Wanders: Il Caduto Dimenticato
By Eve
DISCLAIMER: I honestly think these things are pointless. But
in fear of getting sued to nothingness, I do not own Gundam
Wing. Although maybe for my seventeenth birthday in a month...
**
Part Four: Prelude to Chaos
"Standing in the middle of yesterday
Where it all went wrong
Where we made mistakes..."
~ Our Lady Peace, "Middle of Yesterday"
**
Paris.
It was the city of lights.
It was the city of love.
It was the city of broken memories.
Everything in Paris was still as lavish as she remembered, she
thought with a wry smile. The airport was still very much
suave and outrageous, glass windows giving an elaborate view
of the city and pearly white floors hoping to convey wealth
and cleanliness. Exuberant but elegant, she was in Paris. The
shrill ring of her cell phone rudely interrupted her thoughts.
"Shit," she muttered, fumbling with the buttons. "Hello?"
"Rel?," came the response from Cat's soft and tired voice. She
relaxed, the tension of the last couple hours releasing its hold
on her. "Bad time, huh?"
She sighed softly, sitting in the nearest chair. She rubbed her
face tiredly. "No, it's good that you called. I need to her some
sort of reassurance after god knows how long in the bloody
airport."
Catherine chuckled. "Bitter much? Where's Yuy?"
"Bathroom, flying really took its toll on him," she responded
darkly. "It's been interesting so far..."
"Rel..."
"Look," she began. "I'm trying, but I have absolutely no
sympathy what so ever with issues the concern the project.
Doc made it clear. Besides, I was nice at first."
Cat sighed. "Honey, you probably scared him shitless. Although
I do find a bit of humor in the situation in a perverse way."
"Good," she muttered. "I'm glad I can provide entertainment
nonetheless. How's South Africa? And before you answer that
question, is it even humanly possible for Jasper to be on time
for anything?"
"I think you answered your own question, dear. To answer the
question about my own little rendezvous, it hasn't started yet.
I leave in an hour or two for the boat to get to the mines. Right
now, I've been taking care of some business."
"And you say I'm bitter," she mocked with a small grin. Her
expression became serious. "So what news do you carry?"
"Well, we have an ASAP calling to London as soon as tasks
are fully completed." Her voice grew darker, with a weary
tinge. "There are some unhappy people. Doc sound shaky
when she mentioned London."
She bit her lip, eyes unconsciously watch Heero warily. The
only time Doc became angry was when there were talks
about 'turning'. "Cat," she began softly. "The Process..."
She heard a gasp. "You think?"
It was a question the both knew the answer to, but it remained lingering
in the air. If it did proceed to happen this soon at least, things were not
going well at all. Relena glanced at her watch and then spoke.
"Be careful and remember to keep a low profile."
Silence.
"You too. Try to keep your sanity in check."
A faint smile crossed her lips.
"Can't make any promises, love."
**
He had never seen Dorothy Catalonia clutch anything so
dear in her life. He would have deemed the situation
somewhat amusing, but from the look of Quatre's
haggard expression and the wild glint in Catalonia's
eyes it was better to keep his lips sealed. Beside it
seemed to be his safest option.
He didn't really need to have Relena pull a
knife on him again.
He felt kinda proud in a way. Well, a sick, perverse
way, but proud. She didn't take any bullshit from
anyone, but she made herself know in a quiet,
respectable manner. Except when you pissed
her off.
"Where's Rellie?"
He looked up surprised, meeting the blank yet
unnerving expression of Dorothy. "She's..."
"Right here." He turned around and saw Relena
walking towards the trio with a really shady looking
character. Christ, he thought. I'm losing it because
Duo's the only one who uses the term 'shady'. He
shook his head and watched as a grin formed on
Dorothy's lips.
"Well if it isn't the mechanical bastard himself. Bonjour
Jasper! Still robbing candy from small children?"
Jasper rolled his eyes. He reminded Heero of one of those
characters out of those really cheesy gangster movies, greasy
hair and all. "And you mon cher seem to still hold the reign
on the role of Jezebel."
Relena smacked him, causing the man to wince. "Act your
age," she muttered.
"She started it," Jasper exclaimed, clutching his arm.
"She merely spoke for the two of us."
Jasper held up his hands. "Hey, hey animosity is not
welcome. And beside I understand when I am
surrounded."
Relena rolled her eyes and Dorothy shook her head. This
guy was a complete character, Heero thought. A Duo
Maxwell gone wrong. Jasper sighed and then grinned.
"These are the Gundam pilots, no?"
