Wanders: Il Caduto Dimenticato
By Eve
"I'm only happy when it rains
My only comfort is the night gone black
I'm riding high upon a deep depression
I'm only happy when it rains."
Garbage, "Only Happy When it Rains."
**Part Five: When Everything Goes Bad
**
//Graveyards were definitely not her thing. The cold air and the dead trees created an atmosphere of emptiness. Something she was all too familiar with, unfortunately. She walked slowly behind her ba-ba and her pa-pa, her only relatives left now. The old man and woman despite how much their bodies aged, walked with their heads held high and proud. She admired them for it, for it was something she could only do out of respect. She had nothing left to give anymore. Her eyes wandered to the girl next to her. Poor Dee, she thought tiredly. Her eyes were empty and faded, somewhat resembling crushed emeralds. Her long blonde hair hung limply against her shoulders, gently brushing against her face with the winds. Her head was lowered, unlike the rest of the small group. She couldn't even imagine what was going through the other girl's mind.
Yet she knew that she herself was about to lose all brink of sanity.
They reached the fresh grave silently, the priest opening the bible to start the typical Orthodox ceremony as her ba-ba and mother requested before her death.
Request...
Promise...
She had promised to take care of Alexi on that horrid night at the concentration camp in St. Petersburg. She had promised to be his family, to take care of him without regarding anything else. But like many others before me in this time of absolute hell, she sold my soul.
She sold her soul in order to survive.
To live her life with regrets.
With anger and with pain.
In total darkness.
The irony of it all...
Her codename was Darkness. She was the pilot who trained to kill and disappear with no trace, but a shadow, one shadow in the dark. It's the way it was, the way it will always be.
She had become nothing.
No more duty for her family.
No more love.
Rationality.
Anger.
Emotionless.
Darkness.//
She opened her eyes, with a soft gasp. "Alexi," she mummered softly. She had left them to the dogs. It was inconceivable, she knew. She went into this with no brother and she would leave it with no brother either, regardless of the past promises she had made. And she also knew that no matter what she did or say, she would always be haunted by the past. It was curse whether willing or not she had to take.
"Catherine?"
She looked up to meet Trowa's emerald green eyes filled what she could make out as concern. She sighed. He wanted to battle, then she'd battle.
"You have questions?"
It was more like a sense of common knowledge than a question. She could feel it radiating off of him. This should be interesting. Trowa slowly sat down in the seat across from her, eyes never leaving her own.
"Yes."
She pushed herself up off the seat, leaning forward with her hands on either part of her face. Her eyes watched him carefully, pinning him still. She motioned for him to start, they still had a little while before they reached the cave.
"Where are we going?"
She was silent, grabbing a picture out of her knapsack. She handed it to him, careful to avoid any full contact. She watched as his eyes clouded with confusion.
"It's a cave."
She nodded. "Yes, it's an old diamond mine."
"But what is our purpose?"
Violet eyes met emerald. "We are going to retrieve a map and nothing more. It'll be explained once we get to London. Anymore questions?"
He handed her back the photograph.
"Who is Alexi?"
//She stood tall and stared strait ahead to avoid any visual contact. She'd break down if she did. And if they saw her break down, it was back to the chamber for her. She had nothing left. She was dead.
Dead...
Dead...//
"Alexi is my brother."
**
Okay so she was an adrenaline junkie.
She wasn't ashamed to admit it. It was a part of her in some weird way that had never left when she took on the mission to become Gundam Pilot 02's watcher and protector. A charming part of her personality she remembered telling Relena once. Of course Re's dry response to that comment was that she was bloody nuts regardless of what she did.
Good ol' Re.
That was a partnership that she rather take into effect now than instead of her supposedly growing bond with her counterpart. She took a breath and hide behind a cement beam, eyes wandering to the top of the roof where she could see a still bewildered Maxwell watching her. Hilde bit back a smirk. She told him she was going to jump.
Now to set things right and get down and dirty for business.
She closed her eyes. Its time, she thought. It's time to get into the frame of mind and open up that scary part of me.
Yeah.
She slowly opened her eyes.
Five men armed center and to right, holding three Paci guards unarmed.
Six bullets, four in her pocket... She pushed herself into a standing position, slowly twisting the silencer and pointing the gun into position.
