The 4th- Last Standz
m m m m
"Death is the coward's way out so that makes me a coward. You only kill the cowards don't ya?"
That made her stop, she looked ruefully at her scars.
The pilots eyed her.
"Then kill me now! You got the motive and the means. I'm taking up valuable space."
Her voice crackled, "I'm nothing but an annoyance . . ."
Were those tears, Duo asked himself, the springs weren't being tugged but snatched in his heart.
"COLLEEN SHOULD'VE BEEN HERE NOT ME!"
A banshee flew toward her way, the nightmare vision that was Rachael Silas.
"I'LL PUT YOU IN YOUR GLASS COFFIN!"
They fell of the bridge plunging into the water, the fall sending pain shooting through the bodies, the Nile made sustain life but it was eattting away the last part of Kat remaining.
Her mind was gone along with her heart so the only thing there was her battered body.
"KATRINA!" They found themselves yelling.
Rachael held her face down, hoping to drown her.
"You wanna know why I did it!?! I hated the little brat and you too: You trusted me enough to think I actually wanted to help you. Silly rabbit, tricks are for kids."
The kat tripped up the byrd suddenly coughing and hacking up water.
"So . . . that . . . justifies taking . . . an innocence child's . . . life!" Katrina decked in the jaw, Rachel slipped back in the silt at the bottom. "She knew too much. She caused the downfall of Blaque and you killed us with it!" Looming over the fallen form Kat felt the need to tell her.
To make her fell what she was feeling for three years.
"We were fucked up before we got here! We used to be C-H-I-L-D-R-E-N. We had lives, we had hopes and dreams, not a horror in a black outfit. I'm 15 dammit, I should be a kid!"
Rachael released a scream and attack Kat even harder, her strength was felling and her counterpart was drained, the raven wanted to beat her down-make her go away.
The cat was another plague, another plague upon her soul. "I took Blaque to live."
The ginger brows met the obscure gray ones, she used to be so sweet.
"So, I took Blaque to live- for my sister."
And Rachael loathed her for it:
Katrina had a carefree life, Katrina had her family, the princess ballerina even had her glass coffin.
"Then you're NOT doing a very good job of it. You're making your final stand!"
The raven slammed the feline's back into the silver water, continuing to drown her former best friend and Blaque Kat . . .
"THIS IS WHERE THE CURTAIN FALLS KATRINA!
SAY GOOD NIGHT PRINCESS BALLERINA!"
She springs up out of water like the madwoman she had become.
"CATS HATE WATER!"
The rage made her snap, her hands made a S-n-snap!
Broken wing, broken neck.
The Latina started back eyes full of Death, taking her under, her grave her resting place.
Rachael fell dead.
She arose, clothes and hair pasted to her skin . . . Breathing heavy as a weight, the water whispered everything was over with Blaque.
The spy Katrina died with Rachael-she saw too much in those mirrors: Parents, sister, friends true and alleged, the pilots, life, herself . . . A long, eerie witch cackle was released from the feline's throat. "Told ya' I hate water."
Suddenly the thundering of an explosion blasted her ears.
m
"The water stops here!" Heero yelled back to Relena.
"What!?! No way!" Relena ran faster . . . faster . . . faster . . . trying to catch up with his fleeing form . . . . It just couldn't end like this . . . . She had to fight . . . They had to fight . . . Even Kat.
"Damn." Her cursed under his breath, that crazy spy really was dead.
"Then she's gone!" Relena refused to swallow this truth, Katrina had to live, she just had to.
"OH GOD!" A heap of sobs caused her to fall into his arms, taking even him by surprise. "She was trying to save us, save us all! I don't care what any of you say, she was a good person!"
He attempted to find a way to soften the blow. "Maybe she had to die."
Then Relena decided to really give him a piece of her mind.
"You know what Heero Yuy, you make me sick , you wanted her to die!" Pushing away, he got a shoulder colder than his eyes. He rubbed the temples at his forehead, some close yet so far away.
"Relena, that's not it."
"Then WHAT is?"
He never did get the chance to answer because they were rocked by an explosion.
m
Run stupid.
The wind commanded her legs, over the sand Katrina sprinted, it couldn't be HIM, not HIM, not the reason she escape to Egypt in the first place. "Please don't take Maximilian . . . "
Her task wasn't completed, she needed forgiveness, she needed her sleep.
A sand storm blocked out all sight-where was he, where was she going, where was her reason?
Blinded by it, the cold and damp cat was slowed down to a crawl thorough the high winds and flying particles . . . . She kept cursing herself for not dying like a good little kitty cat in the first place . . . . But noooooo, she was doing it to herself again . . . Death wasn't the way out, the easy way maybe, but it wasn't her way no matter how much bullshit she filled her head with.
It was too dark and too quiet . . . He wasn't that quiet.
Find him.
A part asked why should she? All of the Gundams wanted the spy dead.
Well duh stupid, you are in love with him, you'll never forgive yourself, blasé, blasé.
"I hate you." She grumbled to no one in particular.
I know you too well . . . . A dark form lied there in the sandy mist.
So he called himself the God of Death . . . he was holding true to his namesake not making in movement. Kat had to swallow her heart before she reached out to him.
Cold.
More so than her former Blaque or the boy with the Prussian blues or the water Rachael rested in.
Was she ever gonna sleep?
"Not him . . . you were suppose to take me . . ." She whispered, "Don't be dead please . . ."
She continued to beseech.
"DON'T BE DEAD!"
m
His head ache in the worst way-the cracking sound and the crimson tide on his collar told him this way something really uncool occurred- while the indestructible (or that's what he believed) Death Scythe was being eaten by greedy flames, the computer system fried itself and blew up in his face.
Well, this was pleasant.
There he was fated to bleed to death and now he was hallucinating that he heard a sugar sweet voice calling his name, calling him, calling him.
"DUO! WHERE ARE YOU? IT'S ME! DON'T BE DEAD!"
"Kat . . . Katrina?"
"Dou! Come on you fool! Wake up!"
A groan escaped from his throat. It was all hazy, so very hazy, another dark haired, dark-skinned angel was gazing at him. Wait a minute, he tried sitting up, there was only one.
"Heyyyyy . . Yelling in my ear is soooo uncool . . . I don't know why you're . . . .Whoa, where are your clothes?"
Why don't you just tell her?
Tell her what?
You know what I mean.
"Even in a stupor you got jokes." But it came out with a sun smile.
"What happened Kat?"
She touched his face, putting some closeness between them, "L-o-n-g story."
The tone bittered, "I got a feeling you'll be telling us plenty of them Kat."
Her smile faded. Not that she didn't see this coming.
"Get up before you became my last or I'm not explaining this if you don't when I get back."
His head fell in her lap, "Good to see you too."
Katrina was the one to wake up not Duo.
The room wasn't her former prison, it had a 'belonging' feel to its whitewashed walls, she was alone in the bed . . . a well-defined lump changed that. She bolted up.
