing the situation.
Kirin shook her head. "You should've never have gotten hurt because of me."
"You shouldn't have gotten hurt at all."
Yume spoke up. "I don't want to throw up this nice dinner I'm having so you two better put up or shut up!"
Kirin turned and scowled at Yume. She turned back to Heero and hugged him once more, careful in not hurting him. "I'll join you later, ok?"
Heero shrugged his shoulders. Whatever made her happy...which, coincidentally, made him happy, too. He turned and disappeared around the corner.
"You two are the most sickening people I've ever known." Yume cried. "Me and Xel aren't like that at all!"
"Well there's the difference...it's you and Xel, this is me and Heero." Kirin retorted. She eyed the other four pilots. "What?"
Quatre hid a smile. Trowa stared back at her blankly. Duo was concentrating hard on stealing a chip from Shin and Wufei was the only one who seemed worthy enough to give her an answer.
Wufei snorted as she shifted his weight from one foot to the other. "It seems that Yuy is a little sweet on you. He won't admit it but considering the interaction between you two...I'd say he's in too deep."
Kirin would have been visibly blushing, but knowing that her complexion couldn't show such an action, she just turned her head away. Heero seemed like an unattainable and untouchable man. For her it was a honor to be regarded as one who could capture his heart. Thankful for their blind, but watchful eye, she resumed her meal. It was close to ten now and she was becoming increasingly tired. "I'm going to take a shower then I'm going to sleep!"
The other pilots simply waved her off. She didn't want to go upstairs to shower, so she'd bother Heero one last time and tell him she was going to use his shower. She left the living room and passed the closet. She then heard thumping. She eyed the closet and wondered if anyone had heard the sound. The laughter from the living room told her otherwise. Her hand reached for the door and pulled it open. A body fell face first in front of Kirin's feet. She didn't scream, only because it wasn't like her to be startled so easily, but only looked at the body in dismay. It was one of Mike's Elite members.
Heero, upon hearing the thump, stood at the doorway. He remembered telling Shin and Yume to put Melinda away somewhere. Apparently they put her in the closet. Kirin looked at Heero who seemed just about interested in Melinda like he was interested in Relena.
"Heero, can I use your shower?" Kirin asked, ignoring Melinda's muffled shouts.
Heero peered into the bathroom as if making sure no one was in it. He shrugged. "Whatever."
" `Kay!" Kirin complied. She brushed past Heero and went into the bathroom.
Heero was left staring at Melinda who began perspiring. He went into the living room and beckoned with his finger. "What about Melinda?"
Yume and Shin looked at each other. They both shrugged. "Leave her in the closet. We'll play with her in the morning."
Day 3-Safe House (6:15 a.m.)
Duo Maxwell was the first one up. The clock that he had gotten which played a grim and dark melody still played throughout his room. He sat up and stretched. His face immediately took the guise of a smiling idiot and he turned to shut off the alarm. He jumped out of his bed, his very own bed which he picked out the mattress all by himself, and jumped to the window. He opened the window and took in one large breath. He began coughing as the cold air attacked his lungs and nearly froze him in his place. He slammed the windows shut and let out a long sigh. He shivered for a split second and reached for a shirt.
Instead of going with the usual black, he picked a white shirt and fumbled as he put the cotton material over his head. He tumbled about in the room, naturally tripping over accessories that cluttered his room. His radio for instance, which he had left in the middle of the floor. Then there was a drawer from his dresser which was over turned and obviously over-stuffed with clothes. His closet space was already a mess, spending only a mere five minutes rearranging things to his liking.
He only kept his room clean at Relena's estate because he was being pestered by Quatre who gave him a lesson in common courtesy and manners and Heero who always gave him that critical eye and shook his head in dismay. Well, it was his room, his rules! No one was going to tell him to clean up his room! Not now! Not ever!
A knock came at Duo's door. He kicked aside a few piles of clothes and managed to get to the door without falling. He threw open the door and was ready for a great big `hello' to his fellow housemate when he gazed at the grotesque face in front of him, screamed, then promptly shut the door.
The mask depicted fake worms crawling from out of the side of the skull, little dried bits of rice, denoting maggots littered the side of the mouth where skeletal features could plainly be seen. There was a red, half-bitten tongue that hung just from the corner of the mouth. Red liquid oozed off the side, looking fresh and still...thick with life. As the finishing touch, one eyeball was hanging from an optic nerve and the other was simply ripped out. It was a good scare indeed!
Yume pulled off the mask and began laughing, her face turning a hue of red. She remembered all the good times when she would wake Shin up that way. The good-old gore mask she had since she, Shin, and Kirin had gone on a Halloween spook-spree. The spree was just to see how many people they could scare. One of which was inadvertently turned into a mission and the end result was the scariest Halloween anyone in the colonies had ever experienced.
A wry smile came on Yume's lips. For years afterward, that same mask in her hands had scared the breath out of Shin. If it worked even now...the fun she could have with Shin when they were old and gray! She spun on her foot and tiptoed to Shin's door which was just on the other side of the second floor level. She grinned. This was one indication that friends never change...just the surroundings.
Upon hearing the terrified scream, Quatre had emerged, rubbing his tired blue eyes. He saw Yume sneaking towards Shin's room and decided nothing about it. He made a sweep of the hallway clock he had hung for occasions when he didn't want to go back into his room to look. It was seven. He remembered that there were no longer servants so they were all independent. He thought it was his duty, as one of the older pilots, to look out for everyone. In the aspect in terms to food and personal well-being. He closed his door and started for the stairs. He heard a door open then quickly click shut. It was Wufei.
Even at Relena's estate, Wufei wasn't much of a morning person. He'd usually make a rare appearance, get some coffee, then be up in his room again. Many of the servant had wondered what was so interesting that a man insisted he go into his room all the time and not come out, hours at a time? Some thought he was busy with himself. And some even had to clarify that there was some link between the Chinese pilot and Sally Po, the head of the medical facility in the Preventers Corporation.
Quatre continued down the stairs and into the kitchen where everything was neatly packed away to his liking. He hoped Kirin liked it, too. As promised, after her shower in Heero's bathroom, she joined Heero in the room and locked themselves up. Even as the house became quiet, there was the constant feeling of the un-answered question. What were Heero and Kirin doing?
Cooking utensils, new and not even used were now being tested out for the first formal stay in their new home. Kirin had fixed everything electrical and otherwise. Gas was working, water, the telephone lines. There was nothing Kirin couldn't fix.
Being as civilized as he could be, he took some pointers from the cooks at Relena's estate. Everyone liked eggs, bacon, toast, and juice. Some, like Duo, would request milk, some would prefer coffee. He shrugged at his many choices. There were eight of them in a house so it was good to have variety.
A scream pierced the house which made Quatre's heart jump out of his chest. Then he heard loud laughter and more screaming. Instead of fear, it was of annoyance and aggravation. Shin and Yume. A third voice joined in on the argument then another. He knew Duo had joined in the argument because he had heard a loud `hey.' Wufei was in the argument because the three were being too loud. He almost expected Trowa to get into the argument when the silent circus performer was sitting at the table, fit for eight, looking like he had been tossed about in a tornado.
"That bad?" Quatre asked.
