*~Love and Revenge~*
Chapter Six-Venice, Italy
(AN: Just to clear things up about Anna¹s last name, Ottê is pronounced with a long ³O² and a short ³E² like ³Oh-teh² ok? Hope you like this chapter! ^_^ Oh, and sorry about the 1s and 2s)
Disclaimer- I don¹t own Gundam Wing ::sigh::
Seagulls cried out as Anna and Trowa sped towards a dock in Venice, Italy on a speed boat. They had changed out of their clothes temporarily. Trowa was wearing a blue tropical shirt and blue swimming trunks. Anna was wearing a yellow and black sriped bikini top and shorts to match. Whenever they talked to each other, Anna would always look at something else and not at Trowa¹s face. Trowa had no idea why she did this, but he definetily put it on his ³To Do² list while he was here. They had been warned by Lady Une about a small battle that had been going in Venice before they came and knew it might be an obstacle to get across to get to the information building.
³Why would anyone want to start a battle in such a beautiful place like this?² Anna thought outloud.
³Beats me.² Trowa said. When they got to the dock, they parked the boat far from activity just as an extra precaution.
ŒI can¹t believe I¹m in Venice, Italy!¹ Anna thought as she grabbed her backpack from the boat and walked on the dock with Trowa.
³How do you call a gondola to come and pick you up?² Anna asked.
³Maybe, it¹s like calling a taxi.²
³Maybe. Well, let¹s give it a try. There¹s no harm in it.² Trowa waved his hand in the air and soon a gondola came towards them. In an Italian accent the man inside it asked,
³Where to, sir? Madam?² Trowa and Anna got in.
³To the outskirts of town, please.² Anna said as Trowa leaned back in his seat.
³You mean just outside the boundaries where the battle is? Ma¹am?²
³Yes.²
³O...........k.² the man said, looking at them like they were crazy, and started rowing. When they got about three miles away from the battle site, the man dropped them off. Anna and Trowa stood there, watching the battle continue. Anna thought back to when Lady Une explained to them it was just a small battle between two provinces, who, at first didn¹t want to negotiate about possibly becomining one province, but now it had turned into a battle.
ŒI guess Dorothy was right,¹ again, thinking back to when she had first met her at the U.S.P.I.A. base, ŒAs long as human kind survives, there will always be fighting. No matter if it¹s a fist-fight, a small battle, or a huge war........there will always be fighting.¹ Trowa looked over to Anna and saw that she was in deep thought.
ŒI wonder what she¹s thinking?¹ He turned to her and said,
³There¹s nothing to see here. It¹s always the same picture. Let¹s go into town.²
³Sure,² she said, getting back into focus, ³why not?² They caught another gondola and sailed into town. They didn¹t really have anything in particular that they were looking for, so they just decided to go window shopping and then grab something to eat. As they crossed an alley, Anna noticed a music store with all kinds of instruments (big and small) inside. Anna tugged on Trowa¹s shoulder to stop him from walking.
³Look,² she said, pointing inside, ³A music store. Can we go in?² Trowa shrugged and Anna let go of his arm as she walked in. The smell of wood, brass, metal, and music papers greeted them as they walked in.
³Do you play an instrument, Trowa?² she asked, turning to him. Trowa didn¹t answer, but instead walked over to the woodwind section and picked up a flute. He started playing.
³Oh, so you play the flute? One of my favorites.² After a few minutes, Trowa stopped playing and put the flute back while Anna clapped.
³Wow, you¹re good.² she said. He walked over to her and said,
³Do you play?²
³Yes, I can play......² she walked over to the back where they kept the big instruments and dragged one to the center of the room. She got a chair and sat down next to it.
³The harp.² She began to play and the whole room seemed to fill with the music.
³She truly has a gift,¹ he thought, ŒIt¹s so smooth that it¹s as if she¹s not even touching the strings. She plays in a very exotic way, very different from anything else I¹ve ever heard.¹ The music seemed to calm him and relieve him of all his stress. It was so relaxing that he had to lean against the wall to keep his balance (AN: his classic position ^_~). Trowa suddenly realized that ever since he had met her, he had not been acting like himself. He seemed to have acted kinder to her than he had other girls he had met. Something about her made him keep on wanting to learn more about her. Plus, there was the fact that she had never looked at him in the face. He, like Wufei, was a sucker for pretty eyes, and he wondered what kind she had. He knew that Heero liked someone who had the same love for nature as he did. Duo lwas just looking for someone who had a killer sense of humor and could ³kick butt² as he called it. Quatre liked a girl who had an attitude, but was sweet also, something hard to come by. When the music ended, Trowa opened his eyes and paused; looking at Anna¹s figure. Like the other girls, she was buffed, but her personality didn¹t exactly fit her figure. With Jenn, and Alyssa, and definitely Kristin it did, but not her and Marisa. He didn¹t know Marisa that well, but Anna was nice and gentle, yet funny.
ŒMaybe it¹s because I¹ve never seen her and Marisa in their fighting modes. I bet they¹re pistols, and by the looks of it, it seems Anna¹s got a killer left hook.¹ Anna saw Trowa staring at her, so she tilted her head and asked teasingly,
³What are you staring at?²
³Uh......nothing.² he said, trying not to blush. Anna raised an eyebrow and gave him a look that said ³Uh-huh, sure ya are.² She stood up and put the harp away (with the help of the clerk this time) and they left. After getting something to eat from a small restaraunt across the street, Anna suggested.
³I think the shelling has quieted down by now. Do you want to go back?²
³Ok.² he said, and they headed to the restrooms to change back into their work clothes. As they left the restaraunt, they went to go find their boat. As they walked down the bumpy sidewalk, they passed a poster that advertised a circus (Not Catherine¹s. She was currently visiting colony L2, not Earth). The poster had a close up picture of a boy, about Trowa¹s age with white hair (it was short-definetly not like Zechs) and he had deep seagreen eyes (lighter than Quatre¹s, but exactly like Anna¹s). Next to the boy was a girl with reddish-pink hair and midnight blue eyes (like Noin and Marisa¹s). Above their faces were the words ³A&J¹s Mobile Circus!,² and then on the bottom in little letters were, ³Coming to a town near you!² next to the dates. In the backround was a picture of the rest of the circus and one white and orange tiger. Anna¹s eye caught a glimpse of the poster and stopped. Trowa noticed that she wasn¹t beside him and he took a few steps back. He turned around and joined Anna in looking at the picture.
³You know,² he said, ³If that guy¹s hair was longer and darker......he would look just like you.²
³What?² Anna said, a little shocked.
³Well, it¹s true.² Anna turned back to the picture and and put her hand on her chin. She stared at the picture for a minute or two, then finally said,
³Ya know...........I think you¹re right.²
³I told you.²
³Yeah.....and he looks sort of familiar, too.²
³He does? Well, I wouldn¹t be surprised.² he said, leaning against the wall in his classic position.
³Can we go see them? I mean, it starts at three, ends at five, and we¹ll have plenty of time to get to where we need to be.²
³Hmmmmm...........I don¹t know...²
³Oh, c¹mon, Trowa. Don¹t be such a spoil-sport!² The way she said it reminded Trowa of Catherine very much. He felt like smiling, but made himself hold it back.
³Oh.........ok, I guess. But, we better not be late, this mission is important.²
³Great! Let¹s go. We only have a half an hour to get there. I promise we won¹t be late.² Anna said, grabbing hold of Trowa¹s hand to catch up to a gondola she had just spotted. She flagged it down and they rode to an open field where the circus tent was.
ŒWow, this brings back so many memories.¹ Anna thought. When Trowa looked at the tent, he was instantly reminded of Catherine and his lions. Anna looked over and noticed the far-away look on his face.
³Trowa? Is something wrong?² Trowa, thinking it was Catherine talking to him said,
³No Cathy.²
³Cathy? Who¹s Cathy?² Coming back to reality and realizing what he had just said, Trowa shook his head.
³Uh..no one.² He got out of the gondola and walked away from Anna.
ŒHe¹s not telling me something. I know it. And I¹m going to find out what it is.¹ she thought running forward to catch up.
