Acropolis
In the near future Earth has been consumed by overmechanisation. Small amounts of people on the earth have cybernetic parts, or are cyborgs. The earth is a wasteland because of nuclear bombs and high-powered weapons, and not many have been left standing. One doesn't have to look far to see all the junkyard strewn with scrap metal and body parts. But above the barren wasteland that was the earth is the Acropolis, a silver city standing 17 000ft above the earth on thick gundanium pillars, and stretching thousands upon thousands of km long. The Acropolis is a mechanized city of computers; but has a 'free government'. Only those worthy can live there, while the rejects must stay on the earth. Life is hard on the earth, and those who have survived the near destruction, must kill to survive...
"Hm hm hm hm, hm hm hm hm." Treize sang the ballads to 'Rhythm Emotion' in his regal baritone voice, as he forged his way through a minor scrap yard in what was remaining of Tokyo Japan. His cybernetic left arm rummaging through the leftover space shuttle parts and broken pieces from the Acropolis.
Among the debris of broken parts and scrap metal, lay half the body of a human. The head and left side of the human was that of a young boy. He looked to be no older than 15 and looked as if the left side of his body was previously made of cybernetics. The boy's bronzed lithe body lay sprawled on top of the scrap heap in an almost unnatural way with the cybernetic parts snapped and mangled.
The half that was human was toned and muscular, with every edge clearly defined. His face was young and the same bronzed color as the rest of his body with a fall of lighter chestnut hair, with a bang that hung at an impossible angle over one eye and cropped short at the neck.
"Interesting." Treize speculated walking over to the prone form, but eventually decided to walk over to the boy and picked him up with his left arm.
Waking up I notice that half of my body is almost gone. Strange, I don't really seem to care. My surroundings are alien, and I find myself closed in a room and strapped to a cold metal table. Everything around me is metal and computerized.
There is black and red cord everywhere. I turn my head to the left of me and see a man with combed back, short, sandy-brown hair in a black trench coat with his back to me. I try to move but my restraints make a sound as to announce my consciousness, and the man turns, pining me with a corn flour-blue gaze.
I notice that his left arm is cybernetic, made out of gundanium probably, but still attained the natural schematics of a human arm. His trench coat grazes the floor as he walks and is buttoned up, only showing the legs of his black pants. The left sleeve is ripped off to compensate for the arm, and his face is young and resilient. "Where am I?" I asked, trying not to sound like my head was just used as a soccer ball."In my lab" the mad replied. "I found you on a scrap heap and decided to fix you." "Why?" "Why not?" I rolled my eyes at the mad ignoring his ignorance. He did not know me, but helped me without a shadow of a doubt. People are so idiotic. "Please try not to move." I turned my head, to wrapped up in my own thoughts, to notice him working on the broken half of my body. I didn't feel a thing.
It took him an hour to re-attach the broken metal. All of the left side of my body is now the same as a normal human male body can be. It is made out of gundanium but looks like the left half of my body should.I am unrestrained, and stand up, testing the new half of my body.
"How...?" I asked in awe. "Your welcome Trowa" The mad answered. "Trowa?" "Your name. What, don't you like it?" he replied "I figured that you wouldn't know your real name so I gave you a new one." "...Thank-you, but Trowa?" "It means three. Three main parts to the new half of your body." He explained, obviously understanding the confused expression on my face.
"So what do you expect me to do?" I asked. "Help Me," he answered. "Help you?" "Yes, help me. You see I am a bounty hunter. I get a list of people to go after and I kill them for money.
"But I've needed most of the money to tune up all of the machines in my lab and get food. So I need the extra money to do a friend of mine a favor," He concluded. "What kind of favor?" I asked curiously, not really believing the story he is giving me.
Pretty much."
I thought about this for a while weighing up my options in the current situation. I didn't have anywhere to go, plus I pretty much owed this guy for saving my ass. So I answered him with a simple "Okay."