Trowa only nodded. But his mood turned better. "Where are the lovebirds?"
"I can only guess they're still sleeping." Quatre answered. He set down a plate of eggs. "Help yourself while the others are starting up their morning tradition."
"Starting up? This is typical of Wufei and Duo." Trowa answered, taking a choice of recently cooked eggs. He placed them on his plate and looked at Quatre worriedly.
"I expect it has extended to include Yume and Shin in it."
"In what?" asked a calmer, female voice.
Trowa and Quatre turned to young girl named Kirin. She looked bright and happy with her hair pulled back wearing an oversized t-shirt. She sat down beside Trowa and gazed at the mass quantities of food. "Wow, Quatre...you made all this?"
"It's called self-preservation." Quatre replied. He set down another set of over-easy eggs. His blue eyes wandered over to the counter. There was already an empty carton of eggs. "Um, Kirin..."
Kirin had a mouthful of toast. She swallowed quickly when she caught the look of dismay in the blonde Arab's eyes. "I know. We'll have to go grocery shopping again."
With that little factor taken care of, Quatre moved to the refrigerator to take out the last carton of eggs. The current amount of food was enough for the pilots who ate a healthy dose of breakfast. The rest of the food Quatre was going to cook was going to be inhaled by three particular pilots.
Heero made an appearance, looking like his usual monotone and bored self. He glanced at Quatre who was slaving over the burners, Trowa and Kirin eating their breakfast, and the coffee machine quietly pumping out dark liquid. He wasn't going to feel any better until he had a cup of coffee. He never relied on the dark liquid before, but since living in Relena's house, it was the only thing that soothed his tense nerves. Now he was almost dependent on it. Almost.
But in question, he knew, was what had happened between himself and Kirin. She had requested to stay with him for the night and he had complied. He saw the look in Quatre's side-long stared. He felt it in the way Trowa subtly shifted his head to look at him. Kirin wasn't giving away anything. She just smiled at him and continued her breakfast. The two pilots knew it was suicide to disturb Kirin's breakfast with something that didn't concern them.
Nothing happened. Kirin had simply taken a shower, dressed in her homely clothes and fell asleep beside him. Of course, in the middle of the night she had woken up and made enough noise to wake him up. Though she was dead tired, she wanted to talk. That was exactly what they did until four in the morning. She had mentioned what Mike had done to her. She explained how she escaped, how the dark side of her had emerged and she had taken things into her own hands. She began to break down at that point, wanting Heero to hold her. She was scared of herself. Never again did she want it to occur when she was in the presence of her friends. If it was enough to scare her, then it was enough to know that it should never happen again. Ever.
Heero took a seat next to Kirin. She gave him an offering of food from her plate which he accepted with the threat of a glare at either pilot who gave him the slightest questioning glance.
The kitchen was soon filled with numerous bodies with accompanying voices. Wufei immediately went to the coffee and poured himself a healthy dose. His looked peeved and was quietly seething in his corner of the kitchen. Yume had piled her plate with bacon, toast, and eggs, and sat opposite Trowa. Duo and Shin were now having a fork battle in which they were fighting over the last remaining strip of bacon.
"You two are like little kids." said Wufei. He came beside Duo and picked up the strip of bacon and set it into his mouth. His mouth curved into a smile. "This is pretty good, Winner."
"I'm please you approve." Quatre said from the stove. He set a fresh new plate of bacon for Duo and Shin to fight over again.
A small discussion between Kirin and Yume had been cut short. There was an urgent rap on the front door. The roommates looked at each other, wondering who would be the one to answer the door.
Kirin, stood, remembering that the house was in her name and it was probably the real estate agent who had come for the rest of his money. She breezed past Heero who had the inclination to stick her at all times. He wasn't letting her get into any more trouble.
With Heero close behind, she almost ran to the front door before Heero could began a mass of tight-lipped questions to the agent. She flung the door open and introduced herself before jumping back, missing the fierce punch. She stared at the figure in front of her and for a split moment, didn't recognize the figure.
Black shoulder length hair spread over the face with two bright green eyes, burning with fury. The black trench coat was usual for a Pirate's attire with calf-high boots and tight black pants. The shirt was red, laced down the middle that stopped just below the ribcage, showing her midriff. There was a visible outline of a weapon, a holster and a what seemed to be an old short-sword of European descent. Something jingled behind the young female's back, but was muffled by her trench coat.
Finally, a sly smile spread on her face. "If it isn't Captain Zero. What are you-"
Zero swung at Kirin again, which prompted Heero to react and pin Zero against the wall. "You bitch!"
"What?" Kirin asked, aware the other pilots were gathering at the hallway. "What did I do?"
"You said you'd pay me for my services! I looked at my account and what do I find? Nothing!" Zero growled. "I want my payment!"
Kirin looked at Yume and Shin. "I knew I forgot something."
"Oh, so am I just some casualty that you think you can just toss me aside?" Zero asked. "I did you a favor and I want you to pay me back!"
Kirin turned back to Zero. "One question: how did you find me?"
"It wasn't hard." Zero replied. She eyed Heero who seemed to be concentrating on her body. "Are you going to let this guy feel me up or is he going to let me go?"
"Heero."
Heero stepped back and managed to removed Zero's pistol, her short-sword, and a chain whip. Zero, of course, was surprised since that particular chain whip was suppose to be a `hidden' weapon. No one was suppose to know she had it.
"Answer my question and I'll see what I can do for you."
Zero pulled her hair back in an aggravated way and crossed her arms. "Like I said, it wasn't hard once word got out that you, Shin, and Yume went rogue. I could've waited a few days until everything smoothed over, but when Lee set out a five billion reward for your return, preferably alive, it was hard to resist to not try and turn you in. But I knew that without you I couldn't have gotten this far. Your address is splashed onto every wanted poster in Space. Not to mention that noon today there's going to be a mass e-mail bombardment to every computer."
"What?" Kirin cried. "WHEN?"
"Noon today." Zero said calmly. "I would've thought that a computer expert such as yourself should've known that."
"You know, Zero...if I go back to Lee, you'll never get your payment." Kirin replied, adding a little hint of venom.
Zero's green eyes narrowed. "You are cruel and unfeeling."
"I'm also manipulative and-"
"BOSSY!" Duo chimed.
Kirin's eyes widened and the effect she wanted to induce on Zero disappeared. Zero choked back her laughter as Kirin gave Duo a glare that could've sliced the air. "Thank you, DUO."
Obviously pleased that he could help, he gave a simple, "No problem."
Scenarios ran through Kirin's head. There was a way for her to stop the e-mail bombardment. She could somehow go into the ONI supercomputer and reconfigure the message- no, she could delete the message and put in its place a replacement message. Yes! She could warn the Earth about Lee's intentions. She'd input detailed transcripts of Lee's plan into the e-mails and the Earth would be forewarned! She'd include pictures, streaming video's of horrendous experiments done to her and others, detailed maps, formulations, companies that were sponsoring Lee, expose the Perfect Soldier Project. She could exploit him and he'd be the most hated man on Earth!
But...what if the people thought it was a hoax? What if their minds were so far up their butts that they couldn't see danger until it was nearly crushing them? What if Lee already thought of that aspect? What if he was a step ahead of her and planning while she was lounging around, thinking she was off the hook?
