Hey, Everybody!! This is the chapter that has it all; a new threat to
Earth's peace, Nightshade makes the scene, and Relena gets trapped in a
burning car!! It all happens, so don't miss it!! EXTRA AUTHORS NOTES AT THE
END. VITALLY IMPORTANT!
The Warrior in Black ~*~Chapter One~*~ Nearly Lost
It was a perfect summer evening in the Sanq Kingdom and although the horrors of the recently fought war between the Gundams and OZ lingered, the people of the city were out celebrating the fragile peace that had been obtained. And Nightshade watched them all from her place on the rooftops. The warrior Goddess was lightly surprised that although the Earth had changed greatly, it was still very much the same. She saw the young people file into nightclubs, gangs of leather bound thugs drinking and doping up in deserted alleyways, adults and young families going to see the latest cinema release. Some things never change.
But enough reminiscing. This stroll down memory lane could wait. What Nightshade had to do was find Relena Peacecraft, and inform the pacifist monarch of some of the facts about her mission. But to do that the immortal warrior had to find her. And the information she had received from the guardian of the Time Gates, Pluto, was wrong. The pink stretch car that Relena was in had failed to pass the Ambassador Hotel at exactly 9:11, to the dot. And it was now 9:18.
Nightshades sixth sense was tingling like crazy. Something wasn't right. Screw orders! Taking off across the rooftops, Nightshade traced backwards over the path she knew Queen Relena's car should have taken. She mover quicker than the eye could follow. If any person had just happen to look up as she was passing all they would see was a slight ripple in the air that would be gone before they could blink and double check. That was how Nightshade got her name; as a warrior she was just as deadly as her namesake and she moved like a night shadow, completely undetectable unless she wished otherwise. Her grey-blue eyes, ten times as sharp as those of a hawk, scanned the streets below her as she tried to find her target. NOTHING!!!
A low growl escaped her throat as she stopped, halfway across the city and still her breathing was nowhere near being even slightly harried. A string of curses, long and violent, spewed from her lips. Her eyes darted quickly around her as she tried to spot the car. It was nowhere in sight. It wasn't possible for the car to have stopped somewhere along the way - Pluto wouldn't have neglected to mention something as vital to her mission as that. The car was supposed to head straight from the peace conference to the Peacecraft palace.
It was then that a reddish-orange glow lining the buildings not too far off caught her eyes. Nightshade's curiosity peaked at the unusual sight. Nothing she knew that was created by man made light like that, only. Nightshades eyes widened in realization and the woman wasted no time in leaping over the rooftops. As she got closer her suspicions were confirmed as the red-orange light got brighter. Landing on a rooftop overlooking the street where the glow seemed to be coming from, Nightshade inspected the scene below from the shadows of her hiding place.
Hoh, boy. This was bad.
Below her, in the middle of the street, sat Queen Relena Peacecraft's pink stretch car, engulfed in the flames that were creating the reddish-orange light. To the edge of the street surrounding the inferno were dozens and dozens of men all wearing uniforms of black and crimson. And last of all were the 5 young men and one older woman being restrained as they struggled to free themselves and get to the person still trapped inside as their screams echoed over the roar of the flames.
Training kicked into high gear as Nightshade weighed her options in a split second decision before leaping from her hiding place and onto the streets below. She only had one option and as much as she hated doing what she was about to do, it was her mission to protect Relena Peacecraft so the pacifist monarch could bring peace to the blue planet.
::Man! I don't get paid enough for this!:: Was the last thought to run through Nightshades mind just before all civil thoughts were locked away, and only the warrior remained.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Heero drummed his fingers impatiently against the armrest as his intense prussian blue eyes stared out the window of the car. They had just left the embassy after Relena's speech on pacifism and although everything had run smoothly, it was always the travelling in between that had him the most anxious. They could always secure buildings, but roads were a different matter and travelling on them was always risky. No guarantees that nothing would go wrong. His gaze flickered to the face of his watch. 9:04. He reverted his eyes back to the window and repressed the urge to growl in impatience.
A light giggle broke him out of his trance and a small hand with neatly manicured nails caught his free hand and gave it a squeeze. Turning his head, Heero found his gaze locked with Relena's sky blue eyes. Her mouth curved upwards in a smile and her hair, a brown so light it could pass for dirty blonde, was pulled away from her face into a half ponytail at the nape of her neck.
"Don't be so worried, Heero." She spoke calmly and reassuringly. "We'll be there in no time, I have faith in you. All of you.' The young woman turned her head to look at the other members of the car. Blue eyed, blonde haired Quatre Winner whose angelic looks matched his kind and compassionate personality. Quatre was the peacekeeper of the group and was always the one to solve argument between the other pilots. Duo Maxwell, the happy-go- lucky young man with a dangerous side. With his waist length braid and mischievous cobalt eyes, the boy loved nothing more than to pull a good prank.
The stoic and passive Trowa Barton sat opposite them. Cool, calm and detached Trowa tended to speak only to voice his opinion, other wise he merely chose to observe things rather than ask questions to find out what he wanted to know. The last male in the car was Wufei Chang, a Chinese martial artist with a strong sense of justice and the will to fight for what he believed was right. Raised on the L5 colony cluster by a fierce warrior clan, Wufei's hard features told of the boy's willingness to serve justice; his sleek shoulder length hair was pulled into a tight ponytail to keep it out of his face, and his dark eyes glittered like polished obsidian stones against his naturally pale skin.