"He's late." Heero scowled at the empty street awaiting Treize' arrival. "Have patience cousin" an oriental man stepped out of the shadows and stood next to his cousin "maybe Treize got caught up in something important" "Yeah, like a decent bounty" Heero ground back "other than that he's probably just scrounging around a junkyard." "Probably." The new voice made both young men turn around and draw their guns, their cybernetics creaking slightly from lack of oil. "Your late" Heero stated in the most menacing voice he could muster. "Give me a break! I'm working my ass off to help you two and all the thanks I get is 'your late'" Treize ground back just as menacing. The other oriental man looked past Treize and narrowed his onyx eyes "who's that?" he asked suspiciously. "Hn." Treize continued, "you can come out now, they're not going to bite you." "We might shoot you" Heero added. "Like to see you try," the boy answered. As he stepped into the light the other two eyed him suspiciously, noting his black-clad form, green eyes and gravity-defying bang. "And your name?" the oriental man asked. "Trowa." "I am Wufei," the oriental man answered.
His black hair pulled into a low ponytail, black shorts over cybernetic legs and combat boots. A black sleeveless shirt showing off a bronzed, finely toned left arm and cybernetic right "and this is my cousin Heero." The other inclined his head slightly in a small nod; his short tousled brown hair moving slightly with the action. As he rose his head Trowa found himself staring into cobalt blue eyes. Heero was clad in spandex shorts hugging his lower form like a second skin.
His feet were covered in black sneakers and was wearing a green tank top just showing a toned bronzed chest and right arm. "What did you want to see us for Treize?" Heero said, his face void of emotion. "New bounty" Treize answered "How new?" "Two days. Been causing terror in the upper half of Osaka." "No" Wufei finally spoke up. "No?" Treize inquired. "No. Those uptight cops are there. The minute they see us they'll hall us to the crusher. And I don't feel like having my human parts being crushed along with the cybernetics."
"He's right" Heero continued, "I'm not risking my ass for some measly bounty. We'll take something else." "What's so wrong about these cops?" Trowa finally spoke up. "They go around bustin' up people like us who want to go to the Acropolis."
"Shut up" Heero said in a calm voice "someone's coming. Get out of sight." The four of them ducked behind a rusting bus and Heero tossed Trowa a gun who caught it without question.
They watched as a young woman, no older than themselves, with jet black hair pulled up in a high ponytail, so that the end came past her shoulders, and a fringe parted on the side hanging over her eyes, walked over to where they were crouched. She was wearing a white t-shirt, with a huge black cross, that was ripped so it came just below her breasts exposing her stomach.
Black hipster short-shorts with a chunky belt holstering two guns. Her feet were covered in black combat boots coming just below her knees, and long black socks coming just above her knees could be seen. Black fingerless gloves encased her hands and a black hooded jacket that was open and reached the floor protected her.
"Reveal yourselves" she finally spoke "I'm not as stupid as I look, I know the four of you are there." She stopped walking to turn and face the bus they were crouched behind. The four men could see her almost white irises blending in with the rest of her eyes. "I'm not going to hurt you," she added. "What is your business?" Trowa finally asked. "What is my business?" she relayed the question as if not understanding it fully. "I don't know what my business is. But may I ask what four young men, with perfectly working gundanium cybernetics, are meeting in a dump like this?" "That's none of your business" Heero ground out irritated. "Same goes for you." Trowa stood up and walked out from behind the bus. "I am Trowa," he stated. "They call me Xeya." "Who are 'they'?" "Everyone else. It seems your friends don't like me." "They are not my friends. I do not know them." Behind Trowa, Heero and Wufei had stood and moved to stand behind him. "That was harsh" Treize said. "Its true" Trowa replied. "What are they to you Trowa?" Xeya cut in."Merely acquaintances" "Then do you acquaintances have names or are they..." Xeya stopped talking to look in the direction she had just walked from. "You were followed" Heero said. "Why would anyone follow me?" Xeya replied not even looking at Heero "I have nothing of value, no home." "How many are there?" Wufei asked Xeya. "How should I know?"
"You can obviously see them, even from where we're standing." "So you found me out. Your smarter than you look Wufei." "Hn." "Did I miss something?" Treize spoke up "how do you know his name?" "No time" Xeya replied drawing her guns "there are five of them heavily armed, none have cybernetics. But they are strong." "Hn" was Heero's reply as he readied himself.
