Payback's a Bitch
On the count of three Rome was over their protection and headed straight for their shooters, shooting to kill as she moved in a zig zag formation to avoid as many of the bullets as she could to buy Paris time. Like his sister Paris had took off at a dead run but towards a different goal and a different end. Pieces of clothing, skin and blood flew off of Rome as bullets shredded everything they could as they whizzed by her in dark blurs though she didn't even feel the burn where they'd sliced across flesh or in the case of her shoulder where one had lodged there sending blood flowing out to join the blood collecting at her waist. Her eyes going to the one who seemed to be the best shot she was all set to put a bullet in his head when her eyes widened, recognizing him a split second before he jerked his gun, sending the bullet that would have pierced her heart into the area just a couple centimeters above it. The bullet sending her flying back she lay there while the man who'd fired the shot, his face mirroring his shock as he told them to stop firing at her. Ordering them to go look for the other one the man waited till they were out of sight before dropping to his knees, his face full of shock and anguish. "God, Lieutenant, oh God I didn't know it was you."
"You..still jerk your hand too much..when you pull the trigger." Came a weak voice as Rome forced her eyes to open as she stared into the oh so young face of Matthew Conners. She'd been his instructor at the base and one of the few of hers that had survived when Wufei had started blowing the place to hell and back. She'd pulled him from some wreckage, he'd been hurt pretty bad but from the looks of it he'd recovered well. Oh the irony to be taken down by a soldier she had trained, Rome thought with a small smirk at the irony. "And I'm pretty sure you missed my heart which was what you were aiming for right? We'll say you missed on purpose, won't make me look like I was such a bad instructor."
"If I'd known it was you..I'd have put the bullet into my own head before I'd have hurt you, Instructor Noin. I don't understand what's going on here." Matthew said, his young face full of fear and self loathing. He'd shot his instructor, the woman who'd spent countless hours helping him catch up on his schoolwork after he'd been seriously ill for a couple weeks and had attended his mother's funeral when she'd died in a car accident. She'd always been like a big sister, a pal to all of her students and this was how he'd repaid her. "I'm, I'm a security guard here and Mr. McMaster said there were people breaking in, that they were dangerous criminals and that we were to apprehend them and shoot to kill if necessary since..since they were heavily armed. God I..I'm so sorry, Lieutenant." The boy said, tears gathering in his eyes before they hardened determinedly. "I'll get you out of here, I'll get you to a doctor, Lieutenant and you'll be okay, they'll patch you up and you'll be good as new."
"Now this time, Matt." Rome said with a sigh, sorry that Matt would have to live with this, the boy had enough things in his life that were horrible memories, she didn't like the idea of her dying being on his conscience as well. "One of the others already got me in the stomach, yours was nothing in comparison. But I need you to do something for me, cadet. One last order before you're dismissed from duty." Rome said with what could pass for a weak smile. "Take me to McMaster, Matt. I want to settle things with him before I head to my just desserts. Call off the men on my brother and take me to that son of a bitch and then you get the hell out of here. McMaster was lying to you, Matt. My brother and I were kidnapped and brought here, you were brought in because we escaped and were on our way out."
"Men get back here, we need to take this woman to the boss and that kid's probably already in the hands of the other men Mr. McMaster sent out!" Matt yelled and soon the men returned to find Matt with Rome cradled in his arms carefully. Matt didn't know and had never met McMaster but he knew his instructor and she would never lie to him or put him in harms way. Everyone knew that Instructor Noin took care of her men and never let them down when they needed her. Now she needed him and he wasn't going to fail her. With the men encircling them with their eyes on her still form as she pretended to be out they made their way down a hallway to deliver her to the devil.
