by zapenstap
Kyra's car sped along through the colony's main streets at neckbreaking speed. On a highway, it would not have been overly remarkable, but Kyra drove through stoplights and turned corners with barely a check. She nearly missed four people, and only because they were quick enough to realize she wasn't stopping and leapt out of the way.
"You're going to kill someone," Heero said through his teeth, gripping his seat with both hands. "Probably us."
"No, I won't," Kyra said without expression, and sped up.
They passed someone on the street corner waving their arms for them to slow down.
"Hey, that was Duo," Heero said, twisting to look out the back. He was running after them, shouting. To Heero's surprise, Kyra slowed to a screeching stop. Heero could smell the tires smoking. Duo raced to catch up with them and Heero was again surprised to see Felicia--Falora--with him, a black bag slung over her shoulder. They opened the back doors to either side of the car and leaped in, Duo holding onto the roof and swinging in both feet first. Falora seemed to slip in all at once. Seatbelts were buckled in silence and Kyra started again before the doors were fully shut.
"Why's he with you?" Kyra demanded without taking her eyes off the road.
"He saw me and followed," Falora said, brushing hair out of her face. It was up in a ponytail and she was dressed in red again, a red sleeveless blouse and matching pants of some airy, lightweight material. She shook the black bag on her lap. "I've got your bag and the crystals."
"Yeah, I'm really starting to hate those crystals," Kyra muttered.
"They've been useful to me in a number of occassions," Falora said cheerily.
"You might need them again. Teleb's taken a hostage."
"That's what Coran said," Falora muttered. "Are we going to drop my stalker off somewhere? Why is Heero here?"
"Hey!" Duo said indignantly.
"Be quiet," Kyra said sharply. "Teleb's hostage is Relena. He wants Heero to trade the crystals for her."
"What's with these damn crystals?" Duo demanded. "I'd think he'd want the diamond."
"Diamonds are more durable than crystals," Kyra explained, "but they are also more resistent to Alfarian magic. The one we've got was made using a new method and is probably the best of all the power prisms, but it's never been thoroughly tested."
"What?" Duo said. "What are you talking about? I got a call from Sally Po that Relena was taken by that guy Felicia and I went after, so I set out to find her. I thought we were on a rescue mission. What's all this about the crystals? They're worthless market value."
"We can't rescue her with any ease," Falora said more to Kyra than Duo, ignoring his questions. "We'll probably have to exchange the crystals first, make sure Relena's safe, and then fight to get them back."
"Not without any Alfarians," Kyra disagreed. "You couldn't take on Teleb without the crystals, and certainly not if he has them."
"Then let's rescue Relena without making the exchange," Heero proposed. "Perhaps with a distraction to draw his attention away from her."
"No. Teleb will have set wards on her," Kyra said. "He won't need to watch her with his eyes and he could set up a prison around her no strength could break."
"Could," Falora said. "But if all he suspects to deal with is Heero, he won't waste the enegy. I've fought Teleb before, Kyra. Believe me, he won't waste what stength he doesn't have to."
"I still don't understand what you're talking about," Duo complained. "Heero, what's going on?"
"The crystals are magic crystals," Heero replied. "Teleb's some kind of wizard." That sounded ridiculous. Duo gave him a long suffering look as if were making a bad joke. But there was no time for further explanation; they were only a few blocks away.
"He'd be horribly insulted if you said that to him," Falora laughed. "Like really mad."
"It's permissible to taunt an enemy stronger than you," Kyra said with approval. "But don't sweat it, Falora. I've got a plan."
"Oh good," Falora said happily, seemingly comforted. "I knew you would."
"Coran's going to meet us there," Kyra began. "Heero's going to give two of the three power prisms to Teleb, but Falora will keep the diamond for herself. We're going to hope that Teleb will assume Heero didn't think the diamond was what he wanted since he only mentioned the crystals. It's likely Teleb will then take Heero captive after releasing Relena in hopes of making an exchange with Mandred for the crystals. Heero, I'm counting on you to make that happen. You at least have some idea of what you're dealing with and can keep low; Relena doesn't. Teleb will also not have time to set guard wards on you. That will give you some mobility."
"Still lost," Duo said. "Who is this guy? You're real name is Falora?" he said to the girl beside him.
Falora shrugged and nodded. "Are you going to tell me your real name, now?"
"I want to hear the rest of the mission," Heero said sharply.
Falora and Duo subsided into silence.
"Teleb has never met Duo. He will go with Heero and take Relena out of the building. I pray that by this time Mandred knows where we are and will come to our rescue, but if that doesn't happen..."