"Trowa" Xeya asked. "Yeah" "Is that the only gun you're packing?" "Yeah" "Here" Xeya tossed the gun she had in her right hand to Trowa. "Thanks" Trowa caught it with ease and twirled it in his hand to get a feel for the new weight. "But what are you going to use?" Trowa asked. As he finished the question Xeya pulled out a dagger with a blade as long as palm to elbow.
The hilt was black and had parts that came down in the direction of the blade. Xeya twirled the dagger and gripped the hilt where it joined the blade. Heero rolled his eyes at the display. "Lets go" Wufei announced leading them through the rubble of a broken building.
I look over at the girl that has joined our group. Her eyes make my skin crawl. No wonder she is alone.
We are all crouched behind fallen walls. Treize, Wufei and I on one side of a road. Heero and Xeya on the other. We watch silently as the group approach.
They are all wearing khaki pants, boots and black t-shirts. "What are they?" I ask Treize. "Clones. They are like humans, no cybernetics, but are stronger." "That's why they're all wearing the same thing," Wufei concluded.
When they get close enough, Xeya is the first to strike. Jumping out of her hiding place, taking off the jacket, and tackling the one in the middle. They roll out of sight. Sensing the attack the remaining four get into a circle. Heero attacks the one closest to him and kicks him square in the face. His cybernetic leg pulls off the move with ease.The clone ricochets across the road, hits the wall and slumps to the ground, but recovers and is attacking Heero.
Wufei surprises another and shoots him in the temple. I hear the shot and see the man fall to the ground. Dead. I hear another shot, this time farther away, signaling Xeya's kill. Treize stands up from his position next to me, takes aim and fires at another, killing him.
"Hunting knife in the kneecap" he replied. "Hn. Trowa, you can come out now" she is now addressing me as she walks over to collect her fallen coat and puts it on. I stand up and walk over to her. "Here" I toss her the gun she had previously given me. She catches it with ease.
"You didn't use it," she notices, inspecting the gun. "No" "That's fine." "Maybe we should go somewhere more secluded, and where I can fix your leg" Treize announces "It doesn't need fixing" Heero sounds irritated and what Treize has just said about his leg. "I agree with Treize" Wufei spoke up. "You would."
"How did you know?" Xeya looked up, the question directed at her, at Treize who was working on Heero's knee. "Hn." Was her reply.
They were all in Treize' lab. Heero lying on the metal table with Treize working above him. Wufei and Trowa sitting on chairs and Xeya leaning against a wall.
"Just answer the question" Treize replied flatly. "You're a scientist right" "Yes. What does that have to do with anything?" "Can't you recognize a third class cyborg when you see one?" Wufei answered for Xeya in an irritated tone. "You're a cyborg?" Trowa asked. "Yes." "
So that's why you're alone," Heero stated as if the obvious was in front of his eyes the whole time without him really seeing it. "Yes, that's why I'm alone. No man or woman wants to hang around someone who is and will always be physically stronger than him or her. I didn't ask for this, but I have no choice."
"How much was their bounty?" Wufei asked to anyone, sensing Xeya's discomfort. "Lets check" Xeya is walking in front of Wufei and I to the huge com-screen behind Treize.
Moving her hand across the screen, it flashes to life and number scan down the screen in tune with the movement of her eyes. "20 double dollars" she announces as she closes her eyes to shut down the com-screen. "Each?" I ask. "All together."
"What a waste" Wufei yells slaming his right fist into the wall behind us "all that effort for nothing." "Try not to put holes in my walls" Treize replies. "He's right" Heero, who has been quiet for this whole ordeal, agrees, "that bounty was nothing. Treize, how much is that bounty in Osaka?"
"Heero, you're not seriously thinking..." "100 million double dollars" Treize cut in. "Heero, are you crazy? Do you have a death wish? If we're caught..." "IF we're caught, which I don't think we will be" "Why do you say that?" Wufei has a very skeptical look on his face, currently directed at his cousin. "We have her" Heero nods his head in Xeya's direction.