"Dammit. That's it! I'm kicking the bottle!" Her voice hissed in the dark.
Kat promptly received a smack from her own hand, "Ok, Kat, calm down here-you've waken up in a bed by strange men before . . . OH God, I haven't even touch a wine cooler in two weeks!"
"Stop brawling and go back to sleep. You're not drunk, you fighting off a week of straight fatigue." Someone was taping away at a keyboard, the ill-fated disks sitting next to its terminal.
"Relena's ready to nail you down into bed if you have a change of plans."
"Relena? You mean, she made it?" The girl looked up from her hands. "I can't stay here."
"Woman, are you insane or just plain stupid."
It was a new voice, Wufei was leaning against the wall watching Heero search the disks.
"Do I get a choice of which?"
"We have questions for you Katrina Felicia Nyle, or should I be addressing you by alias Blaque Kat of Project Tails, under the protection of OZ."
She felt mildly impressed, odd reaction, "So you found out. Wow, you wanna cookie for that?"
"Not unless it's chocolate chip."
"Little smartass-" She cursed low then she raised her voice, "I'm still not dead, so why not kill me? Be froggy enough to jump."
"Information. Nothing more. At first, I thought you dead but you're not-you're running your mouth aren't you?"
"People expect me to do something so I always hit 'em with an 180."
He stopped and faced her, eyes glowing. "You don't deserve your life."
She threw off the covers and rose slowly. "And you don't deserve Relena."
Heero headed toward the door, "Let Trowa take over for the watch after you leave."
"Watch?"Her rubbery legs wouldn't hold her so she held onto a tall dresser in the room.
Wufei closed the door softy. "Making sure you don't endanger the others, woman, or yourself."
"I'm not a danger . . . and I don't need a babysitter."
"What you need to do is shut up and sit down before that death wish comes true." He warned.
"Why don't I give you the finger and call it a night?"
A sound from the computer diverted their attention in this tense moment.
A blood read message appeared on the screen:
SORRY . . . THE SYSTEM IS AGAINST YOU . . . GOOD BYE.
"What the-"
"Awww HELLL, BOY GET DOWN!"
Relena was curled up on the couch too exhausted to watch over Katrina this night.
At the sound of footsteps she stirred and called the girl by name.
"No, this isn't Katrina."
"Heero?" She sat up, hair messy and eyes full of sleep.
"Yeah."
The girl stared at the floor . . . . Expect the unexpected.
"He's dead, isn't he? I mean, we didn't get along but I-I didn't want him to really die."
He put his arm around her, "The doctor said he's has a slim to nothing chance, but knowing that crazy American he'll probably pull through."
"You don't want him to die?" She begged him, "Please say you don't."
"If I wanted him dead, I would've strangled him up with that stupid braid myself."
For some reason she allowed herself to laugh.
"Katrina isn't up is she?"
He snorted, he was still sensing the blows his ego took, no doubt about Katrina saw right through him. Damn spy he thought, nothing alike yet they had some common threads between them: Dedication, tempers, suicidal persona, somebody they loved deeply . . .
"I mean, she tried to take all those sleeping pills and was determined to die by his side . . ."
"Let's not talk about Katrina right now, how are you doing?"
The question brought her up short.
"Heero-" She started but he placed a finger to her lips.
"She's not the one I'm worried about."
"DON'T YOU GET IT MAN!" The feline screamed.
The small explosion stopped everything, disrupting everyone in the estate.
Footsteps pounded toward the smoking room littered with debris, Wufei and Katrina were on the floor coughing. "What in hell?" Raphael came in, accessing the damage. Sadiq and his aunts crowded to the halls while the pilots squeezed through the tiny door.
"It's a virus."
"A virus?" He was taken aback. "A weak computer virus blew up the whole damn thing!?!"
"It's not some ordinary annoyance." Duo stepped out the shadows. "How do you think Death Scythe blew up? Magic? It fried my system then caused it to self-destruct-with me locked in it." Katrina felt her jaw drop, his words were directed toward her-worse than a spinning dagger.
"How did you get out?" Trowa wondered.
"The little green men decided to help me." She felt the bitterness cut in her from that remark.
"I had to start playing around with the wiring before I got burned to a crisp. It blew when I was jumping out. I got thrown like a piece of trash across the sand."
"But how did the computer blow up? How did a virus get in here?" Relena questioned.
Kat stated, "Ask your Lover Boy over there, I was going to take the toys away from him."
"You knew about this?" Quatre demanded. Wufei had just one more reason to kill her . . .
"You people shouldn't be so damn quick to judge. I came to Egypt not only to save you five ingrates but I had to get rid of all the disk-they weren't just data on you, they were the way you were going to be killed. The system is against you, OZ's system, a system I had NO knowledge until my lovely Blaque sisters told me. I pissed them off for stopping the virus that time but I didn't know about the backups until they decided to share it with me-while I was going out of my mind literally." Heero's tone cut through.
"Maybe we should be the ones to judge . . . What in the hell do we know about you Katrina?
You did it to keep your head above water, cats like mischief but never to get their paws dirty."
"I don't have explain myself-" Misunderstood, that's me isn't it . . .
"Then do what you do best," Duo added flatly, "Run."
Run away and don't come back. I can't stand to look at you, look at what you're doing to me-you keep in hurting me. Katrina Nyle is only out for herself-lying, cheating, and manipulating your way through life-that's your take on life.
m
"Once in awhile you get tired of running."
Everyone was sitting around in the living listening to Katrina, the consensus was to let her speak then decided action later-they had no clue what the virus was, who the Kat really was, or what could be done. The idea of asking her for any help bruised their prides.
"It becomes pointless. Shamed my parents."
She took another sip of straight black coffee hoping to wake up-lack of sleep has an effect.
"I've been leaving everyone with questions and no answers here."
No one answered-they really didn't know how.
"My bad on that one, you'll rather hear this from me when I'm sober than after three straight shots of gin rummy and Tequila . . ." Well, it's your funeral. She told herself.
"See a spy wasn't born, they're made. After the Alliance decided to clean house with my parents, I had to wander the streets alone, just me and Colleen for six months. Then Angela came. Fill my pretty little head with all sorts of ideas like knowing only one way to live and how to get a lil' payback. Only problem was I was too naive to figure this out-Can't stand the heat, get out the kitchen." She asked herself, "But then I loved the heat, I liked the fire, I like the idea that I control somebody's life like they did mine-I could get away with murder untouched."
There was this coy cruel cold smile floating on her face.
"Reason Number One: Look out for yourself, don't have feelings."
The words were taken in thoughtfully, it rung true in their ears.
"But then there was Colleen, she was the one person I had to live for . . . don't any of you have somebody like that? I know you do, we're all the same here. You think I don't see things or feel pain?" Duo wanted to close the widening gap between them but something planted him.
"I found out things while I was Blaque, everybody's secrets and skeletons, but they knowing mine? I wouldn't have it. I lived alone in my cage, just me and an eight-year-old. Two lives-
The Great Pretender and the Keeper of All Secrets-were going at the same time."