The only other woman in the car was Lucretia Noin, Relena's personal bodyguard and confidant. Noin had been a close friend of her brother Millardo Peacecraft. With short blue-black hair, Noin was an ace mobile suit pilot and more that a decent human being. She had a strong background in the military and used it to her advantage in her duties to protect Relena and her ideals of world peace. All six were her friends and Relena had unwavering faith in them. They had protected her during the hardships and injustices of the war and they continued to do so now.
The thought brought a smile to her lips. However her smile wavered when the car slowed, then stopped. Her confusion showed on her face as she glanced at her watch. They were nowhere near the Peacecraft Palace. It was too soon.
Noin also frowned and reached over to knock on the glass window separating the driver from the passengers. "What's going on? Is something wrong?" She questioned the driver. But her only answer was the release of the central control locking. Before the boys could comprehend what was going on, little own draw their guns, the doors were flung open and all seven of the cars occupants were pulled roughly out. Heero vaguely heard Relena scream as a fist collided with his stomach, quickly followed by several more hits before he was violently dragged to his feet. Through the haze of pain the boy saw that Quatre, Duo, Noin, Wufei and Trowa had also been given a beating. Only Relena had escaped and was now being held back as she struggled to get to Heero.
Wufei being an excellent martial artist had managed to take on a few of the thugs before three of their mates jumped him and proceeded to beat him bloody. Trowa had also held a couple of the men, but the thugs had heard of the ex-gundam pilots incredible skills in combat and used their sheer numbers to over power the boys. Noin, too, had tried to fight off the men to help Relena, but that had resulted in a punch to her face and a knee to the stomach. Now all six of them, bruised and battered, were being held upright by strong hands as two more of the goons held Relena firmly in front of the car.
The men holding them were all wearing uniforms of black and crimson, and all were smirking viciously at their triumph over the famed Gundam pilots. Heero growled and tensed his body, readying to rip himself from the hands holding him when he was halted by the sharp sound of a sole person clapping. The men parted and from the back of the crowd came a tall man dressed in the same crimson and black uniform, except he had gold shoulder tassels and gold lining. Behind the man came two more men, holding a hand held video camera which were capturing the whole scene.
The man, obviously the leader, wore a superior smirk on his lips as he strode over to the captured group and took his place in front of a glaring Relena. A triumphant laugh erupted from his throat as he turned his back on her.
"Mt friends!" His voice boomed out as he addressed the crowd of thugs. "This is a glorious moment, both for us and for the world. Four months have passed since the war ended, and since then the battles between the Earth and the Colonies have ceased. But the issues that started those battles have not been solved. Peace has not been achieved. And it won't be. until someone steps forward to reach for that peace.
"And we, The Iron Clam, are here to reach for that peace. However," The man paused to turn his attention to Relena again. "We cannot gain peace while people like the former Queen Relena Peacecraft is guiding the people down the wrong path.' Relena's eyes widened in insult, then narrowed in a challenging glare.
"I do nothing of the sort! The people make their own choice on where they stand on the issue of peace. I merely present the Peacecraft Family's view on pacifism." Relena told them in a string, sure voice.
"You brainwash them!" The leader accused her. "You put it in their heads that the only way to achieve the peace we all, as human beings, desire is to docilely give in to your brainwashing and allow your forces to take command of their nations! You place yourself in the position of power where nothing can be done to oppose you!
"Well it ends now! With your death will come the freedom of the world!" Five or so men, each carrying a can of petrol, walked up to Relena's pink stretch car and proceeded to pour the amber-tinted liquid over the vehicle. With a gesture from the leader, the men holding Relena moved forward, dragging her to where the traitorous driver had opened the door of the car. Relena was shoved unceremoniously in, and the central locking was put into place to trap her inside.
The men with the petrol cans finished their work. The two camera men mover to capture their leader as he drew from his socket a book of matches and ceremoniously struck one. "Now, in the year After Colony 197, the world is finally free to achieve the long strived for peace." Heero watched in horror as the match was thrown onto the petrol soaked car and with a loud 'whoosh' was engulfed in flames.
A cry tore from his throat as he struggled harder to break free. Relena was pounding on the window calling his name as fear, true fear, took residence in her eyes. But no matter how hard he fought, or how many men he through off, he just couldn't break free. Relena's cries in his ears as he continued to fight, but the petrol had done its job and the whole car was on fire. Relena had pulled back from the window as the flames drew closed and closer. The searing heat smothered her body and the flames licked at her hair and clothes as they closed in on her. The cars engine and petrol tank soon would ignite and all the g-boys and Noin were also struggling because they knew it. The leader only laughed in triumph as he watched and some of the thugs had joined in.
Pure dread ran through Heero's heart and ice filled his veins as he could do nothing more than watch as the woman he loved more than his own life died. A hollow numbness engulfed his body as Relena's screams echoed over the roar of the flames. He couldn't save her. For all the times he could have been there in her life to save her from the dangerous world, it was now, when he was right by her side that he would let her down the most.