"So what does this guy look like Zechs?" Duo asked his partner as they walked around a large junkyard in the upper half of Osaka.
"He is a third class cyborg, huge guy and has black hair" "Yay, a cyborg" Duo replied in his cocky American accent "how much is this guy's bounty?"
"100 million double dollars" "Hey Quatre, I didn't know you were here" Duo announced, bouncing over to his friend and giving him a hug, his long chestnut braid bouncing after him. "Well, here I am. Duo you know that braid of yours is going to get you killed" Quatre replied peeling Duo off himself.
"Maybe we should cut it" Zechs adds "No! No one touches the braid, you got that. If either of you did I'd rip ya' both to shreds." "Fine, but if it becomes a liability..." "It won't." "Good. What do you see Duo?" Zechs asked sitting on the broken wall of a building "Um...five coming this way, slowly. And they know we are here."
"They know we're here," Xeya announces, and we all stop walking. "How?" I ask "One with a braid has a cybernetic eye. He can see just as long range as I can." "Damn, are there any more?" Wufei asks.
He sounds worried. So does Xeya. "Yes. There are two others with him. One has platinum blond hair that is long, past his shoulders. The other has short golden blond hair.
The one with golden hair doesn't have any cybernetics, to my knowledge, and the other..." "Zechs has cybernetic hands" Treize cuts in, and all eyes fall to him, and he bows his head as if in shame.
We all want to know why. "Is there something else that you've failed to tell us Treize, because quite frankly I've had enough of your secrets" Heero has an irritated look on his face, and sounds as if he has just been betrayed. "Can we go somewhere else? So I can tell all of you the whole story"
"They know we are here, we cant go anywhere without the one with the braid seeing us, and it looks as if he has told your friend Zechs that you are here. So here is as good a place as anywhere." "What if they come closer," Wufei asks "They wont come any closer unless we pose a general threat, and they are the only ones here." Xeya replies.
"You all better sit down" Treize begins "Zechs and I were friends. We fought in the war together, are you listening Xeya?" "Yes, I'm watching them just in case. Continue" "Fine. After the war we were walking through a house when the ceiling collapsed on us, crushing my arm and his hands. I was already good at science and I had found a way to manipulate gundanium so it could be used to form human body parts. I told Zechs about my findings, and he agreed to it right away.I performed the operation on both of us and it was a complete success, but things went bad. Zechs started to hate himself, and the hands I had given him and he went mad. Then he started to hate me. He found out that the police were hiring new help so they could kill people with cybernetics faster. He left to join them and I haven't seen him since."
"Well" Heero started "there's no use crying over it so you have to face the facts that your friend is gone" "Oh yeah, he's very gone, the three of them have moved from their previous spot, and they're coming this way" Xeya announces and we all stand up and pull out our weapons.I pull out my semi automatic, Treize pulls out his revolver, Wufei and Heero pull out a pair of matching handguns, and Xeya her knives.
"Put down your weapons" Duo announced from behind the group "we just want to talk" Xeya turned around to address the new voice "why? For all we know you could shoot us.
Why should we trust you?" "Because I only want to talk to Treize" a new voice to right as Zechs steps out of the shadows. He is wearing the uniform of the police of the area. White jodhpurs, high black boots white gloves and a red jacket. "Why should I talk to you Zechs?" Treize retorts "you abandoned me to join them" he nods he head in Duo's direction
"You will address us properly" Quatre steps out and is wearing the same as Zechs, but he and Duo have deep blue jackets. "Who died and mad you king?" Trowa snaps "Trowa, please hold your tongue" "Treize..." "Just do as I say" Trowa falls silent; his maker having authority over him does more to humiliate him.
"What do you want to talk about Zechs?" "Old times." "Don't waste my time." "Uh gentlemen, problem" Xeya's voice makes them all turn "The bounty is in that direction, coming up fast" she pointed her finger behind Duo who turns around and sees the mad running toward them. "Damnit" Wufei yells and pushes Duo out of the way before the bounty has time to strike. "What are you doing?" Duo yells back angry "Saving your ass" "My ass doesn't need saving, hers does" he said pointing in Xeya's direction. She had he knives in her hands waiting for the man to get close enough. "Closer, common" she said to herself in a quiet voice. He is not three feet in front of her when she launched herself into the air over his head. "You bitch. Xeya, I will kill you." She landed gracefully behind him "not likely" and kicked him in the back sending him flying into the scrap heap. She takes off her coat and readies her knives once again. "Come and get me Aries." "My pleasure." Aries pulled out a katana and attacks Xeya.The seven of us can do nothing but watch as Xeya fights our bounty.