She held up two fingers: "Reason Number Two: You kill anybody who knows too much."
Ginger browns glowed in the dark. "I should be dead but something stops it-not for Collie.
She fell victim . . . she knew too much.
The disks were top secret. Any good spy or hacker knew they existed, where nobody knew.
Angie knew. The mission I accepted was to get the disks, deliver them with information only.
I wasn't going to put a bullet in anybody!" She laughed, "I was just doing my job."
Relena shot the five pointed looks, straight from the horse's mouth.
"Why did they try to kill you?" Quatre asked in the silence.
"I betrayed their trust, like they were so righteous. Factor in jealous, fear, greed, anger . . .
"So as you all can see I'm just so darn lovable. That's why people want me dead. I wanted out after burying Collie. My life was hell, thirteen and crazy-that was mean. I discovered five or the seven deadly sins. Major in car jacking, computer hacking, and the occasional firearm use."
They saw a third finger: "Reason Number Three: Blaque was for life.
The tone got darker and darker . . . .
"Death was the easy way . . . Why do you think my life became so cheap. But, I'm still breathing: Why kill me when you can make me weak? Reason Number Five: You eliminate a threat by attacking a weakness."
"A weakness?" Trowa questioned, "You mean your sister."
"Actually I meant that . . ." She pointed in the direction a mirror.
"Myself. I became my own weakness."
The feline was mee with blank stares.
"You never seen me look into a mirror . . . Well, have you?" They agreed that no one had.
"Ok then, there's your answer."
Duo wasn't satisfied with the response, "So you don't like mirrors, big whoop."
I have this phobia, really rare but fatal, it's a thing about mirrors-Anything I see one, I break it.
"I spent six mouths in the nut house to get over it but as you all know-" She showed the group her scars again- the old ones and the fresh-on her arms, legs, and back. "It amounted to nothing."
To Wufei it still made no sense, "Woman, what does anything of this have to do with us?"
"Ugh!" She smacked her in the head, "Which part of the tale DON'T YOU understand?
My torrid past comes back to haunt me so I'm trying to prevent history from repeating baka!
Am I using too many bing words?" He narrowed his eyes, resisting the urge to fly across the room. "Talk is cheap." She ended, "Story time is over kiddies. You'll never get me."
Katrina had a determined expression chiseled into her face.
"But I will do this-you're all getting out of Egypt and winning this war . . . my way."
m
The stolen cherry Porsche rammed through the barriers.
Relena's mirrored sunglasses checked the rear-view mirrors, "Your 'friends' are still after us.
Got anything else to give them?"
Katrina continued to reload the double pump. "I got the perfect thing!"
Sadiq yelled to the two girls, "We gotta get to the base fast! They're gaining on us!"
Security guards with motorcycles and jeeps were chasing them, rounds of bullets were evident in the doors. The green sunglasses wearing brown-eyed creature sported a simple shirt and shorts as their driver had, no teasing for the day she had been told, they had to get in and get out.
The feline's ammunition had been reduced to one box, sitting ducks if they didn't move.
Sadiq was busy holding on the 'present', Relena terrorized the streets of Cairo since she had the wheel, and Katrina stood up in the back ready for another game. A headphone set had been connected to the communication system in the 02 so they could keep up with each other.
The guys and the Geminis-Raphael's own suits-were holding the Leos back from the city walls miles from the military base.
"You guys should be the ones having tea and cookies with our buddies back here."
Seconds later, a transmission came back: "Get the present delivered Nyle!" Duo screamed, the sounds of the battle were in the background-bangs, blows, mortal cries, metal flying.
"I don't want any de-ja vus!"
"Just remember guys, we're not in Kansas anymore."
"Thank you Dorothy, now could get this done with the Scarecrow and your little dog too?"
"The next bullet is for your ass, Duo Maxwell."
"Girl, you know what that does to me."
"Sicko."
"You know it."
Relena checked the mirrors for any smoking vehicles, Katrina was purposely aiming for the gas tanks so they could blow. "Well, they're gone."
"Bastet smiles upon us, she protects you dear lady!" Sadiq cheered, "You're a true fighter!"
Katrina gave him a thin smile as she slumped down in the seat.
"I used to be a lot of things. That's why people don't know me . . ."
She gently ran her fingers through her unruly locks. What she in, a daze, a trance?
"I don't even know myself. Ain't that a damn shame?"
Relena responded to the girl's comments.
"Katrina, I know you're a good person and can be forgiven, people actually do care about . . .
But for the moment Stop feeling sorry for yourself feline and help us!"
A sigh escaped then she remembered why she was fighting.
"Oh yeahhhhh, we're all here to play . . ."
A solider informed her superior: "Sir, all systems are down!"
"Down?!? Down how Smith?" A middle-aged Egyptian general stepped out of the shadows.
"A car hit the generators, it cut the utilities to every sections-a chain reaction of some kind.
All the computers shut down immediately after . . . . And there's an incoming call of a security breech. Three civilians have forcible entered the downstair at the front desks."
"A damn automobile can't do this!" The man screamed, "I want a full, detail report of whatever the hell is going on. A blackout and a break-in can't be happening at the same time."
"We think it was a computer error."
"Computer error, what type of bull is that! Get the backup generators going and move out!
Find the intruders and get this place back in order."
"Aww, did I break it?" A voice cut through the frenzy of the control room. "My bad."
"State yourself civilian, we have this place surrounded!"
"Sorry, we can't stay, we're only here to bear gifts."
The woman gave her superior a questioning look, "Gifts sir?"
"What is she talking about . . . ?" He growled under his breath.
BREAK THE SYSTEM . . . THE BLAQUE KAT SAYS GOOD NIGHT.
TO OZ WITH LOVE :)
"This would be a good time to run . . ."
The meltdown was occurring.
Katrina noted mentally as the virus was downloading into the system . . . 55% down, 45 to go.
Vandalizing control room, Sadiq and Relena weren't paying attention, they had to ensure the base was totally incapacitated of catching up to them . . . Lights started flashing "code red."
Several explosives had to be activated in the process.
Grabbing the briefcase with the cash, one master disk, and plane tickets, Katrina told them:
"Ok, we should run."
Sadiq and Relena came down the walk in a flash, "We're blowing this joint now, Katrina!"
She threw him the briefcase and a nasty look, "Wow you just noticed that! Go!"
"After them!" Rough voices were heard on the other side.
The chase was (still) on.
The trio made their way to the parking garage at the bottom level and 'borrowed' two motorcycles, Sadiq drove this time taking Relena with him, Katrina following.
Duo's voice could be heard in the headphones as they bolted for the doors leading to the outside.
"Blow it then before you get blown. I mean it Kat . . ." His tone dropped, "Do die on me yet."
She smiled to herself, "Have I let you down?"
She checked her watch for the figures, 75% completed, 25% to go, she started doing sixty.
"Hit the gas Sadiq, Time waits for no man!"