The vision of the flame covered car blurred in front of him as for the first time in his entire life tears filled his eyes and slipped down his cheeks. They had to be screwing with his vision, because the sound of a soft night breeze, nearly totally drowned out by the loud crackling of the flames, came from over head. And with the sound a figure in black sailed over their heads from somewhere above them. The figure landed in a crouch, the heavy folds of their cloak swirling about them. Time seemed to freeze for one split second. Right before the figure leapt forward again straight at the car.
There was a tinkling of breaking glass as the figure went straight through the window and into the flames. The red-orange glow hid what was happening to the outside world, but no more than several seconds could have passed before another crash was heard. The black cloaked figure pushed straight through the top of the car and crouched on the flame ridden metal roof. Bunching their muscles beneath them the figure pushed off from the car and flipped once more over the heads of the gang members and landed, crouched, in the middle of the street, well clear of the Iron Claw members.
All eyes were glued to the figure as they remained crouched, as if waiting for them to attack. Nearly a full minute passed before the figure stood, and they were finally able to get a decent look at the person. Not that there was much to see; the heavy folds of the black cloak fell in waves close to the mysterious figures form to the ground, and a hood of the same material hid their face. This, they were sure, was what the Grim Reaper looked like. Nothing of the figures true appearance could be seen. Until the person swept back their cloak to reveal the form of Relena Peacecraft clinging to her saviour as they held her.
The leader let out a strangled cry and the other gang members took this as a sign and charged the figure. But a sudden cold wind blew from behind the figure and against the attackers. Softly spoken words fell from Nightshades lips as she summoned the legion of Shadow Khan her brother Hades had allowed her to use for this mission. She would have to thank him when all this was over.
The cold wind brought with it a wave of shadows that seemed to absorb all the light in the area and give back only darkness. The shadows swelled and as soon as they were level with nightshade they separated from the mass and sprung upwards to take the form of what could only be described as black ninja's. As one, blood red eyes opened and fixed on the stunned gangsters before them.
"This woman, Relena Peacecraft, is under the protection of the Gods of Olympus." She spoke in a detached tone that nobody could tell if it was a man or a woman that had spoken. "For daring to harm her you have brought upon yourselves our wrath!" The Shadow Khan behind swelled and shifted, waiting for her order to attack.
And it came.
"Aumakou. Este rugaminte acestui amul.' The Shadow Khan surged forward, the warriors of the underworld fast and deadly. A trail of corpses littered their wake as they dispatched of the Iron Claw's. The Gundam Boys and Noin drew back as the Shadow Khan approached them. But the warriors merely attacked the goons holding them captive, releasing the six, before moving of to rejoin the battle. If you could call it that, it was more like a massacre. The Iron Claw's had no hope of standing against the Shadow Khan.
Heero wasted no time in rushing to Relena's side. The Shadow Khan and the Iron Claw's were still fighting between him and Nightshade, but the Shadow Khan simply continued with their orders. A path was cleared for him and if an Iron Claw tried to attack him a Shadow Khan would take the offender on, leaving Heero free to continue, as if the y knew how important it was for the young man to reach his goal. Nightshade was now kneeling on the ground, Relena lying in front of her with the folds of her black cloak cushioning her from the hard ground. Heero fell to his knees before her. His hand reached out to touch her but he stopped. Nightshade had cut it close, the fire had burned both her clothes and her skin. Ugly patches of red marred her normally peach coloured skin and heat blisters were also forming. Her hair normally down to her shoulder blades, was singed past her shoulders to her chin. Her uniform hung in rags on her body and her face had also been damaged.
Heero felt the incredibly string urge to cry at how much damage had been done, at what he hadn't been able to prevent. But Nightshade simply pressed a couple of the buttons hidden in the designs of the gauntlet on her left wrist and the metal glove on her right hand retracted. Starting at the very tips of her fingers the metal strips pulled back, one at a time, but very quickly. They seemed to melt into the next strip until they came to her wrist to form a cuff. With the perfect porcelain skin of her hand revealed Nightshade could now begin to heal the girl in her arms.
Her hand gripped Relena's as from the very core of her being Nightshade concentrated on the pillar of power and drew from it the strength to heal Relena. Her hand started to glow with a beautiful blue energy and she poured that energy into Relena's burnt form, compelling the damaged tissue to heal and regenerate. Heero could only watch in wonder as his lovers body began to glow the same beautiful shade of blue and before his very eyes the scars and burns faded. Even her hair began to lengthen as the healing energy flowed through her body. Noin and the other boys came up behind Heero as the last of the Iron Claw members had been taken care of. The Shadow Khan assembled in their ranks behind Nightshade. Unfortunately a few of the thugs had been able to escape, their leader included. However, ever as they silently communicated with her, the legion of Shadow Khan were fading into the night until they were called upon again.
The healing process didn't take that long, and Relena was quickly restored to her former self. Nightshade continued to pour her energy into the girl in her arms even after all her wounds were healed. Her body was easy to heal, however it was the damage to her spirit and soul that the warrior goddess hoped to lessen. Of, course, only Relena could truly heal her soul, but Nightshade at least had to do what she could.
Drawing a deep breath, Nightshade let it out slowly as she stopped the flow of energy. Gently she extracted her hand from her 'patients', and with a second touch of the buttons on her gauntlet her metal glove was replaced. Gathering Queen Relena's healed and sleeping form, the goddess stood. Her hood still remained over her head to shadow her face, not that it mattered much since her helmet was on. The six before her eyes her cautiously as she turned to face them. They still didn't trust her. Even if she did save Relena.