Another way, there had to be another way. There couldn't be just one path. There had to be numerous paths, one that was both devious and complex. Something Lee couldn't comprehend. There had to be some plan, some step that Lee could have overlooked. He couldn't plan world domination in just a few days. He must've built up to it. The same was for her, she couldn't have just been a General over night. She jumped ranks, she proved her worth, she built up for that one moment when one of the Elders of ONI told her that she was the head of the most powerful Space Army ever conceived. Lee wasn't getting away with it.
Kirin's eyes darted from the face to face. They were staring at her, partly in concern and partly wondering why she was talking to an intricately placed vase near the door. Even Zero had taken that small step back. Her finger still circled her outer ear, a gesture denoting insanity.
Kirin took in a sharp breath. She exhaled slowly and came towards Zero. "I need to borrow your ship."
"Wait just a damn minute-"
"Zero, listen to my terms first. This will benefit both you and me."
Zero's mouth clamped shut. "All right, talk."
Kirin eyed the pilots in the hallway. "This is my plan: we'll intercept the e-mail bombardment that Lee is going to send here. From what Zero has told us, the e-mail will have the address of this location. I suspect that the e-mail will also have information on me as well as on Yume and Shin. Fortunately, the e-mail will not concern itself with you five," Kirin gestured to the five male pilots. "So you are safe. However, I helped configure the supercomputer in ONI and I know that the computer we have downstairs cannot transmit any of the components I will need to seize the e-mail to the computer in ONI. The reason is the long distance link. Though to some computers, distance is not a problem, I made sure that none of the Earth computers can reach ONI, thus having a firewall to protect it from anyone trying to breach the system. This is where Zero's ship will come in handy. Zenith, the name of Zero's ship, is also equipped with a supercomputer that I have also helped
configure. While in Space, I will use Zero's computer, break into ONI's supercomputer and input the codes that will give me access to the e-mail information. There I will delete the message and input a message of my own. In the e-mail I will give a fully detailed report on Lee's objective for Earth. I cannot guarantee that the people of Earth will react well to this e-mail. They may react positively or negatively, it depends how they look at it. But the bottom line is, they will be aware."
"And you plan to do this when?" Shin asked. "This is a fine and dandy plan, Kirin. I'm not doubting you, but it seems like a good plan that will take a few days to complete."
"She's right, Kirin." said Yume. "Time is a factor. I'd love to help in kicking some ass, but I'd also like to enjoy it, too."
"It's near seven, isn't it?" Kirin asked softly.
"Yes." said Quatre.
Kirin remained quite for a moment. She gave an eerie smile to her friend. "Then I guess we better hurry."
The Forgotten Colony-ONI HQ (6:59 a.m.)
Long. Too long. It was taking too damn long! How hard was it to kidnap a silver haired woman, rough her up a bit, and send her on a one-way trip to Space? Apparently it was hard enough for his special Elite to not contact him when he deliberately told them, told Mike specifically, to contact him at six in the morning! Mike was going to get a serious tongue lashing from him.
Lee Ikuza paced the room, glancing at his deskside vid-phone. The minute Mike's face hovered on the screen, he'd be stripped of his rank and placed in the enlightenment chambers as soon as they returned. A wily smile spread over his face. Even better, he'd strip Mike himself. Strip him of his skin, of course.
Lee landed hard on his large, swivel chair and linked his hands just below his chin. He began rocking back and forth, the seconds were ticking away to minutes. The silence stretched out, making his mind play tricks on him. He jerked his head from left to right, something always going beyond the corner of his eye.
His hands began trembling, not with rage, but with encompassing insanity. He could've sworn he heard Kirin laughing at him. That high-pitched sound rang in his ears. His hands came to clamp over his hearing organs, shaking his head, making his world a blur of colors and awkward shapes. There came a low groan, then gradually it heigtened. It was a scream.
He felt the office shake with every move he made. He ducked underneathe his desk, pulling his long legs up to his chest. His mouth began going over formulas he had taken years to learn, to change, and to memorize. Images rushed in and out of his head. Memories poured in from every direction. Sorrow turned to excitement, to anger, to rejection, to more anger, to revelation, the anger came again, to happiness, to regret, another brush with anger, then the final line between sanity and insanity, the peak of achivements, the murder of his sister, the loss of Kirin, anger...so much anger...then...insanity.
Lee Ikuza jumped up from his hiding place when he heard the door open. His personal assistant looked at him worriedly. "Dr. Ikuza, Mike Lane on line three."
"About time." said Lee. He wiped the sweat from his forehead and resumed his feigned good-natured self. He sat at his desk and pushed the button to the vid-phone. He heard Mike's voice before he saw his face.
"Sir...something happened."
"No shit." Lee snapped, his dark demeanor returning as traces of Mike began to show. "Where is she?"
"She..." Mike's face was now fully visible with cuts and bruises. It seemed he was wearing a neck cast, too. "...She almost killed me, sir."
"I told you to take precautions..." Lee said, crossing his arms. He sighed heavily. "If it'll make you feel any better, tell me what happened and I'll walk you along our next plan."
Mike hesitated. He couldn't tell Lee what he was doing to his niece. Not even if Lee threatened to use the piece of meat between his legs to feed to the ferocious dogs Lee was experimenting on. "We had her in the safe house. We were eating."
"What else is new?" Lee inquired, his eyes were set in stone and he stared directly into Mike's eyes. As if looking into his soul.
Mike seemed to squirm under Lee's stare. "Well, we got her from her safe house, that much went ok. But when we locked her in the room for a few hours...she suddenly came out looking all weird. Alan went after her with his knife and she flung him to the wall! Byron came at her with a metal bar and he was knocked out cold! Geneva and Faith came after her, too, but she just smashed their heads together-"
Lee sat up straighter and leaned closer to the vid-phone. "Her eyes. Did she show you her eyes?"
"Yes." Mike said, almost sounding ashamed, but with an underlying of digust was thrown in, too. "Gold. Pure gold. No pupils or anything. She looked like...like...a..."
"An Angel." Lee said softly. "She looked like an Angel, didn't she, Mike? In all her terrifying beauty, she looked like an Angel."
"...Yeah...I suppose..."
Lee leaned back in his chair. "My Angel of Chaos...what did she do to you, may I ask? You seem to have left that part out."
Mike was obviously sweating. Drops of sweat formed at his forehead, slid down the sides of his eyes and centered just underneath his chin. He swallowed hard, an obvious feat, seeing as his neck was cut, but not enough to let blood run. "She...she castrated me."
Lee's blue eyes widened. "And you're still alive?"
Mike seemed to be turning red from either embarrassment or rage. "She did something to me to keep me conscious and the pain to subside. But when she left, it came back in full force. I'm in the hospital right now."
Lee's hands moved to his mouth where an inappropriate smirk played on his lips. He was aware that when Kirin assumed her other worldly state, she was cruel and unpredictable. But to castrate a man? That was going to extremes. Maybe there was a reason for it. "Why?"
"Sir?"
"Why did she do it?" Lee asked. "I'm curious."