"What does that mean!?!"Relena asked, they still had to get to his father's estate but not in a rush.
The explosives made the very pretty noon sky shine. The neo SORRY had caused OZ's defense system in the base to defend them, the base had exploded taking anyone remaining with it.
They all felt the heat from the explosion. "Any more questions!" The feline's eyes blazed.
Sadiq began to catch up with her.
It felt like a ten minute tug-of-war between them and the air, Life and Death.
"Pull her up! Pull her up!" The sandy blonde kept demanding, help Quatre, Trowa, Duo, and Heero attempt to pull Katrina up into the plane . . . . Sadiq had to get home so the trio had split up as they managed to escape the last of the soldiers, the boy took and side street and was out of sight. But their motorcycles plunged into the cold waters of the Nile leaving the two ladies to sink or swim, lucky their location was found before they had to choose option number two.
"Hold . . On . . . Miss Nyle, hold on." Qutre growled through his teeth, her skin was too wet.
"You're not falling on me Katrina!"
The idea of dangling a hundred feet in the air didn't appeal to the feline.
Heights were not her friend and what cat from this height could land on her feet?
She squeezed her eyes shut, blinding yelling, "Hello, I'm s-l-i-p-p-i-n-g!"
Heero though to himself, why don't we just push you out? But no, she was Relena's friend.
"Quit your bawling . . ." He spat out, "Keep your gripppppppppppp."
With their might combined they dragged her inside, bolting the door behind them.
Katrina allowed her to collapse in Duo's arms, everyone was trying to catch their breath and stop their hearts from racing-course every day had to be a thriller with the cat.
The cockpit was suddenly dark and no one made a sound.
"Mad at me?"
She couldn't resist joking at her own expense when it came to her life-or near end.
"I should kill you." But he said it with a smile big as day.
"Join the club."
"Don't tempt me.Damn you woman, why are you messing with my head like this?
That's so uncool."
Her eyes couldn't hide how touch she felt."What you're not flying off the hinges? Exactly how hard did you hit your head that night?"
He shrugged, "Hard enough." Then a devilish grin played it upon his face, "To do this . . . "
Encircling her in his strong arms, he kissed her sweetly-tongue, throat, and teeth.
Thank God it's too dark to see anything the others mused in their heads, Relena had her smile.
"What should I call this? A last kiss?"
"Are you leaving me then feline? What is this to you-a hello or a goodbye?"
"I'm not leaving. Ever." Can't keep running away . . .
"Good, then I'm staying along for the ride."
"You two bakas, don't make me sick." Wufei interrupted the "tender moment" while trying to keep the plane in the air, there were enough distractions alone from Relena and Heero.
She looked at her neck, "Told 'ya Bastet does a good job."
Then slipped her necklace around his neck.
"What's this for?"
"Even the Bearer of Death demands protection." Then she added, "Lose it and lose the braid."
He gave her a wry smile, "Thanks, I'll keep that in mind."
The day was dying over the horizon, fading into dark night.
"Can I sleep now Duo?"
"Yes, yes you may." Her head fell on his chest, "Good night, feline."
"Good night, Maximilian." She breathed.
Somewhere in Jamaica . . .
Trowa stood in front of Katrina shaking her.
The feline bolted up, "W-w-what?"
"Katrina Nyle, somebody sent you a message. It's standing outside."
I had it with the damn messages. "Tell them to go away."
"The message said shooing her away like a fly won't work."
Those ginger browns narrowed, "Then tell them I'm dead."
She was met with a scold in his emerald green eyes, no wonder he crept her out.
"Fine . . . This was a she right? Indian chick with cropped hair." He nodded. "At least it's some insane ex, hell now I gotta see her."
Katrina stood up pulling her messy locks back into its trademark death scythes. She vowed:
"But I won't stay."
Trowa stepped by to let her pass as she began to leave but stopped midway.
"Shouldn't you be squealing on me, like you know, to the other two Fly Boyz?"
"Well Duo's too drugged up to care and Heero's attention is somewhere else."
"To be so quiet you're a smart man. What do you think?" She blurted out, "Wait a minute . . .
Do you ever think?"
She got a hint of a smile. "I think you know what you're doing just as I know what I'm doing."
Her eyes widen, "Ok that's like whoa-did you just smile?"
"Did I?"
"Ok, I'm walking out n-o-w, this is gettin' weird." Katrina started backing up toward the door, her tone went from humor to seriousness. "You betta get back before 'our friends' wake up."
Trowa started to walk toward the rooms, "Take care to do the same."
He was telling her to stay . . . she considered his words before walking into the cool midnight air. The trees were dancing, menacing her with their marred fingers, then there was light.
A black Lexus pulled up in front of Katrina.
The window rolled down slowly revealing the taunt face of Angela Livingstone, the infamous Blaque herself, the little black dress complimenting her slim frame. Over the dark glasses, her inky orbs shined like the onyx in the Bastet charm giving her an ominous quality.
"Haven't stayed out of trouble eh?" Her naive accent carried the words
"How did you find me?"
"Ahhhh . . . Forgotten that Blaques can find anything. You need to brush up dear."
"I couldn't find my sanity, a reason to live, and any peace. Need I say more?"
"I found out the-fates-of Rachael, Erin, and Ling. You killed them."
"They blackmailed me, beat me up, tried to kill my only real friends, and robbed me straight blind. Yeah, Angela, can't you feel the love?" Angie suppressed her urge to smile at her rebel pupil.
The woman threw the door open. Jumping out to met her dead gaze, form in heels towering.
"The Blaques are mine to deal with, you sisters were my problem."
"Don't even honor them with the title." The feline spat out, disgusted with the person who made this all possible. Crack! The Blaque suddenly slapped her in face, pain numbing the Kat's cheek.
"The ballerina's suppose to be dead. I had to force you to quit looking at the world with your rose-colored glasses and face a damn cruel reality, you tried r-u-n-n-i-n-g forever but can you?
You still worry me, Katrina Felicia."
"Maybe THIS will help sleep at night."
She threw her former catsuit in Angie's face-the Blaque's mark.
Angie held it like a withered flower, gingerly and careful, "What's this for?"
"I'm out. Blaque Kat is no more. Blaque dies with me."
Angie snatched her by the arm. "It'll NEVER DIE." Voice fierce, the inky orbs burned oil.
Katrina pushed her into the door, holding her by the neck there, "It . . . just . . . did."
A new gleam played in the ginger brows, could it be-love? This charade made her sick so without another word the at stalked away in her anger, recovering her cool the Indian yelled suddenly.
"I know why you're doing this and he's not worth it, they're your demise. You can own this world, you have the money and the disks, you got the fire!" The girl stopped in her tracks.
"I'll cause you hell. You're mine forever, I made you Blaque. Walking away won't be so easy."
Angie watched the girl absorbed the threat-she only had one person in mind, "I knew it wouldn't."
"Just remember whose bitch you are."
Angie never saw her again after she said this, or the person watching them: "Yeah . . ."