"For your state of mind I suggest we get Miss Relena to a hospital so she can be examined." They jumped at the sound of her voice, still detached and undefinable as male or female by the shield of her helmet. Quatre shivered at the cold tone. Simultaneously Trowa, Noin, Duo and Quatre all looked at the flaming stretch car and winced. They were amazed that the fuel tank hadn't ignited yet. Wufei kept his gaze on Nightshade suspiciously. And Heero, although the stark naked fear of loosing Relena had subsided and left his thinking a lot clearer, was still worried about his lovers safety and was a little disconcerted about her being in the arms of this stranger.
"I agree. We should get Relena checked out. But our ride is totalled, and the nearest hospital is too far away to walk there." Noin said. Nightshade suppressed first the urge to growl, then the urge to sigh. She sent a silent prayer of thanks to Hephestus for the modifications he had made to her suit of armour before she left. With the help of Iris, he had modified her left cuff to include a Personal Information Provider. A sort of low- level artificial intelligence which she had named Harmony for practical reasons. She also silently thanked Iris for installing a database of the Blue Planets history - things any human would know - dating back to before the colonies and covering all important historical events in their entire written history, as well as a total geographical databank which included blueprints of the colonies and more important to her cause right now, street maps for the entire world and colonies. It was the most efficient system they could create using the limited technology that was compatible with her suit.
"Harmony." Again the six jumped as her expressionless voice rang out. "The coordinates of the nearest hospital, if you please." The group looked at her as if she was crazy, but her P.I.P's digital female voice came before they could open their mouths.
"Sanq General Hospital. 125 by 49."
"Very well. You people can either walk their by yourselves, or you can come with me when I teleport. It's your choice." Nightshade told them. Heero immediately made his decision.
"Well, if Hee-Man's going so am I." Duo said as he stepped forward to join their little group.
"I'll go as well." Wufei spoke in a prideful voice. Trowa just nodded and joined the group silently, while Noin and Quatre smiled.
"I'll come too."
"We might as well stay as a group." Noin smiled.
Duo got a mischievous glint in his eyes. "Yeah. Besides, how do we know you won't just flit off with out Queen?" He joked. Nightshade turned to glare at the braided boy. Both her helmet and the hood of her cloak hid her gaze, but Duo could feel the intensity of the look and started to shift uncomfortable and laugh nervously.
"Baka." Wufei mumbled before he turned his attention to Nightshade. "So how do we do this?"
"I'll be doing the all the hard work. All you have to do is make sure your touching me so that you are included in the teleport." The group nodded and Nightshade's eyes widened as they all reached a hand up for her. Taking a quick step back, the warrior goddess hurried to explain. "Contact can be secondary. As long as you are connected somehow through physical touch it doesn't matter how many people are included."
"Claustrophobic?" Duo smirked.
"I'm not a people person." Nightshade retorted. The boy only smirked as they complied with her wishes. Nightshade once again drew upon the pillar of power from within herself and as she started to glow with energy, the brilliant blue of her power spread to encompass the whole group. With a thought they disappeared with only the scent of light.
They reappeared across the street from the Sanq General Hospital. The group blinked as they adjusted to this new vision. Nightshade, however, had used the technique countless times before and was used to the sudden scenery change. She wasted no time in striding across the street towards the hospitals entrance.
"Hey wait!" Duo called out as he reached after her. "You can't just walk into a hospital dressed like that! The patience will think you've come to take them to the after life and the phrase 'scared to death' will become more than a saying!" Nightshade didn't break her stride but her eyes did narrow in frustration. Stupid humans.
With a thought a breeze picked up and swept her cloak to the side. The breeze disappeared and her cloak fell back, the black folds wrapping around and clinging to her body. Her armour retracted, in the same manner her glove had earlier, all the way back to the medallion on her neck where it was stored when she wasn't wearing it. Her cloak melted to form inconspicuous clothes - tight black jeans, black ankle boots with 2 inch heels, a black turtle neck sweater, her medallion hung on a silver chain around her neck and a simple silver cross hung on a shorted chain above it, and a black leather jacket that fell to her hips finished her outfit. Her silver-blonde hair, because she wasn't able to put it up into her heart shaped odangoes with her helmet up, fell in shining waves straight to her ankles, the silver strands catching the moonlight.
The boys gawked and Noin couldn't help but stare as they watched the goddess morph from an intimidating warrior into a mysteriously beautiful woman that appeared to be no more than 25 years old. Nightshade reached the other side of the road and turned back to raise an eyebrow at the stunned group.
"Are you guys coming? Or are you just going to stand there all night?" Her bewitching grey-blue eyes sparkled with wry amusement as the boys and Noin scurried to catch up with her.
Oh my god! What the hell was I thinking when I wrote thins chapter?!?! My deepest apologies to those who requested it, but NO. Relena did not die (unfortunately) and she will live to see the end of the story, there's no point in Nightshade being there if she didn't!! HOWEVER. you can request a gruesome death for Relena and I'll TRY to write it into another story of mine. Any ways..
IMPORTANT!