Meanwhile
Weeping was the only sound in the control rooms as Quatre cradled Asia against him as she sobbed into his shoulder with her face buried there as his hand stroked her hair, his own eyes sparkling with tears as he watched Rome looking lifeless and gone was carried down the hallway to lord only knows what horrors before she finally died. She'd hold out until she'd faced Cecil, Quatre didn't doubt it in the least. They'd seen several shots fired in Paris's direction but since they had no tracker on him they didn't even know if he'd made it out or was bleeding to death in some corridor. Julian stood in front of the screen with tears running down his cheeks without shame, his face full of agonizing pain as Sue Ling hugged him from behind, her own face showing grief though the tears didn't fall. She'd always been taught that crying was not allowed and knew that regardless of that training she would weep until there was nothing left to cry tonight. Like Asia Relena was in her brother's arms, weeping just as uncontrollably as her brother buried his face in her neck, his tears joining hers as he felt the pain of his loss ripping through him. She was his everything and he was losing her, standing here as she bled to death without being able to do a thing. She'd loved him so much and what had he given her in return? He would never get the chance now to tell her just how much he loved her, wanted to spend the rest of his life with her by his side. That you could take away everything he owned and possessed but that so long as he had her then he'd die a happy and content man. God but was everyone he loved doomed to die while he watched helplessly.
Duo was sitting in chair with his face in his hands, his shoulders rising and falling haltedly as he tried to get control of his emotions, lifting his face every once in a while to check the screen before lowering his head again. At Duo's side Trowa placed what he hoped was a comforting hand on Duo's shoulder not knowing what else to do. If he were there, in that place in Italy he could do something, would have done whatever it took to get his friends back but there was nothing. Wufei stood on Duo's other side and placed a hand on Duo's shoulder as well. He understood all too well Trowa's thoughts as he was having them as well. There was nothing he hated more then to feel helpless and he was so helpless here. He couldn't go back in time and save his friends, he couldn't undo the damage that had been done. Standing alone silent tears ran down his weathered cheeks as he watched his pride and joy, his granddaughter die as she was carried to the man responsible, her cousin. His hands clenched into tight fists at his side he swore to himself that Cecil would pay for this and that if Paris lived he'd make up for the way he'd treated the boy. He'd take care of the boy for Rome and be the sort of grandfather he should have been. They were so much like their father, he thought with tears blurring his vision so that he could barely see a foot in front of him. They were strong and so full of love, the strength that came from it. Courageous and braver then any person he'd ever known, children to be proud of and he might never have the chance to tell even one of them that. Wiping the tears from his eyes his eyes fell on another grandchild that he'd neglected and treated badly. He'd judged Julian because he didn't fit the McMaster mold but he was a good boy, a fine man who'd stood by the family that deserved it instead of the family that didn't deserve him in their family. Walking over to his grandson he didn't know what he was suppose to say but as if he sensed it Julian turned around and meeting the eyes of the man he called grandfather moved away from Sue Ling and walking over met his grandfather half way in a tight hug. Off by herself as well Lady Une watched with tears and prayed silently for a miracle. Noin had been her friend these last few years and Heero had grown on her, now there was a chance they were both going to die after having gone through such a hard life with so little reward for what they'd done and accomplished. They deserved better then this.
Meanwhile
Having called ahead to the boss the men had been given orders to bring her to a largely empty room in the warehouse that had recently been emptied and had yet to be refilled with McMaster products. While he'd waited for the men to arrive Cecil had ordered his men to create a make shift table in the center of the room with boxes and when the men arrived with Rome they were given orders to lay her out on the top of the boxes. Hesitantly but remembering his commanding officer's orders Matt did as he was told and laid her gently out on the boxes, positioning her hands at her sides beside her pockets as she'd whispered to him as he was setting her down. Standing over her Matt backed away slightly when a figure in an expensive suit walked into the room, his resemblance to his cousins apparently. His hair was black but his eyes were identical to Rome's and the face was the same though less feminine. He was slender and just five foot nine much to his disgust since he loved to intimidate and have power over people, being shorter then anyone was unacceptable though it was fact. "If she's dead I'll have each and every one of you killed." Cecil said in a voice dripping with ice as he walked over to place fingers to his cousin's neck, pleased to find a pulse however weak. That taken care of his eyes scanned the room. "Where's Paris? Where's the other one?"
"He escaped, she sacrificed herself to give him a window to escape, sir." Matt said in what he hoped was a normal and in control voice. "Permission to take the men back out to find the bastard. He couldn't have gotten far, we got several bullets into him before we lost sight of him." Matt added with a convincing voice though it was a lie. Apparently there had been slight traces of blood by the exit Paris had used but not enough to indicate a serious wound. Matt hoped that the kid had gotten away though, for Noin's sake.