"I don't know why, sir-"
"Liar." Lee snapped. "You know why she did it. She retaliated. She never does such a thing for fun! What did you do to provoke her? I would understand she'd throw all her human inhibitions out the door if she was abused and taunted, but not out of the blue."
Mike tried to protest. "Sir, I don't kniw what you're talking about-"
"Did you rape her you dickless bastard?" Lee screamed.
Mike's face turned a deep crimson. It was rage. His mouth didn't have to say it. It was in his eyes and the fact that he was no longer a `man.'
Lee nodded softly, seeing the flare of temper and the red face. "You did. You sick sonofabitch. You raped my niece. Well, I should congratulated her, then. You got what you deserved. How dare you use and touch MY property-"
The vid-phone suddenly shut off. Lee was about to go into a fantastic speech about other people's property when the vid-phone, the lights, and every electrical current went dead. He sighed. "LIGHT!"
Aftera tense few seconds he yelled again. Even in the dark he could see. He moved around his desk and tried his door. Stuck.
Lee slid to the floor, burying his head in his hands. He had to outsmart Kirin. He had to know her every move she made. He had to hire someone who looked innocent and was totally and completely loyal to him. Who could he trust but his own creations? A smile spread on his lips. He knew the perfect answer to his problem.
Ayako Meguri.
Safe House (8:01 p.m.)
Taking into consideration that Melinda might report back to Lee, Heero had decided Melinda was going to be their little nugget of information. Supervised by Shin and Yume of course, the first order of business was to fix the mess in the living room. There were desks, dressers, lamps, bed frames, mattress's, a dining table and couches that were piled onto each other. They couldn't even reach the kitchen because there was so much obstruction.
Shin and Yume tossed Melinda into a closet and helped Quatre sort out what needed to be put in which room. Obviously Shin and Yume had chosen specific colors for their dressers and lamps. That was easily fixed. The dressers that remained for Kirin and the other pilots were a different story. None of the males had cared what kind of dresser they had gotten so Kirin had done random selecting and eventually landed more than enough dressers for the pilots.
Quatre had decided on a smooth, oak dresser. It was almost as big as the others, but also matched the color of his lamp, a light brown, almost a sandy color, and a brown, hardwood desk. Unlike the other differences, the beds were pretty much the same with the equivalent comfort level and firmness each pilot needed. Kirin wasn't picky and neither were the male pilots.
Wufei had taken a long, white lamp with three levels of adjustment. His desk was sturdy, yet simple, and with so little, he even took the smallest section of the couch to put in his room. With the addition of the bed, he didn't care it was cramped. He cared more for comfort than appearances.
Trowa had taken twin lamps that would be set on either side of his small table. He, at the very least, chose what he wanted in his room. He had a job as a circus clown, and he knew at times he wouldn't be able to be home, so he decided to keep his room simple. He took a chair and stand, two items for his personal use, for his flute. He was an avid musician, and at times, late at night, he'd play a beautiful concerto.
Duo, at last, had taken what was left. He had a lamp that branched out into three sections. His dresser was inhumanely large, taking up more space than his desk and bed combined, and had even a bedside table for himself. The most anyone could get from his room was two feet on either side when standing in the center.
At last it was Kirin's and Heero's necessities. There was a silver, metallic dresser. A lamp that looked somewhat like and angel with a halo and a desk that was so simple, yet advanced to the point that they didn't want to even touch it.
"We'll arrange it the Kirin would have liked it." said Yume.
Heero heard Yume's tone. They spoke as if she were dead! The two girls disappeared upstairs, carrying the lamp and the un-constructed bed frames. He shook his head. Kirin wasn't dead! She'd come back...soon.
What remained was the dresser, desk, and lamp for Heero's room. Heero took two, very tall lamps and a small drawer. He wore no other clothes except for the ones on his back, the ones he used to go out on missions, and the other clothes he had taken from hospitable people.
Quatre and Trowa were already deciding where to place the couches. Underneath the couches was a large, flat-screened television. The two friends looked at each other and tried to find a place to put the television first in order to arrange the couches around it.
Shin and Yume returned and with the help of Duo, got the rest of Kirin's furniture into her room. Wufei was in the kitchen arranging the dining table. Heero was looking at the furniture Kirin had gotten for him. Like Wufei, he didn't care what he got as long as it was simplistic and durable. He sighed and walked towards his room with his lamp. Tonight he wasn't going to sleep. He was to damned worried.
Heero's hand gripped the knob. The metallic scent of blood reached his nostrils. He turned his head from side to side, sniffing the air. It seemed to be emanating from his room. He set aside his lamp and got on one knee. His hand slowly turned the knob, ever so quietly, and opened the door, letting it swing open. He hoped it was Kirin-
Relief turned into shock. Shock turned into rage. Rage turned into concern. His eyes fell upon the curled up form on his floor. The moon shone down on her from the window. He spun and turned on the hallway light. He called for the members of the household and fell to his knees in front of Kirin. He lifted her up from her pose and smoothed back her hair. Blood streaked her silver tresses; there was blood on her face, on her clothes, in her mouth, every possible location. He shook her gently, trying to find some life in her.
Wufei was the first in the room. Quatre and Trowa joined him shortly. Then it was Duo, Shin, and, at last, Yume. They stood at the doorway, not believing that Kirin had been there the whole time. But now there was another problem...was she dead?
Heero put a hand to her wrist. He brought her close to him, trying to hear any indication of breathing. He shook her again. "Kirin...answer me...!"
"Heero, she might've been here for a very long time..." Quatre said softly. "I think she's-"
"No!" Heero growled. "She is not dead!"
No one had heard that tone in Heero's voice before. There was a mixture of pain and sadness as the realization hit. How long had Kirin been there, possibly crying, bleeding, waiting for him? How long had she suffered before she let go and left him?
Heero pulled her close and spoke in a voice no one could hear. He shut his eyes and let the pain settle in his heart. "You and I were suppose to die together..."
"Why do you always have to be so negative?" came the similar, barely audible reply.
Heero almost dropped her if not for her arms around his waist. He stared at her and saw the weak light in her eyes. Knowing better on not showing his true feelings in front of the other houseguests, he resumed his hardened-heart facade. "You were alive after all."
Kirin sighed. She knew why he hadn't what he wanted to. "I can't die so easily, Heero."
Shin and Yume were instantly around her, talking at incredible speeds. Heero simply stood, leaving Kirin to her two friends. He looked at the room. It needed light. "We can have a reunion later. I'm going to fix my room."
"You prick-" Yume began to say. A hand came up and silenced her.
"Not right now...I'm exhausted." Kirin pleaded faintly. "I just need some food, a hot shower, and sleep."
"Will do." Shin chirped. She and Yume then helped Kirin out of the room. There was some ecstatic chatter from Kirin, though faint. She had seen the living room and some of her energy returned.
Wufei shrugged his shoulders. "I guess everything's back to normal now, eh, Yuy?" He turned and joined the three girls in the living room.
Duo looked at Trowa who beckoned for them to leave. He tugged at Quatre who shook his head. The clown and the braided wonder gave each other another look then left Quatre alone with Heero.
"I thought I'd never see the day that you were worried for another human being."
Heero's head slowly turned, a sidelong glance was laid upon Quatre. "You were worried, too."