*~~~~Inside the Circus Tent~~~~*
The audience clapped as the motorcyclists left the stage after bowing. Anna looked over at Trowa, who was sitting next to her and leaning back in his seat with his arms folded.
ŒOh well, I¹m not going to let him raid on my parade. I¹m going to enjoy myself and maybe even figure out who that guy on the poster was.¹ She turned her attention back to the stage.
³And now,² the ring leader said, standing on top of a small box with a spotlight on him, ³the moment you¹ve all been waiting for! Our very own.....A and J!²
A young man walked out from behind a blue curtain, wearing a white tux with long white tails in the back (AN: er, it¹s like what those piano players wear when they are going to sit down to play and they lift up those ³tails² in the back that¹s part of the top of the tux). Then, a good-looking lady came out from behind him wearing a crimson red dress with white crystals on the front. They joined hands and bowed as the audience clapped. The young man stepped forward and the lights dimmed (the audience stopped clapping) and a spotlight appeared on the him and the girl. The man pulled out a long red scarf from his sleeve and held it out in the air. When he pulled it back, a cage with two tigers (one white and one orange) appeared. A round of applause soon followed. The lady came forward and opened the cage. The man and the lady each took a tiger to one side of the stage and they started to ³dance² on their hind legs. The tigers did a series of flips, alternating balancing on each foot, walking on their front paws, and doing handstands on each other. Trowa leaned forward and watched them intently.
ŒMaybe I could learn a thing or two to use on my lions. I know it probably seems like stealing, but I need something new. I was kind of getting tired of doing the same routeine over and over again.¹ Anna noticed Trowa had leaned forward and was watching the tigers.
ŒWell, I¹m glad he finds something interesting about this circus.¹ She went back to watching the boy and the girl doing their tricks with the tigers. She didn¹t really watch the girl, but she focused on the boy.
ŒI can¹t put my finger on it, but there¹s just something about that guy. Come to think of it....he sort of reminds me of Alexei. Could it be?......Nah...Alexei died ten years ago. There¹s no way he could have survived that fire; everything was destroyed in a matter of minutes! Besides, the firemen told me themselves I was the only survivor. Maybe I¹m hallucinating. I think I¹ll go outside for a minute.¹ She turned to Trowa
³I¹ll be right back. Tell me if I miss anything ok?² It was so dark she could barely see him nod. As she started to leave, Trowa couldn¹t help but wonder if she was ok.
ŒHuh? Why am I thinking this? Of course she¹ll be alright.¹ he thought, but a twinge of an unfamiliar feeling entered his body for a second. He shook it off by shaking his head and turned his attention back to the tigers.
*~~~~Outside the Tent~~~~*
Anna inhaled a breath of air and sighed as she exhaled.
³It was just so crowded in there. But I¹m not claustrophobic.² she sighed again.
³Whatever.² She looked up to the sky.
³Wow, not a single cloud in the sky. How beautiful. I know Marisa would love to see this.² Then, out of the corner of her eye, she saw a puff of brown smoke. She turned her head and noticed it was coming from where the battle was taking place.
³What a stupid battle!² Anna yelled clenching her fists. ³All because one province doesn¹t want to join another, there has to be a battle! What is this world coming to?!² Then she heard clapping from inside and then the ring master talking.
³Thank you! Thank you for coming to our show and watching our very own A and J! We hope you enjoyed it, and all proceeds will go to hungry children around the world! Good afternoon everyone!²
³Huh? The show¹s over already?² Anna said, checking her watch. Another round of applause soon came afterwards and she could here the pounding of feet as people came out of the tent. As people passed her she saw the man and the girl walking out of the big tent, to a smaller tent in back.
ŒWell, I guess it wouldn¹t hurt to go check those two out. Trowa wouldn¹t leave without me, would he? Oh, what the heck!¹ she thought heading towards the small tent. She saw there was an opening in the tent and peeked inside. The young man was putting the tigers into their cage with some meat while the girl was taking off her jewelry.
³I can¹t take this anymore! It¹s the same thing over and over again! I want to quit! I don¹t know if doing this constantly will get us anywhere?² the girl said.
³You can¹t quit now, Jasmin. Not when we are so close to achieving our goal. We¹re just starting to break through to the general public. Just give it some time. I¹ll try to get the tigers to learn more tricks, I promise.² said the young man.
ŒHis voice is so soft and reasurring.¹ Anna thought.
³You¹d better! If you need me, I¹ll be in my trailor.² Jasmin said, brushing past him. When she came near the opening she saw Anna peeking in. She wasn¹t in the mood for publicity, especially not from little girls.
³What do you think you¹re doing?!² she yelled, her voice rising a little.
³Uh, well, I-²
³I don¹t want to hear it right now little girl! I¹m not in the mood for signing autographs.²
³Little girl?! I¹m sixteen!²Anna yelled back.
ŒI may be small, but I¹m not a little girl!¹ Anna thought angrily.
Alexei heard Jasmin arguing with Anna outside the tent opening as he locked the tiger¹s cage. He looked at them and was going to stop the fight, but he didn¹t want to make Jasmin madder, so he stopped himself. He took a look at the girl she was arguing with.
ŒThe girl Jasmin¹s arguing with looks almost identical to my little Anna.¹ the thought, thinking back.
ŒShe has the same hair, but it¹s longer and a bit darker. But her eyes.....her eyes are exactly like Anna¹s. But it couldn¹t be. There¹s no way she could have survived that fire. She was so little. The firefighters said that there was only one other survivor besides me, but there¹s no way it could have been her.¹ He shook his head and decided stop the fight, even thought he knew it was against his better judgement. He headed towards the entrace, but stopped when he heard a voice that sounded like it belonged to a boy about his age.
³I thought I might find you here.² Trowa said, coming up behind Anna. Anna jumped and spun around. She opened her mouth to say something, but nothing came out.
³I¹m sorry Ma¹am,² he said to the lady, ³she only wanted to see the tigers up-close. I¹m sorry she bothered you. We¹ll leave now.² he put his arm around Anna and led her away.
³Thank you, young man. At least someone around here has the descency to respect adults!² Jasmin said, bitterly. Anna turned around and gave Jasmin a deadly glare as she walked off to her trailer.
ŒIf Trowa wasn¹t here, I¹d beat her to a pulp and then some!¹ Anna thought.
³C¹mon Anna,² Trowa said, holding her back, ³We¹d better go. We have a job to do remember?² Anna loosened up and dropped her arms.
³Yeah, I remember.² Trowa ran forward and called a gondola to come get them and take them back to the battlefield. Alexei was just behind the tent¹s opening when he heard Trowa say Anna¹s name.
³He said ŒAnna¹! It¹s her! I know it!² he said, running after her. He had just called out her name as she and Trowa rounded a corner behind a building.
³Huh?² Anna said, turning her head.
³What?² Trowa asked.
³Oh, nothing. I just thought I heard someone call my name.²
³It was probably just the wind.²
³Yeah, probably.² Anna said, turning her head around. She let her arm droop over the side of the boat and let her fingers run through the water. She just couldn¹t get her mind off of that guy and how much he reminded her Alexei. She told herself that if she ever got the chance to see him again, she would find out who he was. And even though the firemen told her she was the only survivor, a little voice inside her head kept telling her to not give up hope. That he did survive and that someday they would reunite.
Trowa was stitting on the other side of the boat, near the driver, with his arms perched on the boat¹s edge. He could tell that Anna was thinking about that guy from the circus. But he didn¹t know why? She didn¹t seem attracted to him in any way, but he remembered when they were fighting and she had mentioned something about the circus.
ŒI remember.......when we were battling she did a move just like I do, but slightly different....¹
*~Flashback~*
~Chamber#5~
ŒI remember I had just charged towards her, and then she did a back flip, double twist, half summer-salt. Or something like that. I was so surprised that she did that, but Ididn¹t show it. She landed facing me. And then I asked her,¹
³Where¹d you learn that move?²
ŒAnd she said,¹
³The circus.²
ŒThe circus!¹ I thought. After that, I ended the battle. I know Duo was a little mad because I hurt her more than I intended. But, the next thing I knew, I was helping her up and an ambulence came.¹
*~End of Flashback~*
ŒStill, I think about how she could have been involved in the circus. I mean, she had been in training non-stop since she was little. How could she have found the time to be in the circus, when she had to stay in the White House? And now she¹s thinking about that guy from the poster. And she still won¹t look me in the eyes. If she is going to be my partner, she can¹t have any secrets. I have to find out what the deal is with her!¹ Trowa clenched his fists and looked over towards Anna who was still leaning over the boat.