The former cat had a cherished smile, "Mine own."
m m m m
"Death is the coward's way out so that makes me a coward. You only kill the cowards don't ya?"
That made her stop, she looked ruefully at her scars.
The pilots eyed her.
"Then kill me now! You got the motive and the means. I'm taking up valuable space."
Her voice crackled, "I'm nothing but an annoyance . . ."
Were those tears, Duo asked himself, the springs weren't being tugged but snatched in his heart.
"COLLEEN SHOULD'VE BEEN HERE NOT ME!"
A banshee flew toward her way, the nightmare vision that was Rachael Silas.
"I'LL PUT YOU IN YOUR GLASS COFFIN!"
They fell of the bridge plunging into the water, the fall sending pain shooting through the bodies, the Nile made sustain life but it was eattting away the last part of Kat remaining.
Her mind was gone along with her heart so the only thing there was her battered body.
"KATRINA!" They found themselves yelling.
Rachael held her face down, hoping to drown her.
"You wanna know why I did it!?! I hated the little brat and you too: You trusted me enough to think I actually wanted to help you. Silly rabbit, tricks are for kids."
The kat tripped up the byrd suddenly coughing and hacking up water.
"So . . . that . . . justifies taking . . . an innocence child's . . . life!" Katrina decked in the jaw, Rachel slipped back in the silt at the bottom. "She knew too much. She caused the downfall of Blaque and you killed us with it!" Looming over the fallen form Kat felt the need to tell her.
To make her fell what she was feeling for three years.
"We were fucked up before we got here! We used to be C-H-I-L-D-R-E-N. We had lives, we had hopes and dreams, not a horror in a black outfit. I'm 15 dammit, I should be a kid!"
Rachael released a scream and attack Kat even harder, her strength was felling and her counterpart was drained, the raven wanted to beat her down-make her go away.
The cat was another plague, another plague upon her soul. "I took Blaque to live."
The ginger brows met the obscure gray ones, she used to be so sweet.
"So, I took Blaque to live- for my sister."
And Rachael loathed her for it:
Katrina had a carefree life, Katrina had her family, the princess ballerina even had her glass coffin.
"Then you're NOT doing a very good job of it. You're making your final stand!"
The raven slammed the feline's back into the silver water, continuing to drown her former best friend and Blaque Kat . . .
"THIS IS WHERE THE CURTAIN FALLS KATRINA!
SAY GOOD NIGHT PRINCESS BALLERINA!"
She springs up out of water like the madwoman she had become.
"CATS HATE WATER!"
The rage made her snap, her hands made a S-n-snap!
Broken wing, broken neck.
The Latina started back eyes full of Death, taking her under, her grave her resting place.
Rachael fell dead.
She arose, clothes and hair pasted to her skin . . . Breathing heavy as a weight, the water whispered everything was over with Blaque.
The spy Katrina died with Rachael-she saw too much in those mirrors: Parents, sister, friends true and alleged, the pilots, life, herself . . . A long, eerie witch cackle was released from the feline's throat. "Told ya' I hate water."
Suddenly the thundering of an explosion blasted her ears.
m
"The water stops here!" Heero yelled back to Relena.
"What!?! No way!" Relena ran faster . . . faster . . . faster . . . trying to catch up with his fleeing form . . . . It just couldn't end like this . . . . She had to fight . . . They had to fight . . . Even Kat.
"Damn." Her cursed under his breath, that crazy spy really was dead.
"Then she's gone!" Relena refused to swallow this truth, Katrina had to live, she just had to.
"OH GOD!" A heap of sobs caused her to fall into his arms, taking even him by surprise. "She was trying to save us, save us all! I don't care what any of you say, she was a good person!"
He attempted to find a way to soften the blow. "Maybe she had to die."
Then Relena decided to really give him a piece of her mind.
"You know what Heero Yuy, you make me sick , you wanted her to die!" Pushing away, he got a shoulder colder than his eyes. He rubbed the temples at his forehead, some close yet so far away.
"Relena, that's not it."
"Then WHAT is?"
He never did get the chance to answer because they were rocked by an explosion.
m
Run stupid.
The wind commanded her legs, over the sand Katrina sprinted, it couldn't be HIM, not HIM, not the reason she escape to Egypt in the first place. "Please don't take Maximilian . . . "
Her task wasn't completed, she needed forgiveness, she needed her sleep.
A sand storm blocked out all sight-where was he, where was she going, where was her reason?
Blinded by it, the cold and damp cat was slowed down to a crawl thorough the high winds and flying particles . . . . She kept cursing herself for not dying like a good little kitty cat in the first place . . . . But noooooo, she was doing it to herself again . . . Death wasn't the way out, the easy way maybe, but it wasn't her way no matter how much bullshit she filled her head with.
It was too dark and too quiet . . . He wasn't that quiet.
Find him.
A part asked why should she? All of the Gundams wanted the spy dead.
Well duh stupid, you are in love with him, you'll never forgive yourself, blasé, blasé.
"I hate you." She grumbled to no one in particular.
I know you too well . . . . A dark form lied there in the sandy mist.
So he called himself the God of Death . . . he was holding true to his namesake not making in movement. Kat had to swallow her heart before she reached out to him.
Cold.
More so than her former Blaque or the boy with the Prussian blues or the water Rachael rested in.
Was she ever gonna sleep?
"Not him . . . you were suppose to take me . . ." She whispered, "Don't be dead please . . ."
She continued to beseech.
"DON'T BE DEAD!"
m
His head ache in the worst way-the cracking sound and the crimson tide on his collar told him this way something really uncool occurred- while the indestructible (or that's what he believed) Death Scythe was being eaten by greedy flames, the computer system fried itself and blew up in his face.
Well, this was pleasant.
There he was fated to bleed to death and now he was hallucinating that he heard a sugar sweet voice calling his name, calling him, calling him.
"DUO! WHERE ARE YOU? IT'S ME! DON'T BE DEAD!"
"Kat . . . Katrina?"
"Dou! Come on you fool! Wake up!"
A groan escaped from his throat. It was all hazy, so very hazy, another dark haired, dark-skinned angel was gazing at him. Wait a minute, he tried sitting up, there was only one.
"Heyyyyy . . Yelling in my ear is soooo uncool . . . I don't know why you're . . . .Whoa, where are your clothes?"
Why don't you just tell her?
Tell her what?
You know what I mean.
"Even in a stupor you got jokes." But it came out with a sun smile.
"What happened Kat?"
She touched his face, putting some closeness between them, "L-o-n-g story."
The tone bittered, "I got a feeling you'll be telling us plenty of them Kat."
Her smile faded. Not that she didn't see this coming.
"Get up before you became my last or I'm not explaining this if you don't when I get back."
His head fell in her lap, "Good to see you too."
Katrina was the one to wake up not Duo.
The room wasn't her former prison, it had a 'belonging' feel to its whitewashed walls, she was alone in the bed . . . a well-defined lump changed that. She bolted up.
"Dammit. That's it! I'm kicking the bottle!" Her voice hissed in the dark.