One.
Attention focused on her position, one man attending while Paci guards are shoved into open truck. Three left to terminate.
She glanced quickly, watching Duo out of the corner. He was still there, waiting for her signal incase of trouble. She held her breath in, keeping an eye on the approaching three.
Too easy.
Two.
Three.
Four and five watching her post cautiously. She would deal with five on her own.
Raising her hand swiftly, she motioned for Duo to do the deed.
Four.
Thank god, they were farther away from the other ambushers.
"Who's there? I'm armed!"
She smirked when she heard the panicked cries of victim number five. She had three minutes to spare, well to play that is.
The wind blew a wisp of her ebony colored hair.
It's showtime.
**
"She's not that bad of a brood."
Quatre's moved his gaze up, staring at the shorter man in front of him. It was bad enough that every single emotion in the room had decided to target him as a receptor. All he wanted was a break now and the sad thing was he knew he looked disoriented.
"Excuse me?"
It was the only thing he could offer in terms of speech.
"Mlle. Dorothy. She isn't that bad."
Okay, he never ever thought bad thoughts about anybody even Dorothy for that matter. But there was something so close to evil. This whole thing was just beyond confusing. They weren't involved in a war; it was more like the apocalypse.
Good and evil, the race against time.
"Her eyes are dead."
Jasper chuckled lowly and shook his head. "It seems to me, Mousier Winner that you had a specific perception of her. And when you finally saw the core of her very existence, you changed your view almost immediately."
"I don't understand what you're implying. But I do know what I am seeing. I do not see a soul."
He watched as the other man leaned forward, a chilling grin bearing all his teeth. "Mlle. Dorothy and I do not get along, I admit that. Yet, I respect the woman, all of the girls, without any exception. What they lived through and what they're willing to die for goes beyond any bravery and honor anyone has."
He paused.
"She has a soul, Mousier Winner, but an incomplete soul."
**
Late.
The taxi ride had been silent so far. Relena had contacted Dorothy from the airport, telling her that they'd be there in less than twenty minutes. Speaking too soon, they had run into some horrible traffic. It didn't seem to bother Relena all too much, but to him the stupid taxi ride seemed endless. His eyes turned to his partner, who was leaning against the seat with her arms crossed and eyes shut.
Questions.
Oh, he had many of those. He didn't know where to start if he ever had or was granted. But there one question that he was dying to ask, one question that to him would make sense of everything.
"Just ask it, Heero," Relena's tired voice spoke, interrupting his thoughts. "It's the one question that I'll actually make an honest attempt to answer."
He sighed. "How did it happen?"
She turned to face him, eyes cast astre. "We didn't have any training like you did. Everything we have learned, everything we have come to become is all based on basic survival," she paused with a sigh. "I might as well be the one to explain it, love. There's no way any of the others will have the same rationality, now. Especially since Dee was the first to turn."
And it begins...
"We were born during a time when peace and prosperity were at the peak of all peaks. My mother was the daughter of one of Ireland's Ministers and father was a young prince, they had both married at the call of direct duty. My father became king at this time and then nearly a year later Millardo came, then ten years later with things starting to crumble into tinier pieces... I came. My mother's family had been notified... Meanwhile, Dee-dee was born to a very happy Count and Countess in France. Cat was the daughter of an English Diplomat and Russian court belle and teething. Hil beat me by three hours and a day and was the daughter of Spanish animal rights activists. Mer was born to a family of twelve in Perking, they were a farming family. Cat is the oldest and I am the youngest."
"You talk of your families as if they're dead," he spoke softly.
She chuckled. "You pick up on everything, don't you?" He knew it was a way for her to avoid further conversation. He didn't push, knowing that she would tell him when she was ready. It was an almost a warming feeling that she had started to partially trust him again. Another sigh and he watched as she shifted to the window.
"Without disrespecting the other's need for privacy, I'll just speak about my time."
She took a deep breath and his hand reached out to grab hers. Relena looked at him in surprise, but said nothing.
"Despite the records and the history books, my father didn't even come close to the greatness that they all portrayed. He had no interest in success or the people, only furthering the power of the Federation. His marriage to mother was only out of convenience and a wish from my grandfather on his deathbed."