ŒBut,¹ he realized, ŒIf she tells me her secrets, then I¹ll have to probably tell her about Cathy and my lions. Hey, it¹s not that big a secret so why not?¹ Suddenly the boat came to an abrupt stop. Trowa leaned forward while Anna leaned back and fell onto the floor of the boat. The driver seemed kind of nervous being so close to the battle grounds so he hurried them out of the boat.
³The shelling seems to have stopped......for now. Do you think we should make a run for it, towards the building? If we make it, there¹s a hotel right next to it.² Anna said.
³It would be risky............but what the hell. I¹ve taken too many risks in my life already.² Trowa said, smiling at Anna.
³Yeah. Besides, we aren¹t in this busines to take bubble baths. So let¹s go.² They took out their guns and slid down the mountain side towards the battlefield. It was hard to keep track of where they were going because the battle was taking place in a forest. When they were about half a mile-away from the building, everything went dead silent. The silence made Anna feel uncomfortable because she knew what happens when something like this occurs. An eerie presence surrounded her.
³Trowa,² she whispered, ³Do you feel that?² Trowa hesitated for a second.
³Yeah.²
³What should we do? We can¹t stand here, or we¹ll be killed! And we can¹t make any noise.²
³All I can think of right now is to get out of range as quickly and quietly as possible. We need to get going now.²
But it was too late. Just as they started moving, the shelling started again. ::BOOM!:: ::BANG!:: (AN-I know that was kinda cheesy, but whatever). Trowa and Anna hit the ground and covered their heads. As soon the first round of shell-fire had past, they ran for cover, staying low to the ground. Anna spotted a cave nearby that looked deserted, and pointed it out to Trowa, who nodded. They ran and got inside it just as a bomb dropped. They hit the ground and covered their heads as dust and small rocks fell on them. They agreed to stay in the cave until it was time to break-in to the building which looked like a nuclear plant. As the sun slowly set, they ate dinner (tater tots and canned fruit) and eventually fell asleep in their sleeping bags.
~* Ten-thirty PM*~
Anna tossed and turned in her sleeping bag. Finally she got up and walked over to the entrance of the cave. She shivered as a sudden gust of wind past by her. She just couldn¹t get her mind off of that guy at the circus no matter how hard she tried. The images of seeing him that day kept replaying over and over again in her mind.
³Alexei,² she whispered, ³If you are truly out there.......I will find you.²
³Who¹s Alexei?² a voice said behind her. She jumped and spun around.
³Oh, it¹s you, Trowa.² she said, looking at the floor.²
³Anna,² he said firmly, ³I¹m tired of beating around the bush. I want to know a couple of things and I want to know them now. I¹m very good friends with Heero, Duo, Wufei, and Quatre. They have basically told me everything about them and I have to them. I can¹t work with someone, if they are always preoccupied in the mind with something. I¹m not accusing you of doing a poor job, because you¹re not. But, I have to know who is Alexei, how were you involved in the circus, and most importantly how come you can¹t look me in the face?²
Anna¹s eyes widened and she turned around and looked down then to the sky,
³I thought I might never have to tell anyone this, because it¹s too painful for me to remember....² She told him everything that happened in her past. That look in Alexei¹s eyes and how Trowa had the same exact look.....the circus.......the fire. After she had finished, Trowa said,
³I remember when we battled, that move you did. You told me you had learned it from the circus. I had forgotten about that, but now it all makes sense. About the whole circus-thing today and everything.²
³That¹s the first time I ever told anyone about that besides Marisa, Alyssa, Jenn, and Krissy. And Lt. Noin, Sally, and Lady Une have read my profile. Please don¹t tell anyone.²
³I won¹t. But, there¹s still one thing I don¹t understand.²
³Huh?²
³Well, if I were Alexei, and I had died, I wouldn¹t want my baby sister to always remember me in a sad way........I would want her to remember me for who I was and all the good times we had shared.² There was silence for a few minutes after Trowa spoke. He gave Anna a lot to think about. Finally, she said,
³You¹re right. You¹re absolutely right. That¹s exactly what Alexei would say and want me to do. I promise from now on, I will look you in the face when I speak to you. And I¹ll always remember Alexei in a happy way.²
³Thank God. I was getting a little annoyed when you wouldn¹t. Usually, ordinary girls can¹t keep themselves from staring at my eyes.²
³Well, I¹m not an ordinary girl,² Anna said, jokingly, ³Now, I have a question for you.²
³What?²
³Who¹s Cathy?²
³Ooooohhhh. Here, I¹ll explain....² Trowa told Anna about how he worked with the circus and how Catherine was like an older sister to him.
³Now I see. Man, isn¹t that weird? I mean, we¹re both in the circus, we both have someone close to us in the circus, you work with lions and Alexei used to work with tigers, and we¹re both in the army.
³Yeah.² Trowa said, laughing a little. He checked his watch.
³It¹s eleven-ten. We should get going.²
³Right.² They packed their things and headed out. Right as they were about to leave, Anna noticed something.
³Hey, look! A shooting star. Never seen one of those before.²
³Me neither. Hey, you know what they say. Let¹s make a wish.² They both made a wish (AN: I¹m not telling you what they wished for, but it¹s probably not what you think) and slid down the mountain side where the cave was located.
*~~~50 Minutes Later~~~*
They entered the building with extreme caution because of all the security devices. The place was packed from locks and alarm systems, to guards watching to doors. When they finally got into the main control room, Anna noticed a small bomb next to the air vent on the floor. She knew exactly what type of bomb it was. It was small, with red and black stripes on it, but very, very powerful and mostly used by terrorists.
ŒLooks like this so-called ³B.D² has already figured out we¹re here. Well, they¹ll have a hard time getting rid of us I¹ll tell you that!¹ she thought, but then looked over to Trowa, ŒHmmmm, I don¹t think it would be right to tell him. One, because it¹s not set to go off for another hour and a half. Which leaves them plenty of time to get what we need and get out. I guess I could hit the emergency switch before we leave. But how will I be able to without him knowing? Oh, who cares. This is a matter of life or death and people¹s lives are on the line. There¹s no time to worry about stupid things like that. I also don¹t want to distract him, and it would take too long to detinate anyway.¹
*~~~45 Minutes Later~~~*
³How much longer will it take?² Anna asked.
³Not much longer. Hacking into the system took longer than I originally thought. Is there something wrong? You seem kind of antsy.²
³No, nothing¹s wrong. It¹s just creepy here.²
³Anyone coming?²
³No, no one¹s been down here. They sure don¹t keep good watch over their control rooms, I¹ll tell you that.²
*~~~Earth¹s Atmosphere~~~*
³This is Zechs reporting in.² Zechs Marquise said as he flew in his space shuttle.
³Hello, Zechs, this is Noin.²
³Glad to see you again.² (AN: I wrote this next part waaaaayyy before the attacks on the Twin Towers. So please don¹t get mad at me.)
³Me too. How did the meeting go in Iraq?
³Not to much progress was made I¹m sorry to say. Iran and Iraq still don¹t want to stop fighting and just sign those peace agreements. I still don¹t know why the U.S. wants to be invovled in this. I mean, we can get oil from other places around the world. And I don¹t know why Relena disappeared and left me in charge of being Vice-Foreign Minister. I haven¹t heard from her in such a long time.²
³Oh well,² Noin sighed, ³Better luck next time. And don¹t worry about Relena, I think she¹ll come around when she¹s ready. She just needs some time to herself. Being Vice-Foreign Minister can take it¹s toll. Especially on such a young lady like herself.²
³Yeah, you¹re probably right. Hey, I¹m picking something up on my radar. Hang on a second.²
³Ok.²
³It¹s a bomb signal coming from Venice, Italy. It¹s right where one of the UN¹s secret unformation buildings is located.²
³Oh no! That¹s where Trowa and Anna are right now!²
³I¹m going in. I¹ll be a little late.²
³No Zechs! You might not be able to find them in time! It¹s too dangerous!²
³I¹ll be fine.² Zechs disconnected his connection to Noin and headed down towards Italy.