Kat promptly received a smack from her own hand, "Ok, Kat, calm down here-you've waken up in a bed by strange men before . . . OH God, I haven't even touch a wine cooler in two weeks!"
"Stop brawling and go back to sleep. You're not drunk, you fighting off a week of straight fatigue." Someone was taping away at a keyboard, the ill-fated disks sitting next to its terminal.
"Relena's ready to nail you down into bed if you have a change of plans."
"Relena? You mean, she made it?" The girl looked up from her hands. "I can't stay here."
"Woman, are you insane or just plain stupid."
It was a new voice, Wufei was leaning against the wall watching Heero search the disks.
"Do I get a choice of which?"
"We have questions for you Katrina Felicia Nyle, or should I be addressing you by alias Blaque Kat of Project Tails, under the protection of OZ."
She felt mildly impressed, odd reaction, "So you found out. Wow, you wanna cookie for that?"
"Not unless it's chocolate chip."
"Little smartass-" She cursed low then she raised her voice, "I'm still not dead, so why not kill me? Be froggy enough to jump."
"Information. Nothing more. At first, I thought you dead but you're not-you're running your mouth aren't you?"
"People expect me to do something so I always hit 'em with an 180."
He stopped and faced her, eyes glowing. "You don't deserve your life."
She threw off the covers and rose slowly. "And you don't deserve Relena."
Heero headed toward the door, "Let Trowa take over for the watch after you leave."
"Watch?"Her rubbery legs wouldn't hold her so she held onto a tall dresser in the room.
Wufei closed the door softy. "Making sure you don't endanger the others, woman, or yourself."
"I'm not a danger . . . and I don't need a babysitter."
"What you need to do is shut up and sit down before that death wish comes true." He warned.
"Why don't I give you the finger and call it a night?"
A sound from the computer diverted their attention in this tense moment.
A blood read message appeared on the screen:
SORRY . . . THE SYSTEM IS AGAINST YOU . . . GOOD BYE.
"What the-"
"Awww HELLL, BOY GET DOWN!"
Relena was curled up on the couch too exhausted to watch over Katrina this night.
At the sound of footsteps she stirred and called the girl by name.
"No, this isn't Katrina."
"Heero?" She sat up, hair messy and eyes full of sleep.
"Yeah."
The girl stared at the floor . . . . Expect the unexpected.
"He's dead, isn't he? I mean, we didn't get along but I-I didn't want him to really die."
He put his arm around her, "The doctor said he's has a slim to nothing chance, but knowing that crazy American he'll probably pull through."
"You don't want him to die?" She begged him, "Please say you don't."
"If I wanted him dead, I would've strangled him up with that stupid braid myself."
For some reason she allowed herself to laugh.
"Katrina isn't up is she?"
He snorted, he was still sensing the blows his ego took, no doubt about Katrina saw right through him. Damn spy he thought, nothing alike yet they had some common threads between them: Dedication, tempers, suicidal persona, somebody they loved deeply . . .
"I mean, she tried to take all those sleeping pills and was determined to die by his side . . ."
"Let's not talk about Katrina right now, how are you doing?"
The question brought her up short.
"Heero-" She started but he placed a finger to her lips.
"She's not the one I'm worried about."
"DON'T YOU GET IT MAN!" The feline screamed.
The small explosion stopped everything, disrupting everyone in the estate.
Footsteps pounded toward the smoking room littered with debris, Wufei and Katrina were on the floor coughing. "What in hell?" Raphael came in, accessing the damage. Sadiq and his aunts crowded to the halls while the pilots squeezed through the tiny door.
"It's a virus."
"A virus?" He was taken aback. "A weak computer virus blew up the whole damn thing!?!"
"It's not some ordinary annoyance." Duo stepped out the shadows. "How do you think Death Scythe blew up? Magic? It fried my system then caused it to self-destruct-with me locked in it." Katrina felt her jaw drop, his words were directed toward her-worse than a spinning dagger.
"How did you get out?" Trowa wondered.
"The little green men decided to help me." She felt the bitterness cut in her from that remark.
"I had to start playing around with the wiring before I got burned to a crisp. It blew when I was jumping out. I got thrown like a piece of trash across the sand."
"But how did the computer blow up? How did a virus get in here?" Relena questioned.
Kat stated, "Ask your Lover Boy over there, I was going to take the toys away from him."
"You knew about this?" Quatre demanded. Wufei had just one more reason to kill her . . .
"You people shouldn't be so damn quick to judge. I came to Egypt not only to save you five ingrates but I had to get rid of all the disk-they weren't just data on you, they were the way you were going to be killed. The system is against you, OZ's system, a system I had NO knowledge until my lovely Blaque sisters told me. I pissed them off for stopping the virus that time but I didn't know about the backups until they decided to share it with me-while I was going out of my mind literally." Heero's tone cut through.
"Maybe we should be the ones to judge . . . What in the hell do we know about you Katrina?
You did it to keep your head above water, cats like mischief but never to get their paws dirty."
"I don't have explain myself-" Misunderstood, that's me isn't it . . .
"Then do what you do best," Duo added flatly, "Run."
Run away and don't come back. I can't stand to look at you, look at what you're doing to me-you keep in hurting me. Katrina Nyle is only out for herself-lying, cheating, and manipulating your way through life-that's your take on life.
m
"Once in awhile you get tired of running."
Everyone was sitting around in the living listening to Katrina, the consensus was to let her speak then decided action later-they had no clue what the virus was, who the Kat really was, or what could be done. The idea of asking her for any help bruised their prides.
"It becomes pointless. Shamed my parents."
She took another sip of straight black coffee hoping to wake up-lack of sleep has an effect.
"I've been leaving everyone with questions and no answers here."
No one answered-they really didn't know how.
"My bad on that one, you'll rather hear this from me when I'm sober than after three straight shots of gin rummy and Tequila . . ." Well, it's your funeral. She told herself.
"See a spy wasn't born, they're made. After the Alliance decided to clean house with my parents, I had to wander the streets alone, just me and Colleen for six months. Then Angela came. Fill my pretty little head with all sorts of ideas like knowing only one way to live and how to get a lil' payback. Only problem was I was too naive to figure this out-Can't stand the heat, get out the kitchen." She asked herself, "But then I loved the heat, I liked the fire, I like the idea that I control somebody's life like they did mine-I could get away with murder untouched."
There was this coy cruel cold smile floating on her face.
"Reason Number One: Look out for yourself, don't have feelings."
The words were taken in thoughtfully, it rung true in their ears.
"But then there was Colleen, she was the one person I had to live for . . . don't any of you have somebody like that? I know you do, we're all the same here. You think I don't see things or feel pain?" Duo wanted to close the widening gap between them but something planted him.
"I found out things while I was Blaque, everybody's secrets and skeletons, but they knowing mine? I wouldn't have it. I lived alone in my cage, just me and an eight-year-old. Two lives-
The Great Pretender and the Keeper of All Secrets-were going at the same time."