She paused, tapping on the window that separated them from the driver. She pointed to the right. She continued on.
"When Millardo was born, my father was ecstatic. For a time he had begun to persecute the people and with a new son it only became worse. People were starving and dying on the streets. This granted the Alliance an opportunity as well as secretly the Society to slowly pick everything my father had supposedly worked for. The Society is what my father should have worried about, for it was being headed by one of his own, General Wallace Harrington, his top aid and advisor."
"The man was a total military genius and had high hopes to orchestrate a takeover, pawing both my mother and brother as initial players. It, to make a long story short, was a bitter battle between my father and him that was taking the turn towards a stalemate. That's when I came along..."
//"Michael, please," Margaret cried out, her blue eyes filled with undeniable fear. "Please don't do this."
With a crazed look in his sky-blue eyes, Michael Peacecraft snatched the quiet child and almost threw her at the General. Thank god his son wasn't here, he though suddenly. The boy had grown an attachment to his daughter. He turned to his sobbing wife.
"She can't be my daughter," he began with a growl, pushing out any feelings within. "She barely even speaks and never wants to play with the other children. She's a freak, goddamn it! Plus I have sons, no goddamn daughters!"
He turned to Harrington. "My trusted friend, take her to the camps. I have no use for a daughter."
"But what about her highness?"
His expression turned to grim. It was almost as if he did love his wife and daughter from some period of time.
"I will deal with my wife."
The General nodded and took the small girl by the shoulders, guiding her out of the room.
Screams.
"Mama..."//
The taxi cab pulled up at the front of the restaurant and Heero spotted Dorothy.
"We're going to have to continue this conversation later."
He nodded.
Hopefully, there would be a later.
**
Relena and Heero were late.
She hated lateness.
Brr-ring!
Almost as much as she hated cell phones.
"Welcome to Satan's Answering Service. We strive to take last minute confessions and then laugh at you after you're done."
There was a chuckle.
"You sound cheery."
"Rel's late," she muttered. "Rel's never late."
Another chuckle.
"Paris had bad traffic and Rellie's with Yuy, you gotta give her a break."
Dorothy rolled her eyes. "I don't trust the gundam pilots. I have never trusted them or the people they keep in contact with, Mer."
"That's partially the reason I called. You have to tell Rel to call me."
Silence.
"Leak?"
"Something like that. I just found out after my near death experience with Colin's band of morons. Plus landing the damn plane was a fucking pain in the ass. Migraine status has gone off the charts let me tell you."
"Let me get this strait," she responded. "Plane, Colin, leak?"
"Nope. Colin, Plane, then the damn leak or mole if you prefer specific terminology. We're on a secure line."
"So to speak."
"Uh-uh. Sure. Fine. Whatever."
She shifted from foot to foot, watching Jasper try to make conversation with the petrified Winner.
"Who's taking care of this?"
She was met by a sigh. "Hil's under strict orders to do the dirty deed but has no clue she does, ironically. You on the other hand are under orders not to get involved."
A smirk crossed her face. "They're afraid of little 'ol me?"
"Dee-Dee..."
"What?"
There was silence and her expression darkened.
"Just tell the boo, I called. I need to talk to her."
Eyes shut.
"Fine."
"Take care."
A taxi pulled up and Heero stepped out followed by Rel.
"Fuck."
**
"Miss?"
She looked up, squeezing her hands tightly to stop them from shaking. For Duo, she thought. For a normal life...
No, her conscious argued. You're doing it for Tommy. It's always been for Tommy. He needs to see.
"Miss, I'm going to have to ask you to come with us."
Tommy...
"You," she began softly. "You said what? My ear infection has gotten worse."
Tommy...
Her hand reached for the gun.
"Miss..."
Game...
**
...Time
Three men down to go. Duo had covered the roof well, she thought with a smirk.
WAITING.
Behind the shed, over the bridge... It was the same pattern of the Hinoiri* gang from Tokyo.
Oh shit.
"Duo!"
She grabbed a shot gun from the side and kicked up a knife. Duo turned and saw the guy, but it was too late.
"Drop the gun, kawaii-onna*."
Someone's gonna get his ass kicked, she thought, holding back the overwhelming urge to just shoot the man now.