³Damn!² she said, ³It¹s probably one of those terrorists bombs. Those things are extremely dangerous. I just pray that Zechs, Trowa, and Anna are ok. Hmmmm, I know this may seem foolish, but.......I have to do something!² She pressed the button and spoke into the inter-com.
³Pilot one and Agent six report to the main control booth immediately!²
~~~~~~~~~~~
³Pilot one and Agent six reporting in ma¹am.² Marisa said, coming through the sliding doors with Heero behind her.
³Great. Look, you need to fly to Italy right away. A terrorist bomb is about to go off in the UN¹s secret information building, and Anna, Trowa, and Zechs are in there.²
³Well, I don¹t see any reason for us to go and get them. Those three can take care of themselves.² Heero said, crossing his arms.
³You don¹t understand. Zechs spotted the bomb from his ship in the Earth¹s atmosphere. If this bomb goes off, it¹s likely-no. It¹s going to kill everyone inside it! The building is large enough, though, that it will be the only thing that gets destroyed. Please go.² Heero¹s eyes moved from the wall he was staring at to Noin.
³We¹ll go.² he said, moving his eyes back to the wall. Marisa and Heero headed out in their jet to Italy.
³I see no point in why Noin wanted us to help those guys.² Heero said, getting the engine running, ³I know they can take care of themselves.²
³I know. I know. I think she thinks of Zechs as more than just a friend.²
³Obviously.²
³So, let¹s just do this to ease her mind ok?²
³Well, we¹re already taking off, so I guess we have no choice.² Marisa looked out the window as the jet lifted into the air.
³I wonder if Anna has spotted the bomb yet?²
³Why do you say that?²
³Well, she¹s really, really good at spotting bombs. Even if they¹re really small or hidden well.²
³Oh.²
*~~~~15 Minutes Later~~~~*
³Look! That¹s Zechs¹s jet.² Marisa said, pointing to it.
³The bomb is set to go off in about a half an hour.² Heero said, checking his watch, ³We need to hurry and get those three out of there.² They hopped out of the plane and ran into the building as quietly as possible. Walking through one of the hallways, Marisa wondered aloud.
³I wonder where the bomb is?²
³We can¹t worry about that now. It¹s probably way past the time when we could have detinated it.²
³I bet they¹re in the main control center.²
³I know.²
³I hate it when you do that!² A small smirk appeared on Heero¹s face.
³Well,² she continued, ³I think we should start running.²
*~Somewhere on the other side of the building~*
³Damn, the bomb is set to go off is twenty-eight minutes! I need to get those kids out of here now.² Zechs said to himself. He checked his pockets.
³Yes, it¹s still there.² He had bought an engagement ring to propose to Noin. It was made of the best diamonds from South Africa. It was irreplaceable and he would do anything and everything in his power to keep it. When he and Noin had Marisa, they weren¹t married yet (AN: If you don¹t know what I¹m talking about, then you need to read the profiles ^_^). And he didn¹t know when he and Noin should tell Marisa the truth. He wished that he could have been there when she was growing up, but what could he do? This was the army and the army had rules. If you had a child while you were still serving, you got an Automatic-Discharge, which plainly meant that then and there, you¹re army career ended.
³Someday, she¹ll understand.² he reasurred himelf.
*~~~~Main Control Center~~~~*
³Are you almost done?² Anna asked desperatly, coming over towards him.
³Just give me a minute. What¹s wrong?²
³Nothing, I just want to get out of here.²
³Oh, well can you hold on for about another minute or two?²
³Yeah, I guess.²
*~~~Outside the door~~~*
³Hey, Heero. I¹ve found them!² Marisa called down the hall to Heero, as he was checking other rooms.
³Good, now let¹s get them out of here.² Heero and Marisa burst through the doors. Anna pulled out her gun and spun around.
³What are you guys doing here?² she asked, putting down her AK 47. Trowa hit the print button and turned his chair around. Heero and Marisa explained about the bomb and Zechs. Trowa looked at Anna who looked away.
³Did you know about this?² She didn¹t answer.
³What the hell were you thinking?! Why didn¹t you tell me?! I could have detinated the thing for Christ-sakes! I know there aren¹t many people in here right now, but you¹ve put eveyone who is in here in danger! Including us!² (AN:Boy, Trowa must be really mad because he hardly ever yells ~ _~;;;)
³Hey! I didn¹t tell you for a number of reasons-²
³I don¹t want to hear it right now.²
³Uh, sorry to break up this little tea party, but we need to get the hell out of here!² Heero said. Trowa turned and pushed the emergency evacation button. Red lights flashed and a buzzer went off. He grabbed the papers he had printed and jammed them in his back pocket.
³Humph, you¹re right. Let¹s go,² he said, then turned back to Anna, ³We¹ll settle this later.² and he walked away. Marisa could see Anna was mad, but a litle hurt, too.
ŒI know she wouldn¹t have told him unless she had a good reason.¹ she thought walking over to her. She whispered,
³It¹s ok, he¹ll get over it.²
³He better.² Anna whispered back, a little bitterly. She hated when people got mad at her when he knew she did the right thing. She and Marisa followed Trowa and Heero out the door only to find Zechs standing there.
³Well, I¹m glad you guys are ok.² he said, looking at Marisa.
³We would have been fine without you.² Heero replied, as Zechs glared at him. He let out a little growl.
³We need to get out of here, now.² he said, trying hard not to punch Heero, although he knew he would block it.
³Right, let¹s go.² Trowa said, heading down the hall as the others followed. About half-way down, Zechs started checking his pockets once more and found that they were empty. He stopped short with a look of suprise on his face. Marisa turned around.
³What¹s wrong?²
³Uh..nothing. I¹ve just forgotten something. I¹m going back.²
³No, you can¹t!²
³I¹ll be fine,² he said, ŒShe sounds so much like Noin.¹ he thought. By then, the others had stopped, too.
³I won¹t let you!²
³Go with the others. I can take care of myself. I WILL BE FINE. I PROMISE.² Heero pulled Marisa by the arm and she reluctantly followed. She looked back and prayed that Zechs would survive the blast. They were about to exit the building when Trowa said,
³Five seconds.² They ran out just as an explosion erupted behind them. They flew into the air and landed on the ground (AN: Just think of those big-action films with Steven Segal or something ^_~). Trowa landed on top of Anna and Heero on top of Marisa. Marisa suddenly realized that Zechs was still inside.
³Zechs!² she yelled, shoving Heero off of her and running into the burning building.
³Uh, Trowa, you¹re suffocating me.² Anna said as he got off. Trowa saw Marisa running into the building.
³Is she crazy?!² he said, getting up to go after her. But Heero put up his arm to block him.
³Let her go.² he said. Trowa looked at him.
ŒHe knows something.....¹ he thought, ŒOr else he would already be after her.¹ Anna got up and dusted herself off.
³We should get the jets ready. Marisa will be back........with Zechs.²
*~~~10 Mintutes Later~~~*
³How much longer will she be?² Heero asked, the jet already running for a while now. They had gone back to get the speed boat and put it in the cargo room in the jet.
³Two mintues.² Anna said, leaning back in her chair with her arms over her head, and looking out the window. Trowa and Heero turned in their seats and looked at her. Anna¹s eyes moved to look at them.
³Trust me.²
*~~~Inside the Building~~~*
Marisa had been searching for Zechs for some time now.
³Where could he be? He couldn¹t have gone far.² she thought aloud. Finally, next to a pile of rubble, Marisa found an unconcious Zechs.
³Oh my God!² she gasped, then noticed something in his right hand. It was a small, navy blue box with a diamond ring inside.
*~End~*
AN: I know it was kinda long, but I hope you enjoyed it! Please r+r!