She held up two fingers: "Reason Number Two: You kill anybody who knows too much."
Ginger browns glowed in the dark. "I should be dead but something stops it-not for Collie.
She fell victim . . . she knew too much.
The disks were top secret. Any good spy or hacker knew they existed, where nobody knew.
Angie knew. The mission I accepted was to get the disks, deliver them with information only.
I wasn't going to put a bullet in anybody!" She laughed, "I was just doing my job."
Relena shot the five pointed looks, straight from the horse's mouth.
"Why did they try to kill you?" Quatre asked in the silence.
"I betrayed their trust, like they were so righteous. Factor in jealous, fear, greed, anger . . .
"So as you all can see I'm just so darn lovable. That's why people want me dead. I wanted out after burying Collie. My life was hell, thirteen and crazy-that was mean. I discovered five or the seven deadly sins. Major in car jacking, computer hacking, and the occasional firearm use."
They saw a third finger: "Reason Number Three: Blaque was for life.
The tone got darker and darker . . . .
"Death was the easy way . . . Why do you think my life became so cheap. But, I'm still breathing: Why kill me when you can make me weak? Reason Number Five: You eliminate a threat by attacking a weakness."
"A weakness?" Trowa questioned, "You mean your sister."
"Actually I meant that . . ." She pointed in the direction a mirror.
"Myself. I became my own weakness."
The feline was mee with blank stares.
"You never seen me look into a mirror . . . Well, have you?" They agreed that no one had.
"Ok then, there's your answer."
Duo wasn't satisfied with the response, "So you don't like mirrors, big whoop."
I have this phobia, really rare but fatal, it's a thing about mirrors-Anything I see one, I break it.
"I spent six mouths in the nut house to get over it but as you all know-" She showed the group her scars again- the old ones and the fresh-on her arms, legs, and back. "It amounted to nothing."
To Wufei it still made no sense, "Woman, what does anything of this have to do with us?"
"Ugh!" She smacked her in the head, "Which part of the tale DON'T YOU understand?
My torrid past comes back to haunt me so I'm trying to prevent history from repeating baka!
Am I using too many bing words?" He narrowed his eyes, resisting the urge to fly across the room. "Talk is cheap." She ended, "Story time is over kiddies. You'll never get me."
Katrina had a determined expression chiseled into her face.
"But I will do this-you're all getting out of Egypt and winning this war . . . my way."
m
The stolen cherry Porsche rammed through the barriers.
Relena's mirrored sunglasses checked the rear-view mirrors, "Your 'friends' are still after us.
Got anything else to give them?"
Katrina continued to reload the double pump. "I got the perfect thing!"
Sadiq yelled to the two girls, "We gotta get to the base fast! They're gaining on us!"
Security guards with motorcycles and jeeps were chasing them, rounds of bullets were evident in the doors. The green sunglasses wearing brown-eyed creature sported a simple shirt and shorts as their driver had, no teasing for the day she had been told, they had to get in and get out.
The feline's ammunition had been reduced to one box, sitting ducks if they didn't move.
Sadiq was busy holding on the 'present', Relena terrorized the streets of Cairo since she had the wheel, and Katrina stood up in the back ready for another game. A headphone set had been connected to the communication system in the 02 so they could keep up with each other.
The guys and the Geminis-Raphael's own suits-were holding the Leos back from the city walls miles from the military base.
"You guys should be the ones having tea and cookies with our buddies back here."
Seconds later, a transmission came back: "Get the present delivered Nyle!" Duo screamed, the sounds of the battle were in the background-bangs, blows, mortal cries, metal flying.
"I don't want any de-ja vus!"
"Just remember guys, we're not in Kansas anymore."
"Thank you Dorothy, now could get this done with the Scarecrow and your little dog too?"
"The next bullet is for your ass, Duo Maxwell."
"Girl, you know what that does to me."
"Sicko."
"You know it."
Relena checked the mirrors for any smoking vehicles, Katrina was purposely aiming for the gas tanks so they could blow. "Well, they're gone."
"Bastet smiles upon us, she protects you dear lady!" Sadiq cheered, "You're a true fighter!"
Katrina gave him a thin smile as she slumped down in the seat.
"I used to be a lot of things. That's why people don't know me . . ."
She gently ran her fingers through her unruly locks. What she in, a daze, a trance?
"I don't even know myself. Ain't that a damn shame?"
Relena responded to the girl's comments.
"Katrina, I know you're a good person and can be forgiven, people actually do care about . . .
But for the moment Stop feeling sorry for yourself feline and help us!"
A sigh escaped then she remembered why she was fighting.
"Oh yeahhhhh, we're all here to play . . ."
A solider informed her superior: "Sir, all systems are down!"
"Down?!? Down how Smith?" A middle-aged Egyptian general stepped out of the shadows.
"A car hit the generators, it cut the utilities to every sections-a chain reaction of some kind.
All the computers shut down immediately after . . . . And there's an incoming call of a security breech. Three civilians have forcible entered the downstair at the front desks."
"A damn automobile can't do this!" The man screamed, "I want a full, detail report of whatever the hell is going on. A blackout and a break-in can't be happening at the same time."
"We think it was a computer error."
"Computer error, what type of bull is that! Get the backup generators going and move out!
Find the intruders and get this place back in order."
"Aww, did I break it?" A voice cut through the frenzy of the control room. "My bad."
"State yourself civilian, we have this place surrounded!"
"Sorry, we can't stay, we're only here to bear gifts."
The woman gave her superior a questioning look, "Gifts sir?"
"What is she talking about . . . ?" He growled under his breath.
BREAK THE SYSTEM . . . THE BLAQUE KAT SAYS GOOD NIGHT.
TO OZ WITH LOVE :)
"This would be a good time to run . . ."
The meltdown was occurring.
Katrina noted mentally as the virus was downloading into the system . . . 55% down, 45 to go.
Vandalizing control room, Sadiq and Relena weren't paying attention, they had to ensure the base was totally incapacitated of catching up to them . . . Lights started flashing "code red."
Several explosives had to be activated in the process.
Grabbing the briefcase with the cash, one master disk, and plane tickets, Katrina told them:
"Ok, we should run."
Sadiq and Relena came down the walk in a flash, "We're blowing this joint now, Katrina!"
She threw him the briefcase and a nasty look, "Wow you just noticed that! Go!"
"After them!" Rough voices were heard on the other side.
The chase was (still) on.
The trio made their way to the parking garage at the bottom level and 'borrowed' two motorcycles, Sadiq drove this time taking Relena with him, Katrina following.
Duo's voice could be heard in the headphones as they bolted for the doors leading to the outside.
"Blow it then before you get blown. I mean it Kat . . ." His tone dropped, "Do die on me yet."
She smiled to herself, "Have I let you down?"
She checked her watch for the figures, 75% completed, 25% to go, she started doing sixty.
"Hit the gas Sadiq, Time waits for no man!"
"What does that mean!?!"Relena asked, they still had to get to his father's estate but not in a rush.