Review!!! It is VITAL that you vote for the story that you want me to continue because I won't get the chance to work on them all at the same time with all the important end of year exams coming up. You CAN vote MORE THAN ONCE! As long as it's a vote, it's counted!!
The Warrior in Black ~*~Chapter One~*~ Nearly Lost
It was a perfect summer evening in the Sanq Kingdom and although the horrors of the recently fought war between the Gundams and OZ lingered, the people of the city were out celebrating the fragile peace that had been obtained. And Nightshade watched them all from her place on the rooftops. The warrior Goddess was lightly surprised that although the Earth had changed greatly, it was still very much the same. She saw the young people file into nightclubs, gangs of leather bound thugs drinking and doping up in deserted alleyways, adults and young families going to see the latest cinema release. Some things never change.
But enough reminiscing. This stroll down memory lane could wait. What Nightshade had to do was find Relena Peacecraft, and inform the pacifist monarch of some of the facts about her mission. But to do that the immortal warrior had to find her. And the information she had received from the guardian of the Time Gates, Pluto, was wrong. The pink stretch car that Relena was in had failed to pass the Ambassador Hotel at exactly 9:11, to the dot. And it was now 9:18.
Nightshades sixth sense was tingling like crazy. Something wasn't right. Screw orders! Taking off across the rooftops, Nightshade traced backwards over the path she knew Queen Relena's car should have taken. She mover quicker than the eye could follow. If any person had just happen to look up as she was passing all they would see was a slight ripple in the air that would be gone before they could blink and double check. That was how Nightshade got her name; as a warrior she was just as deadly as her namesake and she moved like a night shadow, completely undetectable unless she wished otherwise. Her grey-blue eyes, ten times as sharp as those of a hawk, scanned the streets below her as she tried to find her target. NOTHING!!!
A low growl escaped her throat as she stopped, halfway across the city and still her breathing was nowhere near being even slightly harried. A string of curses, long and violent, spewed from her lips. Her eyes darted quickly around her as she tried to spot the car. It was nowhere in sight. It wasn't possible for the car to have stopped somewhere along the way - Pluto wouldn't have neglected to mention something as vital to her mission as that. The car was supposed to head straight from the peace conference to the Peacecraft palace.
It was then that a reddish-orange glow lining the buildings not too far off caught her eyes. Nightshade's curiosity peaked at the unusual sight. Nothing she knew that was created by man made light like that, only. Nightshades eyes widened in realization and the woman wasted no time in leaping over the rooftops. As she got closer her suspicions were confirmed as the red-orange light got brighter. Landing on a rooftop overlooking the street where the glow seemed to be coming from, Nightshade inspected the scene below from the shadows of her hiding place.
Hoh, boy. This was bad.
Below her, in the middle of the street, sat Queen Relena Peacecraft's pink stretch car, engulfed in the flames that were creating the reddish-orange light. To the edge of the street surrounding the inferno were dozens and dozens of men all wearing uniforms of black and crimson. And last of all were the 5 young men and one older woman being restrained as they struggled to free themselves and get to the person still trapped inside as their screams echoed over the roar of the flames.
Training kicked into high gear as Nightshade weighed her options in a split second decision before leaping from her hiding place and onto the streets below. She only had one option and as much as she hated doing what she was about to do, it was her mission to protect Relena Peacecraft so the pacifist monarch could bring peace to the blue planet.
::Man! I don't get paid enough for this!:: Was the last thought to run through Nightshades mind just before all civil thoughts were locked away, and only the warrior remained.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Heero drummed his fingers impatiently against the armrest as his intense prussian blue eyes stared out the window of the car. They had just left the embassy after Relena's speech on pacifism and although everything had run smoothly, it was always the travelling in between that had him the most anxious. They could always secure buildings, but roads were a different matter and travelling on them was always risky. No guarantees that nothing would go wrong. His gaze flickered to the face of his watch. 9:04. He reverted his eyes back to the window and repressed the urge to growl in impatience.
A light giggle broke him out of his trance and a small hand with neatly manicured nails caught his free hand and gave it a squeeze. Turning his head, Heero found his gaze locked with Relena's sky blue eyes. Her mouth curved upwards in a smile and her hair, a brown so light it could pass for dirty blonde, was pulled away from her face into a half ponytail at the nape of her neck.
"Don't be so worried, Heero." She spoke calmly and reassuringly. "We'll be there in no time, I have faith in you. All of you.' The young woman turned her head to look at the other members of the car. Blue eyed, blonde haired Quatre Winner whose angelic looks matched his kind and compassionate personality. Quatre was the peacekeeper of the group and was always the one to solve argument between the other pilots. Duo Maxwell, the happy-go- lucky young man with a dangerous side. With his waist length braid and mischievous cobalt eyes, the boy loved nothing more than to pull a good prank.
The stoic and passive Trowa Barton sat opposite them. Cool, calm and detached Trowa tended to speak only to voice his opinion, other wise he merely chose to observe things rather than ask questions to find out what he wanted to know. The last male in the car was Wufei Chang, a Chinese martial artist with a strong sense of justice and the will to fight for what he believed was right. Raised on the L5 colony cluster by a fierce warrior clan, Wufei's hard features told of the boy's willingness to serve justice; his sleek shoulder length hair was pulled into a tight ponytail to keep it out of his face, and his dark eyes glittered like polished obsidian stones against his naturally pale skin.