Heero watched Relena groan and close her eyes, expressing
her initial frustration. Dorothy stepped forward, the wild
glint returning to her eyes. He could have of sworn he heard
Winner mummer, "Oh God..."
"Did you secure a place?"
"Of course, mon cher. At the Petit-Astre [1] near the flea
market. I am not stupid. I make good plans."
"Sometimes I wonder," Relena muttered. "Listen Jasper, Heero
and I will catch up with you guys later." He watched her briefly
meet Dorothy's gaze. "Got something I need to do, love."
Jasper nodded and finally took the hint, motioning for the other
two to follow. Dorothy turned to Relena, holding up the package
she clutched. "London."
She nodded. "London."
They waited until the group had vanished into the sea of people
in the airport. He heard Relena let out a shaky sigh. "Look Heero,"
she began softly. "I know you were expecting someone else,
someone who I can never be now or ever again. Although it
was rather amusing to see your expression after I pulled a knife
on you, it was completely unnecessary."
She grasped his arm gently, causing a familiar tremor to run
through his body. It was that same feeling he felt so many
years ago, on Libra when... He sighed. It seemed the endless
waltz had no intention of leaving him alone. Wonderful, he
thought. Everything is just wonderful.
Relena continued on. "I have the greatest respect for you,
Yuy. Deeper than you'll ever know, but you at least need
to understand this for me. You and I are a team, partners.
You complete me and I complete you. It's as simple as
that, but you need to learn how to trust me because out
there... Out there is a world that you can only trust one
person. So please, onegai [2] don't make another Dorothy
and Quatre relationship. You saw how they were... I want
to be on good terms before I... Before I..."
He unconsciously pulled her closer. "She turned didn't she?" She
nodded. It was enough for him, no better answer was needed.
From an outsider's point of view, they looked like a young couple
in love hoping to have a fresh start. It was love that had with stood
so many trials and tribulations.
"I understand, Relena."
**
She forgot how beautiful South Africa was. Endless plain after plain
spread almost into eternity and then if you turned around you were
faced with the luscious green rainforest. Whirlwinds of green and the
sounds of nature rung in her ears. It was a very surreal experience.
She still missed the fog-induced streets of Moscow.
"Agent Bloom?"
She turned around. "Yes?"
"We're going to dock soon. Shall I go and let Mr. Barton know
that it's time to be on deck?" She shook her head and pointed to
where Trowa was standing.
"It's completely unnecessary. I think he found me..."
The young agent smiled and took the hint to leave. She grabbed
her backpack and motioned for Trowa to follow. Standing at the
edge of the boat as it ready to dock, she turned to Trowa. "Stay
close to me. I've been to this area before so I'm not viewed as a
threat, you will be deemed as an outsider."
"Hostile people?"
She felt a smirk trying to grace itself onto her features. "You could
say that..." Once the boat docked and their group gathered on the
dock, Catherine found herself stiffening at a familiar presence.
"McPerson," she growled.
A smirked crossed her oppositions' features. She could see, no feel
the predatorial glint in the blonde-haired, blue-eyed man. She nearly
groaned as she met the eyes of McPerson's partner, Katie Jenkins.
I'm surrounded by my favorite people, she thought bitterly.
"Bloom, you're still as lovely as always. Council was worried you and
ya pal would run into some trouble."
She crossed her arms. "So let me guess, they had to sent
you and the scantily-clad Jenkins?"
He winced and she watched with immense pleasure as Jenkins
took a step back. She felt Trowa stiffen. He heard some stories,
she thought. Great...
"Look, spare me the drama. I have twenty hours before I need
to report to London. This is business and that means," she
paused, pointing to the two standing in front of her. "I want
no crap from either of you. I don't want to relive Siberia.
Understood?"
"Of course lass. Anything for my girl."
She glared at him.
"Let's go."
**
"So what's this? The backstabber's hijack reunion?"
Merian held back a smile as she watched Colin growl. He wanted to
play, she'd play. There was no sense in wasting a good 'ol ass kicking.
She was a firm believer in that concept. She watched as he motioned
for his men to take the controls.
"I wouldn't do that," she began with a singsong voice. "It's on auto-pilot..."
He looked at her. "You knew didn't you..."
She looked at him innocently. "Who me?" She motioned Wufei to stand
behind her. Since these guys were dumb enough and she could probably
make this work... He kept his eyes on her.
"You knew I was on board?"
She shrugged nonchalantly, slowly pointing to her pant leg as if she were
itching it. "I could of known." She watched Colin with a semi-amused
expression. He was getting pissed off.
"You did."