"Yes, but not as much as you. You practically had enough worry for all of us." He mused.
Heero didn't find that funny. So he was intense and demanding. It was his nature! Among other things. "What are you getting at, Quatre?"
"How much does Kirin mean to you?"
Why, of all people, was Quatre getting into his personal business? Wasn't it enough that they had fought in the war and now they had to discuss his personal affairs? Especially with Kirin? "I don't seeing that as any business of yours."
Quatre's cheerful demeanor didn't falter. "I think its enough that you're too embarrassed to say anything..."
Heero was ready to slam his fist into Quatre's pale face. Instead, saving him the wasted movement, Quatre gave a curt laugh and turned, resuming to help Trowa rearrange the furniture. And now that Kirin was there, she'd help out, too.
Heero moved into the hallway to pick up his lamp. He heard a faint voice which was followed by a pair of boisterous laughing. It was Kirin and her companions. Apparently all she needed was to be with company for awhile and she'd be her normal self again. But a thought nagged the back of his mind. What had happened in the shack? Who could have done such a terrible and gruesome thing? His mind was seriously thinking it had been Kirin...but he needed to hear it from her.
Heero placed his lamp as far away from the window as possible. He liked the moon shining down on his bed. For a brief moment, he though Kirin looked beautiful curled up like a fetus and seeming that she was in a death-sleep. Luckily she was alive or else Lee would suffer his wrath. He went into the living room to pick up the bed frames and mattresses. He spotted Quatre, Trowa, and Wufei adjusting the television height. Duo was fixing up the coffee table and one of the three girls was watching, dictating everything.
Heero picked up the frames without a sound and began dragging his mattress to his room. A faint sound made him stop. He turned to the source and found Kirin smiling at him. She beckoned him with her finger and patted the seat beside her. He gestured with his head that he needed to fix his room before he could spend any time with her. She was ready to stand but the quick jerk of his head made her stop. He went into his room and decided that it could wait later. Right now, Kirin wanted him.
He set down the frames and the pushed the mattress to the wall and emerged out into the living room once again. Kirin was laying down, still beckoning with her finger. Heero came to her side and sat beside her. "Tell me what happened."
Kirin shook her head. There were visible cuts on her face; a cut on her lip, a cut just above her right eye, a cut over her neck. He was glad, to an extent, that most of her injuries were bruises. Though he had seen the blood on the floor in that pathetic excuse for a hideout, he wanted Kirin to tell him every painful detail. "Can it wait until morning?"
Heero had to sympathize with her. She had been through a lot and she was barely hanging on to the energy her friends were giving to her. His hand came to a cut on her eye. "We have to fix you up."
Again Kirin shook her head. "I'll be fine. I can heal perfectly fine without any medicine."
What was he going to do now? He was trying to be helpful, but she kept giving him an excuse to refuse his help and his affection. Maybe not his affection, but she was refusing him some things a man in his position should do. One of which was that he had to protect her in times of need and distress, care for her when she was hurt, and love her at all times.
Kirin read his expression. She couldn't help that she was so completely independent. She saw him wrestle with himself on what to do for her well being. Wasn't there anything for him to do?
"Heero..." Kirin said in a hoarse whisper. "Are you going to fix your room?"
"My room?" Heero repeated. Where was this going?
"Yeah, I mean- are you going to fix your bed and all? Get settled in?"
"Eventually." Heero replied, giving a look at the four pilots who had stopped in mid-motion. "Why?"
"I was wondering...after I took a shower and all, of course..."
Heero felt like he was getting a smack in the face. She was going to ask him to fix up her room too! Of all the luck...
"If I could stay with you tonight." she finished.
Heero let out a long sigh, almost becoming a groan when he did a insignificant double-take. "Stay with me?"
"Just for tonight!" Kirin said quickly. "I promise only tonight. I don't think you'd want to fix your room then go upstairs and fix my room and...well...you know..."
Trust Kirin to boost up his ego. So he was going to be the protective boyfriend after all. Why would any man let his girlfriend, after being raped by a condemned man- condemned by Heero, that is, to be left sleeping alone? He had to seem that it was just another thing a man of his position would do. Except...this wasn't like him at all. Some change was good. Total change was bad. It could either go for better or for worst. "Fine."
Kirin sat up and put her arms around his neck. "Thank you, Heero! You're the best!"
With the ego to put down Wufei's monstrosity, Heero felt pleased with himself that he had made Kirin happy. She turned to Yume and Shin who had missed the whole conversation. They set down plates of food. Obviously they were going to eat with her. Kirin kept Heero close. "Are you hungry?"
"I'll eat later." Heero replied. He stood. "I'm going to fix up my room."
"Oh, ok." Kirin's hand went over to a bag of chips.
"Hey, did you know Heero went to the hospital?" Shin asked. She was about to tip her head back and take a drink of soda when she saw Kirin's expression. "What's wrong?"
Kirin looked at both of her companions. "He went to the hospital?"
"Well, yeah...he was shot a couple times, as if you didn't know." Yume said, in a matter-of-fact tone
"Then what is he doing up, walking around?" Kirin shrieked. She wondered why she was yelling at the girls when she could be yelling at Heero himself. She turned and repeated the question. "What are you doing up, walking around?"
Heero, seeing no objection to his ability to walk looked at her blankly. "It's not as bad as you think."
Kirin leaned over the arm of the chair, grabbing Heero's black shirt before he could back away. She lifted the material and exposed his well-muscled abdomen. There were at least four holes in his lower abdomen and the word ONI on his chest. She stared at the bullets for a long minute then settled at looking at the knifed, ONI tattoo. "Oh, Heero..."
"It's not so bad." Heero said, a little dully.
"You mean it doesn't hurt?" Kirin asked, her fingers feeling over the letters.
"Not any more." he said more quietly.
Kirin blinked numerous times then let out a hurried laugh. She pulled down the shirt and leaned her head on his chest. "It was my fault you got hurt."
"It was my fault you got hurt." He replied, reversing the situation.
Kirin shook her head. "You should've never have gotten hurt because of me."
"You shouldn't have gotten hurt at all."
Yume spoke up. "I don't want to throw up this nice dinner I'm having so you two better put up or shut up!"
Kirin turned and scowled at Yume. She turned back to Heero and hugged him once more, careful in not hurting him. "I'll join you later, ok?"
Heero shrugged his shoulders. Whatever made her happy...which, coincidentally, made him happy, too. He turned and disappeared around the corner.
"You two are the most sickening people I've ever known." Yume cried. "Me and Xel aren't like that at all!"
"Well there's the difference...it's you and Xel, this is me and Heero." Kirin retorted. She eyed the other four pilots. "What?"
Quatre hid a smile. Trowa stared back at her blankly. Duo was concentrating hard on stealing a chip from Shin and Wufei was the only one who seemed worthy enough to give her an answer.
Wufei snorted as she shifted his weight from one foot to the other. "It seems that Yuy is a little sweet on you. He won't admit it but considering the interaction between you two...I'd say he's in too deep."