It looks like a dance. The just twirl around each other, metal clashing against metal. Neither has hit the other. As I watch I see Xeya looking for a weak spot and I wonder what her relationship with the bounty is. They know each other by name.
"What are you doing here Xeya?" I hear the man call out "Hunting a bounty, and that would be you," her last word is said with effort as she brings one of her knives in a downward slice in front of the others chest. The blade only missing its mark by millimeters.
"You should be trying to kill them not me" he brings the katana in a forward slash and Xeya dodges it. "Why?" Xeya stops moving to talk to the bounty. "Because of what they did to you, to us" the bounty also stops attacking, and seems they are on friendly terms.
We all take a risk and take a step forward. Big mistake.
The bounty pulled out a gun and has the barrel pointed straight between Xeya's eyes. "Come any closer, and I'll kill her." "Put the gun down Aries" Xeya says it so calmly, I don't believe it. It sounds as if she doesn't have a gun pointed at her forehead.
He turns his head to face her, looks into her eyes and lowers the gun.
"Quatre, Duo, what are we going to do now?" Zechs addressed his partners who were watching the whole thing. "Why don't you go" Heero spoke up "there's no need for you here" "Why don't you go?" Duo retorted, "You're obviously not needed either."
"Treize?" "No, I think, we should stay." Treize answered "Wufei, Trowa, you going to stay?" Heero asked them both. "You're my cousin. Of course." Wufei replied "I'll go wherever Treize goes," Trowa continued "its not like I have a choice or anywhere else to go."
"Can you lot shut up!" Xeya yells at us and we all turn to face her "there's someone coming." "Duo can you see them?" I ask "Yes. It's a large group, and they're looking for all of us" "What?" Heero pulls out his guns again "why would they be looking for you three? You guys are cops"
"It doesn't matter" Zechs continues, "We were hunting the very things we are. They don't care if we live or die."
"They have a tank" Aries is calm as he says this and I look at him. He's looking past the scrap heap. "So what are we going to do?" I ask "We run" Xeya says as she puts the coat back on and re-holsters her knives "GO!" she yells at us and the nine of us take off in the opposite direction.
"Follow me" Aries yells and we take a left following him down a narrow lane, single file. "Where are we going?" I yell to Aries who is leading us through what seems like and underground tunnel. "Somewhere safe" he replies.
Xeya looked to the right and saw a tank pull up and fire on them. She stopped turned around and yelled, "Get down"
The four behind Xeya got down on the floor and shielded their heads from the blast to come. The wall on the right side of them exploded in a show of metal and brick, and after it was over most of the wall was gone.
"Is everyone alright?" Zechs got up and dusted himself off "Fine" came Heero's response "I'm alright" Xeya and Trowa replied "Yeah I'm ok" Quatre got up and something wasn't right "I think I broke my leg" "Let me see" Xeya walked over to Quatre to inspect the leg "What's going on here?" Aries asked, "We don't have enough time" "You're right" Xeya snapped something in Quatre's leg and was rewarded with a loud yelp.
She picked him up and started to move with the others. "Quickly before the dust clears," Wufei yelled as he headed off behind Aries. They all ran and came to a clearing that was a building. "We have to be swift and quiet, can you all handle that?" Aries asked as he got them all to crouch behind a huge pile of brick "You gonna be alright carrying Quatre?" Zechs addressed Xeya.
"Yeah, I'm just worried if I bump his leg it might ruin the metal more then it already is" "Hold on, did you say metal?" Duo sounded betrayed. "You didn't know did you? He's a fourth class; the structure of tissue makes it impossible for the metal to be detected. I knew because I'm a cyborg myself, but I'm only third class."