She rolled her eyes, letting out a sigh. "Are we going to argue like a bunch
of three year olds?" She felt Wufei unhitch the gun from its harness.
"Enlighten me," she began signaling for Wufei to resume his position. So
far so good...
"Why'd ya decide to hijack a plane full of old and senile men and
women? I mean honestly? Wouldn't that be cramping your style?"
He smirked. "Same sense of humor. Still a damn bitch." He pointed to
Wufei. "Boss wants 05 alive and well." She watched as Colin's two
henchmen grabbed Wufei, who tensed visibly. Colin cocked his gun at
her forehead. She wanted so badly to laugh. He was taking the bait...
"See the boss told me to kill the Council so he had no trouble. Come on,
without the rich old farts in the back Paci's nothing. And not to mention,
the world's a better place."
She rolled her eyes. "And you'd shit your pants when that happens."
He ignored her, taunting her with the cool metal of the gun's barrel
pressed even further into her forehead. Thank god for my high pain
tolerance, she thought wryly. "Then much to my pleasure, you'd have
no use in this plan of ours. So as sad as I am to waste a hot piece of
flesh like yours, any last?"
She looked at him and nodded, a cold smirk slowly spreading across
her face. "Yeah, you know what? I do."
He gave her a cocky smile. "And what's that?"
She stretched out her legs with a mock yawn.
Moron.
"Fuck you."
She dropped kicked Colin, flipping him backward onto the ground
with a resounding crack. Mentally wincing, she grabbed the gun and
found herself faced with very POED henchmen. A sugary smile
crossed her features. "Problem, gents?" Before response could
happen, Wufei managed to take control of the situation with a
roundhouse combination that left a broken nose and a concussion.
"Not bad Gramps. Not bad at all."
He gave her a death glare and something that closely resembled a
smile. For a fleeting second, she was reminded of how handsome
Wufei was when he smiled. It brought a comforting feeling inside
of her. She shook her head and slid into the controls. Now was
not the time for reminiscing.
"What do want me to do, onna?"
She pointed to a compartment above the door to the cockpit and
tossed him another gun. "There should be some rope and masking
tape in there. Put them in the cabin, the council will decide what to
do with them."
"Just like that?"
"Wufei," she began quietly. "This is an organization that you keep
your mouth shut and don't ask any question when it regards
traitors."
"They're going to be executed?"
"Wufei, I suggest if you want to spare yourself with any further
confrontations with my anger don't press the matter."
"They are."
She gripped the controls, almost violently unswitching autopilot. The
feeling again, her breath became short and she let out soft gasps. It's
too early...
"Chang, I'll tell you again. Don't push it; just do what your fucking
told for once. I need to land this bitch."
She closed her eyes.
Cairo here we come...
**
The room was dark enough to allow some comfort, light only making
its presence known when the door was opened and shut. He watched
his hand swirl his wineglass around and around, the crimson liquid
touching the edges quickly. He barely heard the phone ring in the
background.
"Beautiful..."
The phone rang again, the ring sounding more urgent this time. He
frowned, something was not right.
"Hello?"
"Sir, this is the London base. We are just responding to orders to let
you know that everything is ready."
"Oh? Is that all..."
"Corporal, sir. Corporal James Henry, sir."
"Well you seem like you're holding back, Henry. Is there something
wrong? You know I don't like problems."
He heard a shaky sigh and let a smirk cross his features. It was good
stuff then. "Sir, we have a Lana Emanuel here waiting in the front
office for Mr. Maxwell. She says its urgent business."
"Urgent business?"
"Yes, but we did a check and we found that her trip was paid by
a J.P Carson from Brussels."
"Thomas Larson, eh?"
He heard a sigh. "We have a mole, sir. What should we do
with her? Protocol calls for-"
"Send her to housing and keep her there. Tell her its regulation
and that Maxwell should be there within some time. Inform Ms.
Schibecker and then continue with plans."
He hung up.
This was good.
Very good.
Maybe he'd only have to put three of them through the
process after all.
**
[1] Little Star
[2] It means please.
**
This was a message before FF.net went down:
Oh, challenge by the way. MY birthday is coming up on August 3 and I challenge someone to
write a Trowa/Relena fic. The plot has to involve them being trapped somewhere and they are
forced to completely rely on each other. Has to be romance/ angst too! Gotta send it to me
first.
R&R please!
The after message ff.net came up:
Sorry posting took so long. I was in Florida for a time
and really couldn't do much of anything except write.
Which by the way, I got a lot of new stuff that I'm working
on!
I want ten reviews this time!
(;
Ev