Kirin would have been visibly blushing, but knowing that her complexion couldn't show such an action, she just turned her head away. Heero seemed like an unattainable and untouchable man. For her it was a honor to be regarded as one who could capture his heart. Thankful for their blind, but watchful eye, she resumed her meal. It was close to ten now and she was becoming increasingly tired. "I'm going to take a shower then I'm going to sleep!"
The other pilots simply waved her off. She didn't want to go upstairs to shower, so she'd bother Heero one last time and tell him she was going to use his shower. She left the living room and passed the closet. She then heard thumping. She eyed the closet and wondered if anyone had heard the sound. The laughter from the living room told her otherwise. Her hand reached for the door and pulled it open. A body fell face first in front of Kirin's feet. She didn't scream, only because it wasn't like her to be startled so easily, but only looked at the body in dismay. It was one of Mike's Elite members.
Heero, upon hearing the thump, stood at the doorway. He remembered telling Shin and Yume to put Melinda away somewhere. Apparently they put her in the closet. Kirin looked at Heero who seemed just about interested in Melinda like he was interested in Relena.
"Heero, can I use your shower?" Kirin asked, ignoring Melinda's muffled shouts.
Heero peered into the bathroom as if making sure no one was in it. He shrugged. "Whatever."
" `Kay!" Kirin complied. She brushed past Heero and went into the bathroom.
Heero was left staring at Melinda who began perspiring. He went into the living room and beckoned with his finger. "What about Melinda?"
Yume and Shin looked at each other. They both shrugged. "Leave her in the closet. We'll play with her in the morning."
Day 3-Safe House (6:15 a.m.)
Duo Maxwell was the first one up. The clock that he had gotten which played a grim and dark melody still played throughout his room. He sat up and stretched. His face immediately took the guise of a smiling idiot and he turned to shut off the alarm. He jumped out of his bed, his very own bed which he picked out the mattress all by himself, and jumped to the window. He opened the window and took in one large breath. He began coughing as the cold air attacked his lungs and nearly froze him in his place. He slammed the windows shut and let out a long sigh. He shivered for a split second and reached for a shirt.
Instead of going with the usual black, he picked a white shirt and fumbled as he put the cotton material over his head. He tumbled about in the room, naturally tripping over accessories that cluttered his room. His radio for instance, which he had left in the middle of the floor. Then there was a drawer from his dresser which was over turned and obviously over-stuffed with clothes. His closet space was already a mess, spending only a mere five minutes rearranging things to his liking.
He only kept his room clean at Relena's estate because he was being pestered by Quatre who gave him a lesson in common courtesy and manners and Heero who always gave him that critical eye and shook his head in dismay. Well, it was his room, his rules! No one was going to tell him to clean up his room! Not now! Not ever!
A knock came at Duo's door. He kicked aside a few piles of clothes and managed to get to the door without falling. He threw open the door and was ready for a great big `hello' to his fellow housemate when he gazed at the grotesque face in front of him, screamed, then promptly shut the door.
The mask depicted fake worms crawling from out of the side of the skull, little dried bits of rice, denoting maggots littered the side of the mouth where skeletal features could plainly be seen. There was a red, half-bitten tongue that hung just from the corner of the mouth. Red liquid oozed off the side, looking fresh and still...thick with life. As the finishing touch, one eyeball was hanging from an optic nerve and the other was simply ripped out. It was a good scare indeed!
Yume pulled off the mask and began laughing, her face turning a hue of red. She remembered all the good times when she would wake Shin up that way. The good-old gore mask she had since she, Shin, and Kirin had gone on a Halloween spook-spree. The spree was just to see how many people they could scare. One of which was inadvertently turned into a mission and the end result was the scariest Halloween anyone in the colonies had ever experienced.
A wry smile came on Yume's lips. For years afterward, that same mask in her hands had scared the breath out of Shin. If it worked even now...the fun she could have with Shin when they were old and gray! She spun on her foot and tiptoed to Shin's door which was just on the other side of the second floor level. She grinned. This was one indication that friends never change...just the surroundings.
Upon hearing the terrified scream, Quatre had emerged, rubbing his tired blue eyes. He saw Yume sneaking towards Shin's room and decided nothing about it. He made a sweep of the hallway clock he had hung for occasions when he didn't want to go back into his room to look. It was seven. He remembered that there were no longer servants so they were all independent. He thought it was his duty, as one of the older pilots, to look out for everyone. In the aspect in terms to food and personal well-being. He closed his door and started for the stairs. He heard a door open then quickly click shut. It was Wufei.
Even at Relena's estate, Wufei wasn't much of a morning person. He'd usually make a rare appearance, get some coffee, then be up in his room again. Many of the servant had wondered what was so interesting that a man insisted he go into his room all the time and not come out, hours at a time? Some thought he was busy with himself. And some even had to clarify that there was some link between the Chinese pilot and Sally Po, the head of the medical facility in the Preventers Corporation.
Quatre continued down the stairs and into the kitchen where everything was neatly packed away to his liking. He hoped Kirin liked it, too. As promised, after her shower in Heero's bathroom, she joined Heero in the room and locked themselves up. Even as the house became quiet, there was the constant feeling of the un-answered question. What were Heero and Kirin doing?
Cooking utensils, new and not even used were now being tested out for the first formal stay in their new home. Kirin had fixed everything electrical and otherwise. Gas was working, water, the telephone lines. There was nothing Kirin couldn't fix.
Being as civilized as he could be, he took some pointers from the cooks at Relena's estate. Everyone liked eggs, bacon, toast, and juice. Some, like Duo, would request milk, some would prefer coffee. He shrugged at his many choices. There were eight of them in a house so it was good to have variety.
A scream pierced the house which made Quatre's heart jump out of his chest. Then he heard loud laughter and more screaming. Instead of fear, it was of annoyance and aggravation. Shin and Yume. A third voice joined in on the argument then another. He knew Duo had joined in the argument because he had heard a loud `hey.' Wufei was in the argument because the three were being too loud. He almost expected Trowa to get into the argument when the silent circus performer was sitting at the table, fit for eight, looking like he had been tossed about in a tornado.
"That bad?" Quatre asked.
Trowa only nodded. But his mood turned better. "Where are the lovebirds?"
"I can only guess they're still sleeping." Quatre answered. He set down a plate of eggs. "Help yourself while the others are starting up their morning tradition."
"Starting up? This is typical of Wufei and Duo." Trowa answered, taking a choice of recently cooked eggs. He placed them on his plate and looked at Quatre worriedly.
"I expect it has extended to include Yume and Shin in it."
"In what?" asked a calmer, female voice.
Trowa and Quatre turned to young girl named Kirin. She looked bright and happy with her hair pulled back wearing an oversized t-shirt. She sat down beside Trowa and gazed at the mass quantities of food. "Wow, Quatre...you made all this?"
"It's called self-preservation." Quatre replied. He set down another set of over-easy eggs. His blue eyes wandered over to the counter. There was already an empty carton of eggs. "Um, Kirin..."
Kirin had a mouthful of toast. She swallowed quickly when she caught the look of dismay in the blonde Arab's eyes. "I know. We'll have to go grocery shopping again."
With that little factor taken care of, Quatre moved to the refrigerator to take out the last carton of eggs. The current amount of food was enough for the pilots who ate a healthy dose of breakfast. The rest of the food Quatre was going to cook was going to be inhaled by three particular pilots.