"I'm sorry, I didn't want you guys to know because you would've killed me and I've become good friends with you" Quatre said, still cradled in Xeya's arms.
"You guys ready to run?" Aries cut in "Ready when you are" Xeya replied. "Good. Lets go"
"Quatre!" Xeya yelled as another firing sends us all flying into a wall and Quatre goes sailing out of her arms. "Leave him" Aries says to her as we start to recover "No, just go. I'll get him and find you" she runs to where Quatre is lying, probably unconscious. The rest of us get up and I go over to where Xeya is "You guys go, I'll help her," I yell back over my shoulder"Trowa, what are you doing? You're going to get yourself killed" Treize yells at me and I ignore him.
As I look back I see them all running off again. And I re-think my actions. "He's badly hurt" Xeya says to me as I approach, and she turns him over so I can see a metal pipe protruding out of his lower back "if we don't get him somewhere stable soon he'll die in just over an hour."
"He's unconscious?" I ask "Yes. It's a good thing to; otherwise he'd be in an extreme amount of pain. Trowa" "Yes" Xeya sounds worried, and it does nothing to calm my nerves "We have to leave, now" "Ok. Give Quatre to me" she passes me the light burden, not before she breaks of some of the pipe so it's not such a danger, but can still be pulled out later if need be.
"Be careful with him, try not to knock him" "Alright. Which way do we go?" we both stand up and Xeya checks our surroundings.
"Up." I follow her line of vision and see the building still has its stairwell "Alright" I reply clutching Quatre close to me.
"Now" Xeya yells and I follow her to and up the stairs. As I look down I can see the group after us coming into the building. "Xeya" I ask with a slightly shaky voice. "I know" she replies irritated "just try to keep up and don't look back."
We get to the top and I see her scanning the area for Treize and the others. "They went that way" I see her pointing her finger north, away from Osaka "we have to jump over the buildings to reach them in time" she turns to me as she says it. "Ok, lets go. They're closing on us fast.""Alright. Hold onto him close"
"I will."
She looks behind us and I walk up to stand next to her. "Now!" Then she launches herself off the building and onto the next, and I follow. We both pull it off easily and I hold onto Quatre a little tighter. We land on the next building, run to the ledge and jump off.
"Faster Trowa" Xeya yells to me and I comply. As I do so does she and we're jumping over the buildings at break neck speed. We jump from building to building, and I almost think I can't keep up with Xeya, but I've kept up with her for the last six buildings, so three more should be fine.
We land on the final building and look down to see our comrades running below. I look at Xeya, look back and then I jump down to the ground with her. "Treize" I yell while Xeya and I run to catch up with the group. He looks back at us and breaths a sigh of relief.But doesn't stop running "Where have you two been?" he yells back at me "It doesn't matter. Quatre is badly injured, we need to get him to a safe place or he'll die" "I know where we can go" Aries yells "it's not far, but we have to be silent"I nod, and we all follow Aries with not another word.
"Is he going to be alright?" Trowa asked Treize as he worked on the young man. "Yeah, but barely" was Treize' reply "Why do you say that?" Duo asked, worried for his friend "The pole that was stuck in his back almost re-routed his circuits, if it had have moved around any more he would have exploded by now, it's a miracle that hasn't happened"
"You should be grateful Duo and thank Trowa for that. He's the one that carried him," Xeya announced. They were all sitting in a large underground room, all of them sitting on the floor except for Treize who was working on Quatre on a metal table in the middle of the room.
"Nobody asked you machine. Its your fault he's like this in the first place" Duo yelled at Xeya angrily as he stood up from his position on the floor. "First of all nobody had to ask me, I was just stating a fact" Xeya started calmly as she stood up "and secondly, how dare you call me a machine, without calling him one as well" she yelled pointing her finger at Quatre."Because he's my..." "Just because he's your friend does not make a difference" she lowered her finger "he is still a 'machine' just like me. So if you're going to call me a machine you might as well accuse your friend of the same crime." She sat down at her winning of the battle.Duo saw red. He attacked Xeya and held her up against the wall, by her neck, with one hand, lifting her above his head. Another hand grabbed Duo's shoulder and threw him across the room taking Xeya with him.They both hit the wall with a thud.