The only other woman in the car was Lucretia Noin, Relena's personal bodyguard and confidant. Noin had been a close friend of her brother Millardo Peacecraft. With short blue-black hair, Noin was an ace mobile suit pilot and more that a decent human being. She had a strong background in the military and used it to her advantage in her duties to protect Relena and her ideals of world peace. All six were her friends and Relena had unwavering faith in them. They had protected her during the hardships and injustices of the war and they continued to do so now.
The thought brought a smile to her lips. However her smile wavered when the car slowed, then stopped. Her confusion showed on her face as she glanced at her watch. They were nowhere near the Peacecraft Palace. It was too soon.
Noin also frowned and reached over to knock on the glass window separating the driver from the passengers. "What's going on? Is something wrong?" She questioned the driver. But her only answer was the release of the central control locking. Before the boys could comprehend what was going on, little own draw their guns, the doors were flung open and all seven of the cars occupants were pulled roughly out. Heero vaguely heard Relena scream as a fist collided with his stomach, quickly followed by several more hits before he was violently dragged to his feet. Through the haze of pain the boy saw that Quatre, Duo, Noin, Wufei and Trowa had also been given a beating. Only Relena had escaped and was now being held back as she struggled to get to Heero.
Wufei being an excellent martial artist had managed to take on a few of the thugs before three of their mates jumped him and proceeded to beat him bloody. Trowa had also held a couple of the men, but the thugs had heard of the ex-gundam pilots incredible skills in combat and used their sheer numbers to over power the boys. Noin, too, had tried to fight off the men to help Relena, but that had resulted in a punch to her face and a knee to the stomach. Now all six of them, bruised and battered, were being held upright by strong hands as two more of the goons held Relena firmly in front of the car.
The men holding them were all wearing uniforms of black and crimson, and all were smirking viciously at their triumph over the famed Gundam pilots. Heero growled and tensed his body, readying to rip himself from the hands holding him when he was halted by the sharp sound of a sole person clapping. The men parted and from the back of the crowd came a tall man dressed in the same crimson and black uniform, except he had gold shoulder tassels and gold lining. Behind the man came two more men, holding a hand held video camera which were capturing the whole scene.
The man, obviously the leader, wore a superior smirk on his lips as he strode over to the captured group and took his place in front of a glaring Relena. A triumphant laugh erupted from his throat as he turned his back on her.
"Mt friends!" His voice boomed out as he addressed the crowd of thugs. "This is a glorious moment, both for us and for the world. Four months have passed since the war ended, and since then the battles between the Earth and the Colonies have ceased. But the issues that started those battles have not been solved. Peace has not been achieved. And it won't be. until someone steps forward to reach for that peace.
"And we, The Iron Clam, are here to reach for that peace. However," The man paused to turn his attention to Relena again. "We cannot gain peace while people like the former Queen Relena Peacecraft is guiding the people down the wrong path.' Relena's eyes widened in insult, then narrowed in a challenging glare.
"I do nothing of the sort! The people make their own choice on where they stand on the issue of peace. I merely present the Peacecraft Family's view on pacifism." Relena told them in a string, sure voice.
"You brainwash them!" The leader accused her. "You put it in their heads that the only way to achieve the peace we all, as human beings, desire is to docilely give in to your brainwashing and allow your forces to take command of their nations! You place yourself in the position of power where nothing can be done to oppose you!
"Well it ends now! With your death will come the freedom of the world!" Five or so men, each carrying a can of petrol, walked up to Relena's pink stretch car and proceeded to pour the amber-tinted liquid over the vehicle. With a gesture from the leader, the men holding Relena moved forward, dragging her to where the traitorous driver had opened the door of the car. Relena was shoved unceremoniously in, and the central locking was put into place to trap her inside.
The men with the petrol cans finished their work. The two camera men mover to capture their leader as he drew from his socket a book of matches and ceremoniously struck one. "Now, in the year After Colony 197, the world is finally free to achieve the long strived for peace." Heero watched in horror as the match was thrown onto the petrol soaked car and with a loud 'whoosh' was engulfed in flames.
A cry tore from his throat as he struggled harder to break free. Relena was pounding on the window calling his name as fear, true fear, took residence in her eyes. But no matter how hard he fought, or how many men he through off, he just couldn't break free. Relena's cries in his ears as he continued to fight, but the petrol had done its job and the whole car was on fire. Relena had pulled back from the window as the flames drew closed and closer. The searing heat smothered her body and the flames licked at her hair and clothes as they closed in on her. The cars engine and petrol tank soon would ignite and all the g-boys and Noin were also struggling because they knew it. The leader only laughed in triumph as he watched and some of the thugs had joined in.
Pure dread ran through Heero's heart and ice filled his veins as he could do nothing more than watch as the woman he loved more than his own life died. A hollow numbness engulfed his body as Relena's screams echoed over the roar of the flames. He couldn't save her. For all the times he could have been there in her life to save her from the dangerous world, it was now, when he was right by her side that he would let her down the most.
The vision of the flame covered car blurred in front of him as for the first time in his entire life tears filled his eyes and slipped down his cheeks. They had to be screwing with his vision, because the sound of a soft night breeze, nearly totally drowned out by the loud crackling of the flames, came from over head. And with the sound a figure in black sailed over their heads from somewhere above them. The figure landed in a crouch, the heavy folds of their cloak swirling about them. Time seemed to freeze for one split second. Right before the figure leapt forward again straight at the car.