Chapter Six-Venice, Italy
(AN: Just to clear things up about Anna¹s last name, Ottê is pronounced with a long ³O² and a short ³E² like ³Oh-teh² ok? Hope you like this chapter! ^_^ Oh, and sorry about the 1s and 2s)
Disclaimer- I don¹t own Gundam Wing ::sigh::
Seagulls cried out as Anna and Trowa sped towards a dock in Venice, Italy on a speed boat. They had changed out of their clothes temporarily. Trowa was wearing a blue tropical shirt and blue swimming trunks. Anna was wearing a yellow and black sriped bikini top and shorts to match. Whenever they talked to each other, Anna would always look at something else and not at Trowa¹s face. Trowa had no idea why she did this, but he definetily put it on his ³To Do² list while he was here. They had been warned by Lady Une about a small battle that had been going in Venice before they came and knew it might be an obstacle to get across to get to the information building.
³Why would anyone want to start a battle in such a beautiful place like this?² Anna thought outloud.
³Beats me.² Trowa said. When they got to the dock, they parked the boat far from activity just as an extra precaution.
ŒI can¹t believe I¹m in Venice, Italy!¹ Anna thought as she grabbed her backpack from the boat and walked on the dock with Trowa.
³How do you call a gondola to come and pick you up?² Anna asked.
³Maybe, it¹s like calling a taxi.²
³Maybe. Well, let¹s give it a try. There¹s no harm in it.² Trowa waved his hand in the air and soon a gondola came towards them. In an Italian accent the man inside it asked,
³Where to, sir? Madam?² Trowa and Anna got in.
³To the outskirts of town, please.² Anna said as Trowa leaned back in his seat.
³You mean just outside the boundaries where the battle is? Ma¹am?²
³Yes.²
³O...........k.² the man said, looking at them like they were crazy, and started rowing. When they got about three miles away from the battle site, the man dropped them off. Anna and Trowa stood there, watching the battle continue. Anna thought back to when Lady Une explained to them it was just a small battle between two provinces, who, at first didn¹t want to negotiate about possibly becomining one province, but now it had turned into a battle.
ŒI guess Dorothy was right,¹ again, thinking back to when she had first met her at the U.S.P.I.A. base, ŒAs long as human kind survives, there will always be fighting. No matter if it¹s a fist-fight, a small battle, or a huge war........there will always be fighting.¹ Trowa looked over to Anna and saw that she was in deep thought.
ŒI wonder what she¹s thinking?¹ He turned to her and said,
³There¹s nothing to see here. It¹s always the same picture. Let¹s go into town.²
³Sure,² she said, getting back into focus, ³why not?² They caught another gondola and sailed into town. They didn¹t really have anything in particular that they were looking for, so they just decided to go window shopping and then grab something to eat. As they crossed an alley, Anna noticed a music store with all kinds of instruments (big and small) inside. Anna tugged on Trowa¹s shoulder to stop him from walking.
³Look,² she said, pointing inside, ³A music store. Can we go in?² Trowa shrugged and Anna let go of his arm as she walked in. The smell of wood, brass, metal, and music papers greeted them as they walked in.
³Do you play an instrument, Trowa?² she asked, turning to him. Trowa didn¹t answer, but instead walked over to the woodwind section and picked up a flute. He started playing.
³Oh, so you play the flute? One of my favorites.² After a few minutes, Trowa stopped playing and put the flute back while Anna clapped.
³Wow, you¹re good.² she said. He walked over to her and said,
³Do you play?²
³Yes, I can play......² she walked over to the back where they kept the big instruments and dragged one to the center of the room. She got a chair and sat down next to it.
³The harp.² She began to play and the whole room seemed to fill with the music.
³She truly has a gift,¹ he thought, ŒIt¹s so smooth that it¹s as if she¹s not even touching the strings. She plays in a very exotic way, very different from anything else I¹ve ever heard.¹ The music seemed to calm him and relieve him of all his stress. It was so relaxing that he had to lean against the wall to keep his balance (AN: his classic position ^_~). Trowa suddenly realized that ever since he had met her, he had not been acting like himself. He seemed to have acted kinder to her than he had other girls he had met. Something about her made him keep on wanting to learn more about her. Plus, there was the fact that she had never looked at him in the face. He, like Wufei, was a sucker for pretty eyes, and he wondered what kind she had. He knew that Heero liked someone who had the same love for nature as he did. Duo lwas just looking for someone who had a killer sense of humor and could ³kick butt² as he called it. Quatre liked a girl who had an attitude, but was sweet also, something hard to come by. When the music ended, Trowa opened his eyes and paused; looking at Anna¹s figure. Like the other girls, she was buffed, but her personality didn¹t exactly fit her figure. With Jenn, and Alyssa, and definitely Kristin it did, but not her and Marisa. He didn¹t know Marisa that well, but Anna was nice and gentle, yet funny.
ŒMaybe it¹s because I¹ve never seen her and Marisa in their fighting modes. I bet they¹re pistols, and by the looks of it, it seems Anna¹s got a killer left hook.¹ Anna saw Trowa staring at her, so she tilted her head and asked teasingly,
³What are you staring at?²
³Uh......nothing.² he said, trying not to blush. Anna raised an eyebrow and gave him a look that said ³Uh-huh, sure ya are.² She stood up and put the harp away (with the help of the clerk this time) and they left. After getting something to eat from a small restaraunt across the street, Anna suggested.
³I think the shelling has quieted down by now. Do you want to go back?²
³Ok.² he said, and they headed to the restrooms to change back into their work clothes. As they left the restaraunt, they went to go find their boat. As they walked down the bumpy sidewalk, they passed a poster that advertised a circus (Not Catherine¹s. She was currently visiting colony L2, not Earth). The poster had a close up picture of a boy, about Trowa¹s age with white hair (it was short-definetly not like Zechs) and he had deep seagreen eyes (lighter than Quatre¹s, but exactly like Anna¹s). Next to the boy was a girl with reddish-pink hair and midnight blue eyes (like Noin and Marisa¹s). Above their faces were the words ³A&J¹s Mobile Circus!,² and then on the bottom in little letters were, ³Coming to a town near you!² next to the dates. In the backround was a picture of the rest of the circus and one white and orange tiger. Anna¹s eye caught a glimpse of the poster and stopped. Trowa noticed that she wasn¹t beside him and he took a few steps back. He turned around and joined Anna in looking at the picture.
³You know,² he said, ³If that guy¹s hair was longer and darker......he would look just like you.²
³What?² Anna said, a little shocked.
³Well, it¹s true.² Anna turned back to the picture and and put her hand on her chin. She stared at the picture for a minute or two, then finally said,
³Ya know...........I think you¹re right.²
³I told you.²
³Yeah.....and he looks sort of familiar, too.²
³He does? Well, I wouldn¹t be surprised.² he said, leaning against the wall in his classic position.
³Can we go see them? I mean, it starts at three, ends at five, and we¹ll have plenty of time to get to where we need to be.²
³Hmmmmm...........I don¹t know...²
³Oh, c¹mon, Trowa. Don¹t be such a spoil-sport!² The way she said it reminded Trowa of Catherine very much. He felt like smiling, but made himself hold it back.
³Oh.........ok, I guess. But, we better not be late, this mission is important.²
³Great! Let¹s go. We only have a half an hour to get there. I promise we won¹t be late.² Anna said, grabbing hold of Trowa¹s hand to catch up to a gondola she had just spotted. She flagged it down and they rode to an open field where the circus tent was.
ŒWow, this brings back so many memories.¹ Anna thought. When Trowa looked at the tent, he was instantly reminded of Catherine and his lions. Anna looked over and noticed the far-away look on his face.
³Trowa? Is something wrong?² Trowa, thinking it was Catherine talking to him said,
³No Cathy.²
³Cathy? Who¹s Cathy?² Coming back to reality and realizing what he had just said, Trowa shook his head.
³Uh..no one.² He got out of the gondola and walked away from Anna.
ŒHe¹s not telling me something. I know it. And I¹m going to find out what it is.¹ she thought running forward to catch up.