The explosives made the very pretty noon sky shine. The neo SORRY had caused OZ's defense system in the base to defend them, the base had exploded taking anyone remaining with it.
They all felt the heat from the explosion. "Any more questions!" The feline's eyes blazed.
Sadiq began to catch up with her.
It felt like a ten minute tug-of-war between them and the air, Life and Death.
"Pull her up! Pull her up!" The sandy blonde kept demanding, help Quatre, Trowa, Duo, and Heero attempt to pull Katrina up into the plane . . . . Sadiq had to get home so the trio had split up as they managed to escape the last of the soldiers, the boy took and side street and was out of sight. But their motorcycles plunged into the cold waters of the Nile leaving the two ladies to sink or swim, lucky their location was found before they had to choose option number two.
"Hold . . On . . . Miss Nyle, hold on." Qutre growled through his teeth, her skin was too wet.
"You're not falling on me Katrina!"
The idea of dangling a hundred feet in the air didn't appeal to the feline.
Heights were not her friend and what cat from this height could land on her feet?
She squeezed her eyes shut, blinding yelling, "Hello, I'm s-l-i-p-p-i-n-g!"
Heero though to himself, why don't we just push you out? But no, she was Relena's friend.
"Quit your bawling . . ." He spat out, "Keep your gripppppppppppp."
With their might combined they dragged her inside, bolting the door behind them.
Katrina allowed her to collapse in Duo's arms, everyone was trying to catch their breath and stop their hearts from racing-course every day had to be a thriller with the cat.
The cockpit was suddenly dark and no one made a sound.
"Mad at me?"
She couldn't resist joking at her own expense when it came to her life-or near end.
"I should kill you." But he said it with a smile big as day.
"Join the club."
"Don't tempt me.Damn you woman, why are you messing with my head like this?
That's so uncool."
Her eyes couldn't hide how touch she felt."What you're not flying off the hinges? Exactly how hard did you hit your head that night?"
He shrugged, "Hard enough." Then a devilish grin played it upon his face, "To do this . . . "
Encircling her in his strong arms, he kissed her sweetly-tongue, throat, and teeth.
Thank God it's too dark to see anything the others mused in their heads, Relena had her smile.
"What should I call this? A last kiss?"
"Are you leaving me then feline? What is this to you-a hello or a goodbye?"
"I'm not leaving. Ever." Can't keep running away . . .
"Good, then I'm staying along for the ride."
"You two bakas, don't make me sick." Wufei interrupted the "tender moment" while trying to keep the plane in the air, there were enough distractions alone from Relena and Heero.
She looked at her neck, "Told 'ya Bastet does a good job."
Then slipped her necklace around his neck.
"What's this for?"
"Even the Bearer of Death demands protection." Then she added, "Lose it and lose the braid."
He gave her a wry smile, "Thanks, I'll keep that in mind."
The day was dying over the horizon, fading into dark night.
"Can I sleep now Duo?"
"Yes, yes you may." Her head fell on his chest, "Good night, feline."
"Good night, Maximilian." She breathed.
Somewhere in Jamaica . . .
Trowa stood in front of Katrina shaking her.
The feline bolted up, "W-w-what?"
"Katrina Nyle, somebody sent you a message. It's standing outside."
I had it with the damn messages. "Tell them to go away."
"The message said shooing her away like a fly won't work."
Those ginger browns narrowed, "Then tell them I'm dead."
She was met with a scold in his emerald green eyes, no wonder he crept her out.
"Fine . . . This was a she right? Indian chick with cropped hair." He nodded. "At least it's some insane ex, hell now I gotta see her."
Katrina stood up pulling her messy locks back into its trademark death scythes. She vowed:
"But I won't stay."
Trowa stepped by to let her pass as she began to leave but stopped midway.
"Shouldn't you be squealing on me, like you know, to the other two Fly Boyz?"
"Well Duo's too drugged up to care and Heero's attention is somewhere else."
"To be so quiet you're a smart man. What do you think?" She blurted out, "Wait a minute . . .
Do you ever think?"
She got a hint of a smile. "I think you know what you're doing just as I know what I'm doing."
Her eyes widen, "Ok that's like whoa-did you just smile?"
"Did I?"
"Ok, I'm walking out n-o-w, this is gettin' weird." Katrina started backing up toward the door, her tone went from humor to seriousness. "You betta get back before 'our friends' wake up."
Trowa started to walk toward the rooms, "Take care to do the same."
He was telling her to stay . . . she considered his words before walking into the cool midnight air. The trees were dancing, menacing her with their marred fingers, then there was light.
A black Lexus pulled up in front of Katrina.
The window rolled down slowly revealing the taunt face of Angela Livingstone, the infamous Blaque herself, the little black dress complimenting her slim frame. Over the dark glasses, her inky orbs shined like the onyx in the Bastet charm giving her an ominous quality.
"Haven't stayed out of trouble eh?" Her naive accent carried the words
"How did you find me?"
"Ahhhh . . . Forgotten that Blaques can find anything. You need to brush up dear."
"I couldn't find my sanity, a reason to live, and any peace. Need I say more?"
"I found out the-fates-of Rachael, Erin, and Ling. You killed them."
"They blackmailed me, beat me up, tried to kill my only real friends, and robbed me straight blind. Yeah, Angela, can't you feel the love?" Angie suppressed her urge to smile at her rebel pupil.
The woman threw the door open. Jumping out to met her dead gaze, form in heels towering.
"The Blaques are mine to deal with, you sisters were my problem."
"Don't even honor them with the title." The feline spat out, disgusted with the person who made this all possible. Crack! The Blaque suddenly slapped her in face, pain numbing the Kat's cheek.
"The ballerina's suppose to be dead. I had to force you to quit looking at the world with your rose-colored glasses and face a damn cruel reality, you tried r-u-n-n-i-n-g forever but can you?
You still worry me, Katrina Felicia."
"Maybe THIS will help sleep at night."
She threw her former catsuit in Angie's face-the Blaque's mark.
Angie held it like a withered flower, gingerly and careful, "What's this for?"
"I'm out. Blaque Kat is no more. Blaque dies with me."
Angie snatched her by the arm. "It'll NEVER DIE." Voice fierce, the inky orbs burned oil.
Katrina pushed her into the door, holding her by the neck there, "It . . . just . . . did."
A new gleam played in the ginger brows, could it be-love? This charade made her sick so without another word the at stalked away in her anger, recovering her cool the Indian yelled suddenly.
"I know why you're doing this and he's not worth it, they're your demise. You can own this world, you have the money and the disks, you got the fire!" The girl stopped in her tracks.
"I'll cause you hell. You're mine forever, I made you Blaque. Walking away won't be so easy."
Angie watched the girl absorbed the threat-she only had one person in mind, "I knew it wouldn't."
"Just remember whose bitch you are."
Angie never saw her again after she said this, or the person watching them: "Yeah . . ."
The former cat had a cherished smile, "Mine own."