Heero listened attentively. Kyra wove backup strategies all throughout her plan, allowing always for at least two directions Teleb could make. Still, most of it seemed to run a great deal on luck. Strangely, Kyra's biggest concern wasn't what Teleb might do to them but in keeping him from running away. That, Heero understood, because that was her mission, and regardless of her own peril, the objective must be carried out. At all cost, they had to keep Teleb from fleeing until Mandred could arrive. If Teleb escaped, he'd be impossible to find and who knew what havoc he would wreak? On this world or another. Kyra was also very clear about getting the crystals back. More could be made, but it was difficult and complicated and it would be a hard stroke for the good guys if the Renegades learned the art by studying these examples. Then they could make their own and little incentive would remain to lure them into realms where they could be caught and brought to justice.
Duo settled down as the Kyra finished, but he looked positively bewildered, with his only explanation being that which he could gather in the conversation. "How do these crystals work?" he asked. "I mean, how do I know this isn't a pack of lies and there's no magic in them at all?"
"I might as well test them now, Kyra," Falora said, reaching into Kyra's bag. "That should offer some proof, and more comfort to me. They are untested after all."
"You're a wizard too?" Duo exclaimed. "Is that how you captured Red Viper?"
"Be subtle," Kyra warned Falora. "We don't want Teleb to detect you before it's time.
"Detect?" Duo said, still staring at Falora. "Is that how you knew where Teleb was, before?" He groaned and flopped against the car seat. "This is too much to take in. And the magic. Is that why you wouldn't let me go fight him and then got me captured?"
"Fight him? That would have been stupid," Heero said.
Duo flushed. "Hey, I didn't know!"
"Yes," Falora said energetically, but her attention was focused elsewhere. Both Duo and Heero gasped as she withdrew from the black bag two prism crystals and a diamond the side of a large cherry.
Falora held the crystals in one hand and the diamond in the other, staring at them intently. The crystals were elongated in shape, like shards in a chandellier the width and length of an index finger, yet they glittered as if cut full of facets. Abruptly, he noticed there was also color in them, tiny rainbows trapped inside. Heero had seen crystal prisms or even glass windows project rainbows on walls under the light of the sun, but these could only be seen within the crystal, and only in flashes.
The diamond was more exquisite still. It seemed darker and heavier, almost metallic in its sheen. The facets on its faces were real, and so many that it was difficult to see the overall shape. It looked like an engagement ring stone, round at the top and ending in a central point like a cone. There were no rainbows within, or if there were, they were too deeply buried to be seen by the naked eye, but there were colors. A deep ocean blue tint seemed to flicker within the diamond, occasionally joined by lighter shades.
Suddenly, as Heero and Duo leaned in for a closer look, the colors and mysterious glitter vanished. Falora must have done something to them to produce that effect, but Heero noticed nothing but the result. They looked ordinary now, plain crystals and a diamond. Of course, the diamond was extraordinary without the glittler, and Duo in particular could not seem to wrench his eyes off it.
"That must be worth a fortune," Duo said in awe. "But didn't the diamond shatter?"
"This is a new one. I don't know where they find diamonds like this," Falora said, bouncing the jewel on her palm. "But Renegades would pay more for one of these power prisms than an ordinary diamond." She closed her hands into fists and extended the one with the crystals to Heero. "Here," she said. Heero opened his hands and she dropped them. "They're useless to you, but please be careful anyway. There's no telling what will happen if you break them."
"They won't break," Kyra said. "Mandred enforced them already."
"Mandred?" Duo said. "I don't get it."
"Not too bright after all," Kyra said, but she smiled. "Don't worry about it. If he shows, you will soon enough."
Falora laughed and withdrew a slender white cord from Kyra's bag. Heero watched in amazement as she somehow strung the diamond onto the cord as if it were a bead. Except that Heero knew that the diamond did not have a hole in it. Then Falora tied the cord about her neck like a necklace. Instantly, the cord no longer looked like a cord at all, but a necklace of plaited silver. The diamond hung on it like a pendant.
"Wow," Duo said. And then again. "Wow."
"That's an easy one," Falora said with a toothy grin.
Kyra snorted. "We're here," she said, and stopped the car. "Heero, you and Duo get out like I'm just a friend dropping you off. I'm going to park the car, but we'll be right behind you. Remember, in matter of importance, it's Relena's safety first, then the crystals, then Teleb. With a little luck, we should be able to manage all three. We have to manage all three."
"Understood." Heero and Duo climbed out of the car and stood on the sidewalk as Kyra drove away.