Heero made an appearance, looking like his usual monotone and bored self. He glanced at Quatre who was slaving over the burners, Trowa and Kirin eating their breakfast, and the coffee machine quietly pumping out dark liquid. He wasn't going to feel any better until he had a cup of coffee. He never relied on the dark liquid before, but since living in Relena's house, it was the only thing that soothed his tense nerves. Now he was almost dependent on it. Almost.
But in question, he knew, was what had happened between himself and Kirin. She had requested to stay with him for the night and he had complied. He saw the look in Quatre's side-long stared. He felt it in the way Trowa subtly shifted his head to look at him. Kirin wasn't giving away anything. She just smiled at him and continued her breakfast. The two pilots knew it was suicide to disturb Kirin's breakfast with something that didn't concern them.
Nothing happened. Kirin had simply taken a shower, dressed in her homely clothes and fell asleep beside him. Of course, in the middle of the night she had woken up and made enough noise to wake him up. Though she was dead tired, she wanted to talk. That was exactly what they did until four in the morning. She had mentioned what Mike had done to her. She explained how she escaped, how the dark side of her had emerged and she had taken things into her own hands. She began to break down at that point, wanting Heero to hold her. She was scared of herself. Never again did she want it to occur when she was in the presence of her friends. If it was enough to scare her, then it was enough to know that it should never happen again. Ever.
Heero took a seat next to Kirin. She gave him an offering of food from her plate which he accepted with the threat of a glare at either pilot who gave him the slightest questioning glance.
The kitchen was soon filled with numerous bodies with accompanying voices. Wufei immediately went to the coffee and poured himself a healthy dose. His looked peeved and was quietly seething in his corner of the kitchen. Yume had piled her plate with bacon, toast, and eggs, and sat opposite Trowa. Duo and Shin were now having a fork battle in which they were fighting over the last remaining strip of bacon.
"You two are like little kids." said Wufei. He came beside Duo and picked up the strip of bacon and set it into his mouth. His mouth curved into a smile. "This is pretty good, Winner."
"I'm please you approve." Quatre said from the stove. He set a fresh new plate of bacon for Duo and Shin to fight over again.
A small discussion between Kirin and Yume had been cut short. There was an urgent rap on the front door. The roommates looked at each other, wondering who would be the one to answer the door.
Kirin, stood, remembering that the house was in her name and it was probably the real estate agent who had come for the rest of his money. She breezed past Heero who had the inclination to stick her at all times. He wasn't letting her get into any more trouble.
With Heero close behind, she almost ran to the front door before Heero could began a mass of tight-lipped questions to the agent. She flung the door open and introduced herself before jumping back, missing the fierce punch. She stared at the figure in front of her and for a split moment, didn't recognize the figure.
Black shoulder length hair spread over the face with two bright green eyes, burning with fury. The black trench coat was usual for a Pirate's attire with calf-high boots and tight black pants. The shirt was red, laced down the middle that stopped just below the ribcage, showing her midriff. There was a visible outline of a weapon, a holster and a what seemed to be an old short-sword of European descent. Something jingled behind the young female's back, but was muffled by her trench coat.
Finally, a sly smile spread on her face. "If it isn't Captain Zero. What are you-"
Zero swung at Kirin again, which prompted Heero to react and pin Zero against the wall. "You bitch!"
"What?" Kirin asked, aware the other pilots were gathering at the hallway. "What did I do?"
"You said you'd pay me for my services! I looked at my account and what do I find? Nothing!" Zero growled. "I want my payment!"
Kirin looked at Yume and Shin. "I knew I forgot something."
"Oh, so am I just some casualty that you think you can just toss me aside?" Zero asked. "I did you a favor and I want you to pay me back!"
Kirin turned back to Zero. "One question: how did you find me?"
"It wasn't hard." Zero replied. She eyed Heero who seemed to be concentrating on her body. "Are you going to let this guy feel me up or is he going to let me go?"
"Heero."
Heero stepped back and managed to removed Zero's pistol, her short-sword, and a chain whip. Zero, of course, was surprised since that particular chain whip was suppose to be a `hidden' weapon. No one was suppose to know she had it.
"Answer my question and I'll see what I can do for you."
Zero pulled her hair back in an aggravated way and crossed her arms. "Like I said, it wasn't hard once word got out that you, Shin, and Yume went rogue. I could've waited a few days until everything smoothed over, but when Lee set out a five billion reward for your return, preferably alive, it was hard to resist to not try and turn you in. But I knew that without you I couldn't have gotten this far. Your address is splashed onto every wanted poster in Space. Not to mention that noon today there's going to be a mass e-mail bombardment to every computer."
"What?" Kirin cried. "WHEN?"
"Noon today." Zero said calmly. "I would've thought that a computer expert such as yourself should've known that."
"You know, Zero...if I go back to Lee, you'll never get your payment." Kirin replied, adding a little hint of venom.
Zero's green eyes narrowed. "You are cruel and unfeeling."
"I'm also manipulative and-"
"BOSSY!" Duo chimed.
Kirin's eyes widened and the effect she wanted to induce on Zero disappeared. Zero choked back her laughter as Kirin gave Duo a glare that could've sliced the air. "Thank you, DUO."
Obviously pleased that he could help, he gave a simple, "No problem."
Scenarios ran through Kirin's head. There was a way for her to stop the e-mail bombardment. She could somehow go into the ONI supercomputer and reconfigure the message- no, she could delete the message and put in its place a replacement message. Yes! She could warn the Earth about Lee's intentions. She'd input detailed transcripts of Lee's plan into the e-mails and the Earth would be forewarned! She'd include pictures, streaming video's of horrendous experiments done to her and others, detailed maps, formulations, companies that were sponsoring Lee, expose the Perfect Soldier Project. She could exploit him and he'd be the most hated man on Earth!
But...what if the people thought it was a hoax? What if their minds were so far up their butts that they couldn't see danger until it was nearly crushing them? What if Lee already thought of that aspect? What if he was a step ahead of her and planning while she was lounging around, thinking she was off the hook?
Another way, there had to be another way. There couldn't be just one path. There had to be numerous paths, one that was both devious and complex. Something Lee couldn't comprehend. There had to be some plan, some step that Lee could have overlooked. He couldn't plan world domination in just a few days. He must've built up to it. The same was for her, she couldn't have just been a General over night. She jumped ranks, she proved her worth, she built up for that one moment when one of the Elders of ONI told her that she was the head of the most powerful Space Army ever conceived. Lee wasn't getting away with it.
Kirin's eyes darted from the face to face. They were staring at her, partly in concern and partly wondering why she was talking to an intricately placed vase near the door. Even Zero had taken that small step back. Her finger still circled her outer ear, a gesture denoting insanity.
Kirin took in a sharp breath. She exhaled slowly and came towards Zero. "I need to borrow your ship."
"Wait just a damn minute-"
"Zero, listen to my terms first. This will benefit both you and me."
Zero's mouth clamped shut. "All right, talk."