*~~~~Inside the Circus Tent~~~~*
The audience clapped as the motorcyclists left the stage after bowing. Anna looked over at Trowa, who was sitting next to her and leaning back in his seat with his arms folded.
ŒOh well, I¹m not going to let him raid on my parade. I¹m going to enjoy myself and maybe even figure out who that guy on the poster was.¹ She turned her attention back to the stage.
³And now,² the ring leader said, standing on top of a small box with a spotlight on him, ³the moment you¹ve all been waiting for! Our very own.....A and J!²
A young man walked out from behind a blue curtain, wearing a white tux with long white tails in the back (AN: er, it¹s like what those piano players wear when they are going to sit down to play and they lift up those ³tails² in the back that¹s part of the top of the tux). Then, a good-looking lady came out from behind him wearing a crimson red dress with white crystals on the front. They joined hands and bowed as the audience clapped. The young man stepped forward and the lights dimmed (the audience stopped clapping) and a spotlight appeared on the him and the girl. The man pulled out a long red scarf from his sleeve and held it out in the air. When he pulled it back, a cage with two tigers (one white and one orange) appeared. A round of applause soon followed. The lady came forward and opened the cage. The man and the lady each took a tiger to one side of the stage and they started to ³dance² on their hind legs. The tigers did a series of flips, alternating balancing on each foot, walking on their front paws, and doing handstands on each other. Trowa leaned forward and watched them intently.
ŒMaybe I could learn a thing or two to use on my lions. I know it probably seems like stealing, but I need something new. I was kind of getting tired of doing the same routeine over and over again.¹ Anna noticed Trowa had leaned forward and was watching the tigers.
ŒWell, I¹m glad he finds something interesting about this circus.¹ She went back to watching the boy and the girl doing their tricks with the tigers. She didn¹t really watch the girl, but she focused on the boy.
ŒI can¹t put my finger on it, but there¹s just something about that guy. Come to think of it....he sort of reminds me of Alexei. Could it be?......Nah...Alexei died ten years ago. There¹s no way he could have survived that fire; everything was destroyed in a matter of minutes! Besides, the firemen told me themselves I was the only survivor. Maybe I¹m hallucinating. I think I¹ll go outside for a minute.¹ She turned to Trowa
³I¹ll be right back. Tell me if I miss anything ok?² It was so dark she could barely see him nod. As she started to leave, Trowa couldn¹t help but wonder if she was ok.
ŒHuh? Why am I thinking this? Of course she¹ll be alright.¹ he thought, but a twinge of an unfamiliar feeling entered his body for a second. He shook it off by shaking his head and turned his attention back to the tigers.
*~~~~Outside the Tent~~~~*
Anna inhaled a breath of air and sighed as she exhaled.
³It was just so crowded in there. But I¹m not claustrophobic.² she sighed again.
³Whatever.² She looked up to the sky.
³Wow, not a single cloud in the sky. How beautiful. I know Marisa would love to see this.² Then, out of the corner of her eye, she saw a puff of brown smoke. She turned her head and noticed it was coming from where the battle was taking place.
³What a stupid battle!² Anna yelled clenching her fists. ³All because one province doesn¹t want to join another, there has to be a battle! What is this world coming to?!² Then she heard clapping from inside and then the ring master talking.
³Thank you! Thank you for coming to our show and watching our very own A and J! We hope you enjoyed it, and all proceeds will go to hungry children around the world! Good afternoon everyone!²
³Huh? The show¹s over already?² Anna said, checking her watch. Another round of applause soon came afterwards and she could here the pounding of feet as people came out of the tent. As people passed her she saw the man and the girl walking out of the big tent, to a smaller tent in back.
ŒWell, I guess it wouldn¹t hurt to go check those two out. Trowa wouldn¹t leave without me, would he? Oh, what the heck!¹ she thought heading towards the small tent. She saw there was an opening in the tent and peeked inside. The young man was putting the tigers into their cage with some meat while the girl was taking off her jewelry.
³I can¹t take this anymore! It¹s the same thing over and over again! I want to quit! I don¹t know if doing this constantly will get us anywhere?² the girl said.
³You can¹t quit now, Jasmin. Not when we are so close to achieving our goal. We¹re just starting to break through to the general public. Just give it some time. I¹ll try to get the tigers to learn more tricks, I promise.² said the young man.
ŒHis voice is so soft and reasurring.¹ Anna thought.
³You¹d better! If you need me, I¹ll be in my trailor.² Jasmin said, brushing past him. When she came near the opening she saw Anna peeking in. She wasn¹t in the mood for publicity, especially not from little girls.
³What do you think you¹re doing?!² she yelled, her voice rising a little.
³Uh, well, I-²
³I don¹t want to hear it right now little girl! I¹m not in the mood for signing autographs.²
³Little girl?! I¹m sixteen!²Anna yelled back.
ŒI may be small, but I¹m not a little girl!¹ Anna thought angrily.
Alexei heard Jasmin arguing with Anna outside the tent opening as he locked the tiger¹s cage. He looked at them and was going to stop the fight, but he didn¹t want to make Jasmin madder, so he stopped himself. He took a look at the girl she was arguing with.
ŒThe girl Jasmin¹s arguing with looks almost identical to my little Anna.¹ the thought, thinking back.
ŒShe has the same hair, but it¹s longer and a bit darker. But her eyes.....her eyes are exactly like Anna¹s. But it couldn¹t be. There¹s no way she could have survived that fire. She was so little. The firefighters said that there was only one other survivor besides me, but there¹s no way it could have been her.¹ He shook his head and decided stop the fight, even thought he knew it was against his better judgement. He headed towards the entrace, but stopped when he heard a voice that sounded like it belonged to a boy about his age.
³I thought I might find you here.² Trowa said, coming up behind Anna. Anna jumped and spun around. She opened her mouth to say something, but nothing came out.
³I¹m sorry Ma¹am,² he said to the lady, ³she only wanted to see the tigers up-close. I¹m sorry she bothered you. We¹ll leave now.² he put his arm around Anna and led her away.
³Thank you, young man. At least someone around here has the descency to respect adults!² Jasmin said, bitterly. Anna turned around and gave Jasmin a deadly glare as she walked off to her trailer.
ŒIf Trowa wasn¹t here, I¹d beat her to a pulp and then some!¹ Anna thought.
³C¹mon Anna,² Trowa said, holding her back, ³We¹d better go. We have a job to do remember?² Anna loosened up and dropped her arms.
³Yeah, I remember.² Trowa ran forward and called a gondola to come get them and take them back to the battlefield. Alexei was just behind the tent¹s opening when he heard Trowa say Anna¹s name.
³He said ŒAnna¹! It¹s her! I know it!² he said, running after her. He had just called out her name as she and Trowa rounded a corner behind a building.
³Huh?² Anna said, turning her head.
³What?² Trowa asked.
³Oh, nothing. I just thought I heard someone call my name.²
³It was probably just the wind.²
³Yeah, probably.² Anna said, turning her head around. She let her arm droop over the side of the boat and let her fingers run through the water. She just couldn¹t get her mind off of that guy and how much he reminded her Alexei. She told herself that if she ever got the chance to see him again, she would find out who he was. And even though the firemen told her she was the only survivor, a little voice inside her head kept telling her to not give up hope. That he did survive and that someday they would reunite.
Trowa was stitting on the other side of the boat, near the driver, with his arms perched on the boat¹s edge. He could tell that Anna was thinking about that guy from the circus. But he didn¹t know why? She didn¹t seem attracted to him in any way, but he remembered when they were fighting and she had mentioned something about the circus.
ŒI remember.......when we were battling she did a move just like I do, but slightly different....¹
*~Flashback~*
~Chamber#5~
ŒI remember I had just charged towards her, and then she did a back flip, double twist, half summer-salt. Or something like that. I was so surprised that she did that, but Ididn¹t show it. She landed facing me. And then I asked her,¹
³Where¹d you learn that move?²
ŒAnd she said,¹
³The circus.²
ŒThe circus!¹ I thought. After that, I ended the battle. I know Duo was a little mad because I hurt her more than I intended. But, the next thing I knew, I was helping her up and an ambulence came.¹
*~End of Flashback~*
ŒStill, I think about how she could have been involved in the circus. I mean, she had been in training non-stop since she was little. How could she have found the time to be in the circus, when she had to stay in the White House? And now she¹s thinking about that guy from the poster. And she still won¹t look me in the eyes. If she is going to be my partner, she can¹t have any secrets. I have to find out what the deal is with her!¹ Trowa clenched his fists and looked over towards Anna who was still leaning over the boat.