"Permission granted, bring him alive if possible now go." Cecil ordered and waiting till they were all gone ordered his men to take the doors to the room and when they were in position and out of hearing distance Cecil turned back to Rome with something close to insanity in his purple eyes turning them into eyes that didn't resemble a human's at all. "Hello, Rome. Long time no see hasn't it, cousin dear? I must say that you aren't looking even close to half as stunning as you did then. I guess retirement from Preventers just doesn't suit you but it was really no job for a lady now was it?" Cecil said with a chuckle which was more then a touch scary. "You never belonged there with your prince, not that he would have ever made you his princess now would he? After all who buys something when they can get it free? I guess you really did spend too much time with Paris's bastard mother before she got herself blown up, she turned you into a whore just like her. You could have been so much more though, Rome if you had only listened to me, let me take care of you and show you the way things were meant to be. But you never could understand that I knew best." Cecil said, his voice going hard and edged with violence. "You thought that because Grandfather spoiled you and fawned over you that made you better then I was, smarter and stronger then me. Did you know the old man was thinking of trying to find you and Paris? Mend the fences with that weak, pathetic little cousin of ours too? He thinks that I can't handle the company, that I'm not FIT to run McMasters and that YOU..A WOMAN is. But I'll make sure that never happens, I've insured that the will isn't going to be changed and that everything will happen as I want it. I'll get everything I deserve. And do you know what else, Rome? I'm going to break my word to you too. I'm going to hunt down your little pilot friends one at a time, having them killed as slowly as possible, won't your little brother like that on his head? Since I've expanded my business interests I've met a lot of interesting people, Rome. A lot of interesting people. I even know one guy in particular that your little girlfriends are just going to love. This particular gent has a real fondness for knives..and rape. I can guarantee your little friends Sally and Paris's bitch Relena will have a lot to scream about before he's done with them. And I'll leave your prince till last and his end...well that will be the worst death mankind will ever now. Because you're mine, Rome..and no one plays with what's mine except me." Cecil said as he leaned over her, lowering his head to whisper the last words she'd ever hear in her ear. "Arrivederci, Rome." Cecil said then gave a yelp or protest when her arm came up to hold his head down by the neck as her other hand slid into her pocket to pull out the gun she'd kept there.
"Arrivederci, Demonio." Rome said with a dark smile as she pulled the trigger as she let go, the force of the bullet to the head sending him flying backwards as his blood came flying out, splattering her as her cousin fell to the ground while the guards ran forward. "You may have sent me to Hell...but I sent you there first."
Weapons raised to shoot her and end it there were loud crashes as the doors leading all into the room burst open and the area flooded with men, surrounding Cecil's men who quickly dropped their weapons and had their hands in the air while two figures ran over to the boxes where Rome lay, her breathing shallow and her live slipping away faster with ever drop of blood leaving her body.
"Get the medics in here now!" Roared the girl who instantly reached over and took her adopted big sister's hand in hers. Her long blonde hair in a high ponytail, reaching her waist when down and dressed all in black she was quite a sight which would have normally sent Duo into wolf whistles if not for the situation. The boy who went to Rome's other side was also dressed in black with black hair with blue streaks that matched his eyes as they watched Rome carefully, wishing he could take her pain away or experience it for her. "And don't you dare die before they get here, Rome do you hear me?"
"I'd have to be dead not to, Ivory." Rome said with the barest of smiles with her eyes closed, not strong enough to open them. She couldn't see what was going on but she recognized Ivory's voice right away. "Paris.....?"
"We found him on out way in. Once he saw us he was all set to come back in with us so Max knocked him out and had him taken to the hospital. They managed to get a bullet stuck in his leg and he was bleeding from another wound at the shoulder but he'll be fine, just like you." Ivory said, squeezing Rome's hand harder as two men came in with a stretcher and carefully transferred her on before starting to roll her out of the room, Ivory following with Rome's hand still clenched in hers and Max on the other side taking the other hand, willing his strength to her. Ever since Rome and Paris's parents had died the McMaster siblings had lived with them and they couldn't imagine life without them, especially since they were spending more time at home now that they'd quit Preventers. "You have to hold on, you know you do."
"I'll try." Rome said but knew that in this case, as it sometimes was, her best would just not be good enough.