Kirin eyed the pilots in the hallway. "This is my plan: we'll intercept the e-mail bombardment that Lee is going to send here. From what Zero has told us, the e-mail will have the address of this location. I suspect that the e-mail will also have information on me as well as on Yume and Shin. Fortunately, the e-mail will not concern itself with you five," Kirin gestured to the five male pilots. "So you are safe. However, I helped configure the supercomputer in ONI and I know that the computer we have downstairs cannot transmit any of the components I will need to seize the e-mail to the computer in ONI. The reason is the long distance link. Though to some computers, distance is not a problem, I made sure that none of the Earth computers can reach ONI, thus having a firewall to protect it from anyone trying to breach the system. This is where Zero's ship will come in handy. Zenith, the name of Zero's ship, is also equipped with a supercomputer that I have also helped
configure. While in Space, I will use Zero's computer, break into ONI's supercomputer and input the codes that will give me access to the e-mail information. There I will delete the message and input a message of my own. In the e-mail I will give a fully detailed report on Lee's objective for Earth. I cannot guarantee that the people of Earth will react well to this e-mail. They may react positively or negatively, it depends how they look at it. But the bottom line is, they will be aware."
"And you plan to do this when?" Shin asked. "This is a fine and dandy plan, Kirin. I'm not doubting you, but it seems like a good plan that will take a few days to complete."
"She's right, Kirin." said Yume. "Time is a factor. I'd love to help in kicking some ass, but I'd also like to enjoy it, too."
"It's near seven, isn't it?" Kirin asked softly.
"Yes." said Quatre.
Kirin remained quite for a moment. She gave an eerie smile to her friend. "Then I guess we better hurry."
The Forgotten Colony-ONI HQ (6:59 a.m.)
Long. Too long. It was taking too damn long! How hard was it to kidnap a silver haired woman, rough her up a bit, and send her on a one-way trip to Space? Apparently it was hard enough for his special Elite to not contact him when he deliberately told them, told Mike specifically, to contact him at six in the morning! Mike was going to get a serious tongue lashing from him.
Lee Ikuza paced the room, glancing at his deskside vid-phone. The minute Mike's face hovered on the screen, he'd be stripped of his rank and placed in the enlightenment chambers as soon as they returned. A wily smile spread over his face. Even better, he'd strip Mike himself. Strip him of his skin, of course.
Lee landed hard on his large, swivel chair and linked his hands just below his chin. He began rocking back and forth, the seconds were ticking away to minutes. The silence stretched out, making his mind play tricks on him. He jerked his head from left to right, something always going beyond the corner of his eye.
His hands began trembling, not with rage, but with encompassing insanity. He could've sworn he heard Kirin laughing at him. That high-pitched sound rang in his ears. His hands came to clamp over his hearing organs, shaking his head, making his world a blur of colors and awkward shapes. There came a low groan, then gradually it heigtened. It was a scream.
He felt the office shake with every move he made. He ducked underneathe his desk, pulling his long legs up to his chest. His mouth began going over formulas he had taken years to learn, to change, and to memorize. Images rushed in and out of his head. Memories poured in from every direction. Sorrow turned to excitement, to anger, to rejection, to more anger, to revelation, the anger came again, to happiness, to regret, another brush with anger, then the final line between sanity and insanity, the peak of achivements, the murder of his sister, the loss of Kirin, anger...so much anger...then...insanity.
Lee Ikuza jumped up from his hiding place when he heard the door open. His personal assistant looked at him worriedly. "Dr. Ikuza, Mike Lane on line three."
"About time." said Lee. He wiped the sweat from his forehead and resumed his feigned good-natured self. He sat at his desk and pushed the button to the vid-phone. He heard Mike's voice before he saw his face.
"Sir...something happened."
"No shit." Lee snapped, his dark demeanor returning as traces of Mike began to show. "Where is she?"
"She..." Mike's face was now fully visible with cuts and bruises. It seemed he was wearing a neck cast, too. "...She almost killed me, sir."
"I told you to take precautions..." Lee said, crossing his arms. He sighed heavily. "If it'll make you feel any better, tell me what happened and I'll walk you along our next plan."
Mike hesitated. He couldn't tell Lee what he was doing to his niece. Not even if Lee threatened to use the piece of meat between his legs to feed to the ferocious dogs Lee was experimenting on. "We had her in the safe house. We were eating."
"What else is new?" Lee inquired, his eyes were set in stone and he stared directly into Mike's eyes. As if looking into his soul.
Mike seemed to squirm under Lee's stare. "Well, we got her from her safe house, that much went ok. But when we locked her in the room for a few hours...she suddenly came out looking all weird. Alan went after her with his knife and she flung him to the wall! Byron came at her with a metal bar and he was knocked out cold! Geneva and Faith came after her, too, but she just smashed their heads together-"
Lee sat up straighter and leaned closer to the vid-phone. "Her eyes. Did she show you her eyes?"
"Yes." Mike said, almost sounding ashamed, but with an underlying of digust was thrown in, too. "Gold. Pure gold. No pupils or anything. She looked like...like...a..."
"An Angel." Lee said softly. "She looked like an Angel, didn't she, Mike? In all her terrifying beauty, she looked like an Angel."
"...Yeah...I suppose..."
Lee leaned back in his chair. "My Angel of Chaos...what did she do to you, may I ask? You seem to have left that part out."
Mike was obviously sweating. Drops of sweat formed at his forehead, slid down the sides of his eyes and centered just underneath his chin. He swallowed hard, an obvious feat, seeing as his neck was cut, but not enough to let blood run. "She...she castrated me."
Lee's blue eyes widened. "And you're still alive?"
Mike seemed to be turning red from either embarrassment or rage. "She did something to me to keep me conscious and the pain to subside. But when she left, it came back in full force. I'm in the hospital right now."
Lee's hands moved to his mouth where an inappropriate smirk played on his lips. He was aware that when Kirin assumed her other worldly state, she was cruel and unpredictable. But to castrate a man? That was going to extremes. Maybe there was a reason for it. "Why?"
"Sir?"
"Why did she do it?" Lee asked. "I'm curious."
"I don't know why, sir-"
"Liar." Lee snapped. "You know why she did it. She retaliated. She never does such a thing for fun! What did you do to provoke her? I would understand she'd throw all her human inhibitions out the door if she was abused and taunted, but not out of the blue."
Mike tried to protest. "Sir, I don't kniw what you're talking about-"
"Did you rape her you dickless bastard?" Lee screamed.
Mike's face turned a deep crimson. It was rage. His mouth didn't have to say it. It was in his eyes and the fact that he was no longer a `man.'
Lee nodded softly, seeing the flare of temper and the red face. "You did. You sick sonofabitch. You raped my niece. Well, I should congratulated her, then. You got what you deserved. How dare you use and touch MY property-"
The vid-phone suddenly shut off. Lee was about to go into a fantastic speech about other people's property when the vid-phone, the lights, and every electrical current went dead. He sighed. "LIGHT!"
Aftera tense few seconds he yelled again. Even in the dark he could see. He moved around his desk and tried his door. Stuck.
Lee slid to the floor, burying his head in his hands. He had to outsmart Kirin. He had to know her every move she made. He had to hire someone who looked innocent and was totally and completely loyal to him. Who could he trust but his own creations? A smile spread on his lips. He knew the perfect answer to his problem.
Ayako Meguri.