ŒBut,¹ he realized, ŒIf she tells me her secrets, then I¹ll have to probably tell her about Cathy and my lions. Hey, it¹s not that big a secret so why not?¹ Suddenly the boat came to an abrupt stop. Trowa leaned forward while Anna leaned back and fell onto the floor of the boat. The driver seemed kind of nervous being so close to the battle grounds so he hurried them out of the boat.
³The shelling seems to have stopped......for now. Do you think we should make a run for it, towards the building? If we make it, there¹s a hotel right next to it.² Anna said.
³It would be risky............but what the hell. I¹ve taken too many risks in my life already.² Trowa said, smiling at Anna.
³Yeah. Besides, we aren¹t in this busines to take bubble baths. So let¹s go.² They took out their guns and slid down the mountain side towards the battlefield. It was hard to keep track of where they were going because the battle was taking place in a forest. When they were about half a mile-away from the building, everything went dead silent. The silence made Anna feel uncomfortable because she knew what happens when something like this occurs. An eerie presence surrounded her.
³Trowa,² she whispered, ³Do you feel that?² Trowa hesitated for a second.
³Yeah.²
³What should we do? We can¹t stand here, or we¹ll be killed! And we can¹t make any noise.²
³All I can think of right now is to get out of range as quickly and quietly as possible. We need to get going now.²
But it was too late. Just as they started moving, the shelling started again. ::BOOM!:: ::BANG!:: (AN-I know that was kinda cheesy, but whatever). Trowa and Anna hit the ground and covered their heads. As soon the first round of shell-fire had past, they ran for cover, staying low to the ground. Anna spotted a cave nearby that looked deserted, and pointed it out to Trowa, who nodded. They ran and got inside it just as a bomb dropped. They hit the ground and covered their heads as dust and small rocks fell on them. They agreed to stay in the cave until it was time to break-in to the building which looked like a nuclear plant. As the sun slowly set, they ate dinner (tater tots and canned fruit) and eventually fell asleep in their sleeping bags.
~* Ten-thirty PM*~
Anna tossed and turned in her sleeping bag. Finally she got up and walked over to the entrance of the cave. She shivered as a sudden gust of wind past by her. She just couldn¹t get her mind off of that guy at the circus no matter how hard she tried. The images of seeing him that day kept replaying over and over again in her mind.
³Alexei,² she whispered, ³If you are truly out there.......I will find you.²
³Who¹s Alexei?² a voice said behind her. She jumped and spun around.
³Oh, it¹s you, Trowa.² she said, looking at the floor.²
³Anna,² he said firmly, ³I¹m tired of beating around the bush. I want to know a couple of things and I want to know them now. I¹m very good friends with Heero, Duo, Wufei, and Quatre. They have basically told me everything about them and I have to them. I can¹t work with someone, if they are always preoccupied in the mind with something. I¹m not accusing you of doing a poor job, because you¹re not. But, I have to know who is Alexei, how were you involved in the circus, and most importantly how come you can¹t look me in the face?²
Anna¹s eyes widened and she turned around and looked down then to the sky,
³I thought I might never have to tell anyone this, because it¹s too painful for me to remember....² She told him everything that happened in her past. That look in Alexei¹s eyes and how Trowa had the same exact look.....the circus.......the fire. After she had finished, Trowa said,
³I remember when we battled, that move you did. You told me you had learned it from the circus. I had forgotten about that, but now it all makes sense. About the whole circus-thing today and everything.²
³That¹s the first time I ever told anyone about that besides Marisa, Alyssa, Jenn, and Krissy. And Lt. Noin, Sally, and Lady Une have read my profile. Please don¹t tell anyone.²
³I won¹t. But, there¹s still one thing I don¹t understand.²
³Huh?²
³Well, if I were Alexei, and I had died, I wouldn¹t want my baby sister to always remember me in a sad way........I would want her to remember me for who I was and all the good times we had shared.² There was silence for a few minutes after Trowa spoke. He gave Anna a lot to think about. Finally, she said,
³You¹re right. You¹re absolutely right. That¹s exactly what Alexei would say and want me to do. I promise from now on, I will look you in the face when I speak to you. And I¹ll always remember Alexei in a happy way.²
³Thank God. I was getting a little annoyed when you wouldn¹t. Usually, ordinary girls can¹t keep themselves from staring at my eyes.²
³Well, I¹m not an ordinary girl,² Anna said, jokingly, ³Now, I have a question for you.²
³What?²
³Who¹s Cathy?²
³Ooooohhhh. Here, I¹ll explain....² Trowa told Anna about how he worked with the circus and how Catherine was like an older sister to him.
³Now I see. Man, isn¹t that weird? I mean, we¹re both in the circus, we both have someone close to us in the circus, you work with lions and Alexei used to work with tigers, and we¹re both in the army.
³Yeah.² Trowa said, laughing a little. He checked his watch.
³It¹s eleven-ten. We should get going.²
³Right.² They packed their things and headed out. Right as they were about to leave, Anna noticed something.
³Hey, look! A shooting star. Never seen one of those before.²
³Me neither. Hey, you know what they say. Let¹s make a wish.² They both made a wish (AN: I¹m not telling you what they wished for, but it¹s probably not what you think) and slid down the mountain side where the cave was located.
*~~~50 Minutes Later~~~*
They entered the building with extreme caution because of all the security devices. The place was packed from locks and alarm systems, to guards watching to doors. When they finally got into the main control room, Anna noticed a small bomb next to the air vent on the floor. She knew exactly what type of bomb it was. It was small, with red and black stripes on it, but very, very powerful and mostly used by terrorists.
ŒLooks like this so-called ³B.D² has already figured out we¹re here. Well, they¹ll have a hard time getting rid of us I¹ll tell you that!¹ she thought, but then looked over to Trowa, ŒHmmmm, I don¹t think it would be right to tell him. One, because it¹s not set to go off for another hour and a half. Which leaves them plenty of time to get what we need and get out. I guess I could hit the emergency switch before we leave. But how will I be able to without him knowing? Oh, who cares. This is a matter of life or death and people¹s lives are on the line. There¹s no time to worry about stupid things like that. I also don¹t want to distract him, and it would take too long to detinate anyway.¹
*~~~45 Minutes Later~~~*
³How much longer will it take?² Anna asked.
³Not much longer. Hacking into the system took longer than I originally thought. Is there something wrong? You seem kind of antsy.²
³No, nothing¹s wrong. It¹s just creepy here.²
³Anyone coming?²
³No, no one¹s been down here. They sure don¹t keep good watch over their control rooms, I¹ll tell you that.²
*~~~Earth¹s Atmosphere~~~*
³This is Zechs reporting in.² Zechs Marquise said as he flew in his space shuttle.
³Hello, Zechs, this is Noin.²
³Glad to see you again.² (AN: I wrote this next part waaaaayyy before the attacks on the Twin Towers. So please don¹t get mad at me.)
³Me too. How did the meeting go in Iraq?
³Not to much progress was made I¹m sorry to say. Iran and Iraq still don¹t want to stop fighting and just sign those peace agreements. I still don¹t know why the U.S. wants to be invovled in this. I mean, we can get oil from other places around the world. And I don¹t know why Relena disappeared and left me in charge of being Vice-Foreign Minister. I haven¹t heard from her in such a long time.²
³Oh well,² Noin sighed, ³Better luck next time. And don¹t worry about Relena, I think she¹ll come around when she¹s ready. She just needs some time to herself. Being Vice-Foreign Minister can take it¹s toll. Especially on such a young lady like herself.²
³Yeah, you¹re probably right. Hey, I¹m picking something up on my radar. Hang on a second.²
³Ok.²
³It¹s a bomb signal coming from Venice, Italy. It¹s right where one of the UN¹s secret unformation buildings is located.²
³Oh no! That¹s where Trowa and Anna are right now!²
³I¹m going in. I¹ll be a little late.²
³No Zechs! You might not be able to find them in time! It¹s too dangerous!²
³I¹ll be fine.² Zechs disconnected his connection to Noin and headed down towards Italy.