There was a tinkling of breaking glass as the figure went straight through the window and into the flames. The red-orange glow hid what was happening to the outside world, but no more than several seconds could have passed before another crash was heard. The black cloaked figure pushed straight through the top of the car and crouched on the flame ridden metal roof. Bunching their muscles beneath them the figure pushed off from the car and flipped once more over the heads of the gang members and landed, crouched, in the middle of the street, well clear of the Iron Claw members.
All eyes were glued to the figure as they remained crouched, as if waiting for them to attack. Nearly a full minute passed before the figure stood, and they were finally able to get a decent look at the person. Not that there was much to see; the heavy folds of the black cloak fell in waves close to the mysterious figures form to the ground, and a hood of the same material hid their face. This, they were sure, was what the Grim Reaper looked like. Nothing of the figures true appearance could be seen. Until the person swept back their cloak to reveal the form of Relena Peacecraft clinging to her saviour as they held her.
The leader let out a strangled cry and the other gang members took this as a sign and charged the figure. But a sudden cold wind blew from behind the figure and against the attackers. Softly spoken words fell from Nightshades lips as she summoned the legion of Shadow Khan her brother Hades had allowed her to use for this mission. She would have to thank him when all this was over.
The cold wind brought with it a wave of shadows that seemed to absorb all the light in the area and give back only darkness. The shadows swelled and as soon as they were level with nightshade they separated from the mass and sprung upwards to take the form of what could only be described as black ninja's. As one, blood red eyes opened and fixed on the stunned gangsters before them.
"This woman, Relena Peacecraft, is under the protection of the Gods of Olympus." She spoke in a detached tone that nobody could tell if it was a man or a woman that had spoken. "For daring to harm her you have brought upon yourselves our wrath!" The Shadow Khan behind swelled and shifted, waiting for her order to attack.
And it came.
"Aumakou. Este rugaminte acestui amul.' The Shadow Khan surged forward, the warriors of the underworld fast and deadly. A trail of corpses littered their wake as they dispatched of the Iron Claw's. The Gundam Boys and Noin drew back as the Shadow Khan approached them. But the warriors merely attacked the goons holding them captive, releasing the six, before moving of to rejoin the battle. If you could call it that, it was more like a massacre. The Iron Claw's had no hope of standing against the Shadow Khan.
Heero wasted no time in rushing to Relena's side. The Shadow Khan and the Iron Claw's were still fighting between him and Nightshade, but the Shadow Khan simply continued with their orders. A path was cleared for him and if an Iron Claw tried to attack him a Shadow Khan would take the offender on, leaving Heero free to continue, as if the y knew how important it was for the young man to reach his goal. Nightshade was now kneeling on the ground, Relena lying in front of her with the folds of her black cloak cushioning her from the hard ground. Heero fell to his knees before her. His hand reached out to touch her but he stopped. Nightshade had cut it close, the fire had burned both her clothes and her skin. Ugly patches of red marred her normally peach coloured skin and heat blisters were also forming. Her hair normally down to her shoulder blades, was singed past her shoulders to her chin. Her uniform hung in rags on her body and her face had also been damaged.
Heero felt the incredibly string urge to cry at how much damage had been done, at what he hadn't been able to prevent. But Nightshade simply pressed a couple of the buttons hidden in the designs of the gauntlet on her left wrist and the metal glove on her right hand retracted. Starting at the very tips of her fingers the metal strips pulled back, one at a time, but very quickly. They seemed to melt into the next strip until they came to her wrist to form a cuff. With the perfect porcelain skin of her hand revealed Nightshade could now begin to heal the girl in her arms.
Her hand gripped Relena's as from the very core of her being Nightshade concentrated on the pillar of power and drew from it the strength to heal Relena. Her hand started to glow with a beautiful blue energy and she poured that energy into Relena's burnt form, compelling the damaged tissue to heal and regenerate. Heero could only watch in wonder as his lovers body began to glow the same beautiful shade of blue and before his very eyes the scars and burns faded. Even her hair began to lengthen as the healing energy flowed through her body. Noin and the other boys came up behind Heero as the last of the Iron Claw members had been taken care of. The Shadow Khan assembled in their ranks behind Nightshade. Unfortunately a few of the thugs had been able to escape, their leader included. However, ever as they silently communicated with her, the legion of Shadow Khan were fading into the night until they were called upon again.
The healing process didn't take that long, and Relena was quickly restored to her former self. Nightshade continued to pour her energy into the girl in her arms even after all her wounds were healed. Her body was easy to heal, however it was the damage to her spirit and soul that the warrior goddess hoped to lessen. Of, course, only Relena could truly heal her soul, but Nightshade at least had to do what she could.
Drawing a deep breath, Nightshade let it out slowly as she stopped the flow of energy. Gently she extracted her hand from her 'patients', and with a second touch of the buttons on her gauntlet her metal glove was replaced. Gathering Queen Relena's healed and sleeping form, the goddess stood. Her hood still remained over her head to shadow her face, not that it mattered much since her helmet was on. The six before her eyes her cautiously as she turned to face them. They still didn't trust her. Even if she did save Relena.