"Duo leave it be" Zechs said as he walked over to stand in between them "she is right, as much as I hate to admit it, she is right. How long did you know he was a cyborg?" he addressed Xeya, eyes still on Duo to keep him in check. "From the moment the three of you walked up to us" she replied leaning against the wall "And you didn't tell us?" Duo ground out "Duo hold your tongue"
"I knew you didn't know, and I knew he didn't want you to know. He was only doing what he thought was right" "Please, don't fight over this Xeya, it's not worth it" they all turned to see Quatre, very awake, facing them.
"How are you feeling Quatre?" I ask him "Fine, can I stand up please?" Treize helps him onto his feet and he sways a little, but then stabilizes.
"Where are we?" he asks "At the place I've been hiding for the past week" Aries tells him. "So what are we going to do now?" Heero asks.
Him and his cousin have been unusually quiet. "I suggest we wait, then see what's happening" Duo replies. "Sleeping might be good" Wufei announces "I haven't done that in a while."
"That's a good idea" Quatre replies "Duo you have to cool down. Ok" "Fine" he mumbles "but keep that thing away from me" he inclines his head at Xeya and she turns her head staring at him with her ghostly white eyes. "Duo" Zechs starts "Ok, ok" Duo retorts "What if someone tries to get in?" I ask Aries "I'll be awake. I'll kill them if they try to get through" Xeya announces, and none of us argues.
"Xeya" Quatre woke up to find Xeya sitting up against a wall cleaning her guns. "What do you want Quatre? You should be sleeping, you need your strength." She put the guns back together quickly then put them back in their holsters.
"You were close to Aries weren't you?" "To close." Xeya lay down and rested her head on Quatre's legs. "Maybe I can help?" Quatre inquired "What could you do to help?" Xeya lay on her side with her back to Quatre and he started to play with the end of her hair.
"My father is a wealthy business man in the Acropolis, I could ask him for the money" "You'd do that?" Xeya sat up and turned her upper body to face Quatre "Yes"
"Why?" she narrowed her eyes at him "why would you do that for me?" "Because you and Aries are a couple of the only people who understand what I'm going through. You are kind, even through that hard exterior of yours. And you are a very tolerant person, even with humans and people with cybernetics. That's why I'm going to help you."
"Thank-you." "Your welcome" "Quatre" "Yes?" "Don't tell anyone about this, I fear people will use it against me." "Of course, now go to sleep." "But what about..." "Don't worry, I'll keep watch" "Thank-you"
I wake up to see everyone sleeping.
I am the first to wake. I see Wufei sleeping next Heero.
They are both on their backs. Duo is cuddled up to a corner with Zechs sleeping in front of him, as if he was his protector while he slept. Aries has gone off into the adjoining room to sleep, Treize is on the table, and I am lying next to it.
Quatre is awake and staring at the opposite wall, he sees me and puts one finger up to his mouth and I nod complying the silent request.Not five minutes after she wakes and looks at me. She smiles at me. It makes her look stunning.
I smile back. Then she sits up next to Quatre and crosses her legs resting her back against the wall. "Good morning" she mouths to me and I get up to go and sit next to her.
"How did you sleep?" I ask "Better than I have in three years" she replied in a quiet voice "how about you?" "I slept alright, Quatre did you sleep at all?" "Yes, but I woke up and had a talk with Xeya and then I told her I would keep watch." "Ok." "Where is Aries" Xeya asks me "He's not in the next room?" I ask "No"
"He's outside" Quatre says and Xeya jumps to her feet and runs up the stairs above ground, slamming the door behind her and waking up everyone else. "What's going on?" Zechs asks angrily and narrows his ice blue eyes "Where's Xeya?" Duo asks angrily his non-cybernetic violet eye scanning the room.
"She went outside, calm down. Aries isn't here and I guess she got a little annoyed. That or she was just being cautious" Quatre replies in an exasperated tone. "Well did she have to slam the door?" Treize asks sleepily "Probably" I reply.