³Damn!² she said, ³It¹s probably one of those terrorists bombs. Those things are extremely dangerous. I just pray that Zechs, Trowa, and Anna are ok. Hmmmm, I know this may seem foolish, but.......I have to do something!² She pressed the button and spoke into the inter-com.
³Pilot one and Agent six report to the main control booth immediately!²
~~~~~~~~~~~
³Pilot one and Agent six reporting in ma¹am.² Marisa said, coming through the sliding doors with Heero behind her.
³Great. Look, you need to fly to Italy right away. A terrorist bomb is about to go off in the UN¹s secret information building, and Anna, Trowa, and Zechs are in there.²
³Well, I don¹t see any reason for us to go and get them. Those three can take care of themselves.² Heero said, crossing his arms.
³You don¹t understand. Zechs spotted the bomb from his ship in the Earth¹s atmosphere. If this bomb goes off, it¹s likely-no. It¹s going to kill everyone inside it! The building is large enough, though, that it will be the only thing that gets destroyed. Please go.² Heero¹s eyes moved from the wall he was staring at to Noin.
³We¹ll go.² he said, moving his eyes back to the wall. Marisa and Heero headed out in their jet to Italy.
³I see no point in why Noin wanted us to help those guys.² Heero said, getting the engine running, ³I know they can take care of themselves.²
³I know. I know. I think she thinks of Zechs as more than just a friend.²
³Obviously.²
³So, let¹s just do this to ease her mind ok?²
³Well, we¹re already taking off, so I guess we have no choice.² Marisa looked out the window as the jet lifted into the air.
³I wonder if Anna has spotted the bomb yet?²
³Why do you say that?²
³Well, she¹s really, really good at spotting bombs. Even if they¹re really small or hidden well.²
³Oh.²
*~~~~15 Minutes Later~~~~*
³Look! That¹s Zechs¹s jet.² Marisa said, pointing to it.
³The bomb is set to go off in about a half an hour.² Heero said, checking his watch, ³We need to hurry and get those three out of there.² They hopped out of the plane and ran into the building as quietly as possible. Walking through one of the hallways, Marisa wondered aloud.
³I wonder where the bomb is?²
³We can¹t worry about that now. It¹s probably way past the time when we could have detinated it.²
³I bet they¹re in the main control center.²
³I know.²
³I hate it when you do that!² A small smirk appeared on Heero¹s face.
³Well,² she continued, ³I think we should start running.²
*~Somewhere on the other side of the building~*
³Damn, the bomb is set to go off is twenty-eight minutes! I need to get those kids out of here now.² Zechs said to himself. He checked his pockets.
³Yes, it¹s still there.² He had bought an engagement ring to propose to Noin. It was made of the best diamonds from South Africa. It was irreplaceable and he would do anything and everything in his power to keep it. When he and Noin had Marisa, they weren¹t married yet (AN: If you don¹t know what I¹m talking about, then you need to read the profiles ^_^). And he didn¹t know when he and Noin should tell Marisa the truth. He wished that he could have been there when she was growing up, but what could he do? This was the army and the army had rules. If you had a child while you were still serving, you got an Automatic-Discharge, which plainly meant that then and there, you¹re army career ended.
³Someday, she¹ll understand.² he reasurred himelf.
*~~~~Main Control Center~~~~*
³Are you almost done?² Anna asked desperatly, coming over towards him.
³Just give me a minute. What¹s wrong?²
³Nothing, I just want to get out of here.²
³Oh, well can you hold on for about another minute or two?²
³Yeah, I guess.²
*~~~Outside the door~~~*
³Hey, Heero. I¹ve found them!² Marisa called down the hall to Heero, as he was checking other rooms.
³Good, now let¹s get them out of here.² Heero and Marisa burst through the doors. Anna pulled out her gun and spun around.
³What are you guys doing here?² she asked, putting down her AK 47. Trowa hit the print button and turned his chair around. Heero and Marisa explained about the bomb and Zechs. Trowa looked at Anna who looked away.
³Did you know about this?² She didn¹t answer.
³What the hell were you thinking?! Why didn¹t you tell me?! I could have detinated the thing for Christ-sakes! I know there aren¹t many people in here right now, but you¹ve put eveyone who is in here in danger! Including us!² (AN:Boy, Trowa must be really mad because he hardly ever yells ~ _~;;;)
³Hey! I didn¹t tell you for a number of reasons-²
³I don¹t want to hear it right now.²
³Uh, sorry to break up this little tea party, but we need to get the hell out of here!² Heero said. Trowa turned and pushed the emergency evacation button. Red lights flashed and a buzzer went off. He grabbed the papers he had printed and jammed them in his back pocket.
³Humph, you¹re right. Let¹s go,² he said, then turned back to Anna, ³We¹ll settle this later.² and he walked away. Marisa could see Anna was mad, but a litle hurt, too.
ŒI know she wouldn¹t have told him unless she had a good reason.¹ she thought walking over to her. She whispered,
³It¹s ok, he¹ll get over it.²
³He better.² Anna whispered back, a little bitterly. She hated when people got mad at her when he knew she did the right thing. She and Marisa followed Trowa and Heero out the door only to find Zechs standing there.
³Well, I¹m glad you guys are ok.² he said, looking at Marisa.
³We would have been fine without you.² Heero replied, as Zechs glared at him. He let out a little growl.
³We need to get out of here, now.² he said, trying hard not to punch Heero, although he knew he would block it.
³Right, let¹s go.² Trowa said, heading down the hall as the others followed. About half-way down, Zechs started checking his pockets once more and found that they were empty. He stopped short with a look of suprise on his face. Marisa turned around.
³What¹s wrong?²
³Uh..nothing. I¹ve just forgotten something. I¹m going back.²
³No, you can¹t!²
³I¹ll be fine,² he said, ŒShe sounds so much like Noin.¹ he thought. By then, the others had stopped, too.
³I won¹t let you!²
³Go with the others. I can take care of myself. I WILL BE FINE. I PROMISE.² Heero pulled Marisa by the arm and she reluctantly followed. She looked back and prayed that Zechs would survive the blast. They were about to exit the building when Trowa said,
³Five seconds.² They ran out just as an explosion erupted behind them. They flew into the air and landed on the ground (AN: Just think of those big-action films with Steven Segal or something ^_~). Trowa landed on top of Anna and Heero on top of Marisa. Marisa suddenly realized that Zechs was still inside.
³Zechs!² she yelled, shoving Heero off of her and running into the burning building.
³Uh, Trowa, you¹re suffocating me.² Anna said as he got off. Trowa saw Marisa running into the building.
³Is she crazy?!² he said, getting up to go after her. But Heero put up his arm to block him.
³Let her go.² he said. Trowa looked at him.
ŒHe knows something.....¹ he thought, ŒOr else he would already be after her.¹ Anna got up and dusted herself off.
³We should get the jets ready. Marisa will be back........with Zechs.²
*~~~10 Mintutes Later~~~*
³How much longer will she be?² Heero asked, the jet already running for a while now. They had gone back to get the speed boat and put it in the cargo room in the jet.
³Two mintues.² Anna said, leaning back in her chair with her arms over her head, and looking out the window. Trowa and Heero turned in their seats and looked at her. Anna¹s eyes moved to look at them.
³Trust me.²
*~~~Inside the Building~~~*
Marisa had been searching for Zechs for some time now.
³Where could he be? He couldn¹t have gone far.² she thought aloud. Finally, next to a pile of rubble, Marisa found an unconcious Zechs.
³Oh my God!² she gasped, then noticed something in his right hand. It was a small, navy blue box with a diamond ring inside.
*~End~*
AN: I know it was kinda long, but I hope you enjoyed it! Please r+r!