The two goons from the behind the shed and the bridge stepped out slowly approaching her warily. Her eyes wandered to their guns.
Man one, one bullet. Ten seconds to load cartilage in right pocket. He's favoring it with opposite hand.
She had one for him.
Hilde slowly brought the shotgun to the ground.
"Stand up with your hands in the air."
She stood, eyes never breaking contact with Duo''. AT least he didn't move.
Man two, double round. One to the head, slide tackle from the left side.
"I never thought I'd see the day I'd get to kill the exceptionally beautiful Goddess of Death and her delicious looking partner."
They hacked.
Note to self, kill the moron who deleted Relena's security system. Better yet, making go through the installation process.
"You're a perv man," she heard Duo mutter.
Note number two to self; make sure this one goes quickly
Man Three, six rounds and knife to the heart with the quickie neck break. The see if Maxwell is okay, send him to kil driver.
"Can I ask you a question, muchacho?"
The guy's eyes narrowed and she spotted the knife a foot away from him. Her eyes moved to Duo's.
Duck and kill the driver.
He nodded, a smirk crossing his features. They were working quite well together.
Stranger things happen.
"Go ahead."
"Do you rally think that these two ill do a decent job killing me?"
And now the three step program on getting rid of distractions that really should be outlawed.
"You have a death wish?"
She grinned. "Of course I do, mi querida. I wouldn't be standing here if I didn't."
"And what's that?"
Step one.
She brought her foot under the knife, flipping it up and open. She jumped up and side kicked it through number three's heart.
Step Two.
She grabbed number three's gun and decide to just put number two out of his own damn misery, putting a bullet through his heart and breaking his neck.
Step Three.
Face off.
"Honey," she said with a grin. Duo grabbed the guy and had his gun to the guy's forehead.
"If I had a death wish, you think I'd be here?"
WINNER.
She turned to Duo. "Go get the driver and check on the others. I'll take care of this guy."
She watched as her hesitated for a brief moment. Her eyes darkened. The Pilot's impending fear of them was becoming a problem that would create a lot of messy situations.
She could smell fear.
"Go Do," she spoke softly.
"Go."
"Babe, don't-"
"Don't argue with me." Her eyes watched as the goon trembled. She could feel the darker side of her itching to get out.
"Go Duo. I'll deal with this."
He looked at her sideways and then nodded, running off towards the truck.
"I have questions."
"No," the goon started. "You need answers."
She kicked him to the ground, watching in a somewhat perverse pleasure as blood came flowing out of his nose.
"Why were you hired?"
"I don't know. Maybe you could tell me."
She grabbed him by the collar, blue eyes blazing.
"Do not fuck with me. I am the last person you want to do that with."
He shrugged. "I might as well hiei-chan."
Flying phantom?
It's been years since she'd been called that.
He grinned. "Strike a cord?"
She kicked him into the wall, hearing as some bone in his body decided to crack. She pulled him up to her eye level and in a voice she only recognized from so long ago.
"I asked you a question. I want an answer."
He paled.
"Alright, alright. Larson's right hand Nickleson hired us and promised Gei-sama* that we'd e a top benefactor."
She searched his eyes. "Gei? What happened to Mamoru?"
He sighed. "The old man's dead 'course. Gei, which isn't his really name, actually no one really knows what it is. Anyway he is Larson's supplier for the Brussels' fraction, which is the strongest of all the Societies' base. Crazy S.O.B is even starting another bunch of camps."
Her eyes narrowed as the man continued on. Gei? The name seemed so familiar to her.
"I really thought those things were great. More money-"
Bam!
Birds flew in a heap over the roof and a raven landed on the side.
Death becomes me.
"Muchos gracias," she whispered, expressionless. "You have been most helpful."
Gei*...
**
Wufei leaned against the wall as he waited for Merian to return. She's alive, he thought. She's really alive and right in front of me...
But what about Sally?
His thoughts were rudely interrupted by the video-phone. "Oh what the hell," he muttered. "Might as well answer the damn phone."
He pressed the receive button and almost jumped when he saw Doctor Peterson's face on the receiving end.
"Ah, Mister Chang, is Merian around? The matter is of great importance."