"What the hell are you doing?" Xeya yelled at Aries, who was sitting on top of the building they were under "Would you shut up?" he replied angrily "you'll give away our position" "Answer my question," she said in a lower tone "Looking at the sun" "What sun?" "That sun" Aries pointed in front of him at the sun making itself seen at the edge of the earth."Wow" Xeya walked forward to stand next to Aries "I've never seen it look that beautiful" "It's a good sign" "For who?" Xeya asked kneeling on the roof of the building, pulling her elbows up on the ledge and resting her head in her hands. "Anybody that believes that there is some good in this world"
"Well call me crazy but I don't' believe in anything" "You used to" Aries turned his head to look at Xeya "Not any more." "Xeya" Heero's voice behind her mad her turn "Yeah" "We need to go. Now" "What for?" she frowned at Heero "Duo says there's something coming. He also said not to warn you about it but I didn't listen" "Alright, I'm coming," she stood up.
"I'll always remember you Xeya" she turned to face Aries "Even if you forget me" he turned his head to face her. She walked back up to him, bent down and kissed his lips "I will never forget you Aries," she said after breaking the kiss.
"They kissed?" Duo yells it in Heero's face and he puts his finger to his temple as if trying to get rid of a migraine. "Yes. Don't yell it in my ear" he replied. "You were watching us Heero?" Xeya asks as she joins us on the street. "You herd that?" he asks "It was kind of hard not to with that banshee over there" she make a gesture with her hand in Duo's direction "I am not a banshee," Duo yells back at her "You just proved her point Duo" I say to him in an obvious tone.
Duo crosses his arms over his chest and mumbles something incoherent under his breath, and Quatre smacks him over the back of the head, hearing the words.
Xeya rolls her eyes. "Are we going to go or not?" she asks "Yeah, sure. If you're quite finished..." another smack behind the head "Ow, Quatre!" Duo whines "What"
"Three days" "Your full of questions today Xeya" Wufei pipes up "what's with the change?" "Well if you guys kept me in the loop maybe I wouldn't have to ask so many questions" she replies with a slight smirk.
THREE DAYS LATER.
"We're here," Quatre announced "Finally" Zechs breathes "how long have we been walking?" "Three whole days" Xeya replied walking up to stand next to Zechs and put a hand on his shoulder "why don't you sit down and rest"
"That's a very good idea. For once I agree with you Xeya" Duo could be herd as he walked up behind Xeya. Treize, Heero, Wufei and Trowa bringing up the rear "How is it" Xeya started "that Treize doesn't have cybernetic legs, just like you two, and he isn't complaining?" "That's because Treize hasn't been the one to burden other people with his own problems" Zechs replies
Treize stuck his tongue out at Zechs "That's really mature" Zechs and Duo replied in unison. "Can you all be quiet please?" Quatre said from the head of the group "or we will be seen." "Sorry""So what's the plan Quatre?" I ask coming up to stand beside him
"I'll go and talk to them, I'll ask them if I can see my father, get the money and come back down here" Quatre announced "is there anyone else who wants to go to the Acropolis? Other than Heero and Wufei."
"Treize?" Heero asked "Nah, I'll stay here, go back to my lab and live my little life." Treize replies "Trowa?" Wufei asks meI look around at Treize and everyone else "No, I think I'll stay here. I'll probably stay with Treize" I reply "Zechs, Duo?"
They look at each other and shake their heads. "Don't even ask me. I'm not going, no way would they let me there, so just save your breath" Xeya says "So where are you going to go?" Quatre asks her "I don't know"
"You could always come and stay with us," Treize says to her and it catches me a little off guard. "I might take you up on that offer. Thanks Treize" she smiles at him and his mouth drops, as does everyone else's. Quatre and I smile. "Alright. You guys wait here" and Quatre walks off to talk to the guards.
ONE WEEK LATER.
"This is not good." Trowa and Xeya are standing back to back, surrounded by a large group of guys "Well that's the understatement of the century" they look above them to see Wufei and Heero ready with their guns "Stay very still you two" Wufei continues "No problem there" Trowa returns sarcastically "Ready Heero" "Oh yeah."
And they fire.