"With a lot of luck, she means," Duo muttered. "She's left out any danger to ourselves. It seems more likely we'll all get killed and Teleb will escape clean."
Heero dropped the crystals in his coat pocket and turned resolute toward the building. "I've accepted this mission," he said.
"Me too," Duo said, and followed. "I just don't like it. How can you be so cool?"
"I've got to rescue Relena. Keep your mind on what we're doing and stop thinking about everything that could go wrong. We'll never get the nerve up if we start contemplating what assets Teleb has that we don't understand."
"Easy for you to say. You don't have any nerves."
Heero smiled, but didn't answer. "Remember, Teleb knows even less about us than we know about him. We might be able to do more than he, or even Kyra, suspects if we keep our heads and the mission in clear view."
"You really haven't changed that much, have you?" Duo wondered aloud. "A little more open and varied in social skills, but still the same old Heero Yuy, accomplishing missions and protecting Relena."
"Yeah, well, if harm was ever hurled your way, I'd do the same for you."
"Thanks so much, but I might be better off staying as far away from you as I can get. It's you that's got her in trouble this time, or your connection with Mandred rather."
"That," Heero said coldly, feeling chilled, "is why I have to save her." And stay away after that.
Duo put his hands behind his head. "Well, if it makes you feel better, I think she likes it. Being troubled by you, I mean. Must be boring, her job." He laughed. "That's why I'm not a Preventor! Too many rules and regulations. I'm my own boss!"
Heero looked at him. Relena liked him troubling her? Was it okay to say "whatever makes you happy" if what makes you happy is dangerous? Or was that not really the case here? He didn't want to put Relena in harm's way--he couldn't bare to see her hurt--but he could very well stand aside either. When he was near, she was in trouble. When he was away, she was in trouble. What was he supposed to do?
"I've got to rescue Relena," he said. "Whatever else happens, she has to survive."
"Everybody's agreed there so far, Heero," Duo said blandly. "I'm a little more worried about what she might think of that."
Heero wasn't sure whether to smile or worry.
*****
Teleb watched the clock ticking in silence. The whole room was silent now, blessedly quiet and calm. The child had not stopped talking since she regained consciousness. She had refused to believe she was in the colonies and demanded to know his intentions. He smiled at the thought. A Portal from the room in which he had found her to this place had been an obvious course of action, but it was one she would never have considered. It was pitiful, the abilities human beings lacked and did not miss. The ability to travel anywhere, anywhere at all, without the compromise of time, was denied them. And how quickly they were frightened and killed! Immobile, weak, their lives were like a breath of wind, stirring nothing, accomplishing nothing. And there were so many of them! They populated like rabbits, lusting all the time, abusing their women, neglecting their children, throwing their society into ruin. That they should be considered equals to the High Powers was an abominable notion. He only marvelled it took him so long to realize it. But he was in a minority, a fugitive minority, and if there was ever to be a turning of tables, the power would have to be balanced.
Soon. Soon he would have the crystals. And then there would be changes. Great changes.
"Please let me out," came a muffled voice.
He had locked the girl child in a large trunk when it became apparent that she would not sit quietly. Even then she would not cease her tirade, unintelligeble though it was. It was only after he told her that her Heero was the on the way that she stopped babbling and fell silent. It was well for her, for her senseless words knawed at his patience, and he became violent when his patience wore thin. Living in the same territory as one of those ruthless Masters had that effect on him at times. But he had monitored the boy's movements, and no Alfarians came within a hundred yards of him since he agreed to Teleb's errand. It was good this boy of Mandred's was so obedient. The crystals were useless to humans anyway, and he would keep his word and release the girl if he could claim them. He considered himself honorable to his word.
"Please?" the voice came again.
Teleb waved a hand and the sweet rush of power flowed through him. The trunk unbuckled itself and the lid flew open to reveal a girl in a now-wrinkled periwinkle blue suit and embroidered white blouse. Her brown-blonde hair was wild about her face from her confinement, but her face and eyes were steady.
She had drawn a small gun and had it fixed at him levelly.
"I don't know who you are," she said in low, commanding tones, "but I..."
Teleb smirked and wrenched the weapon from her hand without moving a finger. Her eyes widened in shocked amazement, but she had no time to move or comment because Teleb smashed the handle of the gun into the side of her head from where he stood twenty feet away. He moved nothing but his eyes this time. The girl collapsed back into the trunk.
Teleb supposed he would have to revive and move the child soon so that the exchange could be made in good faith. He smiled as one of his alarms around the building was triggered. The boy had arrived. Excellent. He hated delays.