His facial expressions drew back in bitterness. What now? He didn't think that he could take another plane hijacking.
"The onna is-"
"Right here," Merian's voice came from behind. "What's up?"
"We have a code-six."
Wufei paled and expected Merian to flip out, but all she did was rub her temples. "It's the leak."
"Yes, I need you to go to London along with Relena and Hilde. Dorothy and Catherine are to stay in Paris until further instructions. Hilde will have to clean up the mess."
"Are you sure that's completely wise?"
The doctor sighed. "It's one less in the chamber."
"Fuck," Merian spat. She slammed her hand against the table. It must be fate her and the chamber from hell.
"What about Maxwell?"
"Yuy and Chang are enough on that department. I would imagine they'll have enough common sense..."
He tensed.
"You will be due in London in 070 hours. Briefing will occur on location."
Wufei watched as End Transmission blinked across the screen. Merian stood and glared at the mirror. He jumped in surprised as she slammed her fist full-force into the mirror.
"Fuck," she repeated. "Fuck."
"What does this have to do with Maxwell?" He wanted to know what the hell was going on. Merian turned to him, eyes blazing. He had only seen that look in her eyes the day before she had died in battle.
It was a Warrior's look.
"Maxwell's girl took over the London base," she hissed.
"She's just put the nail in her own coffin."
**
*Hiei: Flying Phantom
*Gei: Trick
*Hinoiri: Sunset
**
End of chapter! Things are about to get cracking, aren't you all excited? Anyhow, I got some business to take care of. So first things first.
I have just received my 25th stupid flame. Read on:
Wow... That was the worst story I ever read! I mean you must be some sick sadistic person to write a story like that. And honestly... It could use a lemon... I
It gets worse, read the e-mail I also received:
Ok, so what's the deal? I started writing my review, but I go cut off midway,
and I couldn't finish bashing you! I am so hurt... Ok, so anyway... whats up
with the picture ojn your page? I mean can we say ugly... she could be
Rouffy's sister. [Yes I know I am spelling his name wrong... so kill me.
Anyway... to be honest... I didn't read your entire story, b/c... it needs a
LEMON! I think every stroy does... I mean really... consider it! Ok, well I
g/g and bash some other writter... Keep up the writting.. and I'll keep up
the bashing!
~ Lemon Goddess ~
Raise your hand if you think this is the worst flame in the world!
*raises hand*
Look at the spelling and the grammar. *winces* I'm not going to even begin to point out everything.
And poor Fei-kun...
Anyhow, my point is if you're going to flame me at all please don't follow the example from above. I believe in freedom of speech and the right to express yourself, but stupidity should be outlawed.
*shrugs*
On a better note, the story has *finally* decided to pick up. Chapters 6-8 will all be extremely crucial to the story and will also be divided into parts.
Also even more exciting for me is that I have another project coming out, something I decided I was going to write. It's going to be 3+R/R+3 with elements of Vampire Hunter D and Noir incorporated in. The title is going to be Kirei Ummei, which translates into "Beautiful Destiny". Don't let the title deceive you though. There will be romance, but not in the expected way...
Of course Wanders has priority, so the posting will be one part of that story after every 3-4 parts of Wanders. I also have crossovers coming out soon, but the posting for that will vary.
And now from the generosity of my own heart... I honestly can't believe I'm doing this at all.
*sigh*
The preview for the next chapter...
*audience cheers*
*grumble*
I am not doing this again...
Part Five: Tainted Love
~
"What's going to happen to her?"
She had never seen him like this, so sad. Relena sighed and rubbed her eyes tiredly. It had been too long of a damn day.
"She'll be shot and killed for treason," she stated quietly, but in a monotone voice. It was protocol after all, she thought bitterly.
"Agent Schibecker will question her first."
"That's ironic," he muttered bitterly. "That's too fucking ironic. Is she going to do the dirty deed?"
She said nothing.
"Is she?"
Duo grabbed Relena by the shoulders and shook her violently. Getting angrier by the minute when he failed to produce a struggle from the blue-eyed Jisatsu Pilot.
"Answer me, damn it! ANSWER ME!"
~
Oooo! R&R everybody, R&R.
DISCLAIMER: I don't own them. What more do you want from me?