"For your state of mind I suggest we get Miss Relena to a hospital so she can be examined." They jumped at the sound of her voice, still detached and undefinable as male or female by the shield of her helmet. Quatre shivered at the cold tone. Simultaneously Trowa, Noin, Duo and Quatre all looked at the flaming stretch car and winced. They were amazed that the fuel tank hadn't ignited yet. Wufei kept his gaze on Nightshade suspiciously. And Heero, although the stark naked fear of loosing Relena had subsided and left his thinking a lot clearer, was still worried about his lovers safety and was a little disconcerted about her being in the arms of this stranger.
"I agree. We should get Relena checked out. But our ride is totalled, and the nearest hospital is too far away to walk there." Noin said. Nightshade suppressed first the urge to growl, then the urge to sigh. She sent a silent prayer of thanks to Hephestus for the modifications he had made to her suit of armour before she left. With the help of Iris, he had modified her left cuff to include a Personal Information Provider. A sort of low- level artificial intelligence which she had named Harmony for practical reasons. She also silently thanked Iris for installing a database of the Blue Planets history - things any human would know - dating back to before the colonies and covering all important historical events in their entire written history, as well as a total geographical databank which included blueprints of the colonies and more important to her cause right now, street maps for the entire world and colonies. It was the most efficient system they could create using the limited technology that was compatible with her suit.
"Harmony." Again the six jumped as her expressionless voice rang out. "The coordinates of the nearest hospital, if you please." The group looked at her as if she was crazy, but her P.I.P's digital female voice came before they could open their mouths.
"Sanq General Hospital. 125 by 49."
"Very well. You people can either walk their by yourselves, or you can come with me when I teleport. It's your choice." Nightshade told them. Heero immediately made his decision.
"Well, if Hee-Man's going so am I." Duo said as he stepped forward to join their little group.
"I'll go as well." Wufei spoke in a prideful voice. Trowa just nodded and joined the group silently, while Noin and Quatre smiled.
"I'll come too."
"We might as well stay as a group." Noin smiled.
Duo got a mischievous glint in his eyes. "Yeah. Besides, how do we know you won't just flit off with out Queen?" He joked. Nightshade turned to glare at the braided boy. Both her helmet and the hood of her cloak hid her gaze, but Duo could feel the intensity of the look and started to shift uncomfortable and laugh nervously.
"Baka." Wufei mumbled before he turned his attention to Nightshade. "So how do we do this?"
"I'll be doing the all the hard work. All you have to do is make sure your touching me so that you are included in the teleport." The group nodded and Nightshade's eyes widened as they all reached a hand up for her. Taking a quick step back, the warrior goddess hurried to explain. "Contact can be secondary. As long as you are connected somehow through physical touch it doesn't matter how many people are included."
"Claustrophobic?" Duo smirked.
"I'm not a people person." Nightshade retorted. The boy only smirked as they complied with her wishes. Nightshade once again drew upon the pillar of power from within herself and as she started to glow with energy, the brilliant blue of her power spread to encompass the whole group. With a thought they disappeared with only the scent of light.
They reappeared across the street from the Sanq General Hospital. The group blinked as they adjusted to this new vision. Nightshade, however, had used the technique countless times before and was used to the sudden scenery change. She wasted no time in striding across the street towards the hospitals entrance.
"Hey wait!" Duo called out as he reached after her. "You can't just walk into a hospital dressed like that! The patience will think you've come to take them to the after life and the phrase 'scared to death' will become more than a saying!" Nightshade didn't break her stride but her eyes did narrow in frustration. Stupid humans.
With a thought a breeze picked up and swept her cloak to the side. The breeze disappeared and her cloak fell back, the black folds wrapping around and clinging to her body. Her armour retracted, in the same manner her glove had earlier, all the way back to the medallion on her neck where it was stored when she wasn't wearing it. Her cloak melted to form inconspicuous clothes - tight black jeans, black ankle boots with 2 inch heels, a black turtle neck sweater, her medallion hung on a silver chain around her neck and a simple silver cross hung on a shorted chain above it, and a black leather jacket that fell to her hips finished her outfit. Her silver-blonde hair, because she wasn't able to put it up into her heart shaped odangoes with her helmet up, fell in shining waves straight to her ankles, the silver strands catching the moonlight.
The boys gawked and Noin couldn't help but stare as they watched the goddess morph from an intimidating warrior into a mysteriously beautiful woman that appeared to be no more than 25 years old. Nightshade reached the other side of the road and turned back to raise an eyebrow at the stunned group.
"Are you guys coming? Or are you just going to stand there all night?" Her bewitching grey-blue eyes sparkled with wry amusement as the boys and Noin scurried to catch up with her.
Oh my god! What the hell was I thinking when I wrote thins chapter?!?! My deepest apologies to those who requested it, but NO. Relena did not die (unfortunately) and she will live to see the end of the story, there's no point in Nightshade being there if she didn't!! HOWEVER. you can request a gruesome death for Relena and I'll TRY to write it into another story of mine. Any ways..
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Review!!! It is VITAL that you vote for the story that you want me to continue because I won't get the chance to work on them all at the same time with all the important end of year exams coming up. You CAN vote MORE THAN ONCE! As long as it's a vote, it's counted!!