Alright, kiddies…this chapter has finally been written and is a step toward all the plot pieces falling together. I know everything has seemed utterly random up to this point, but I'm hoping this will start to tie a few things together. ;;
DISCLAIMER: (because it's that time, yet again) I don't own Heero Yuy! (Either of them!) You know the spiel.
Song lyrics in the middleish are from Beloved by VNV Nation. I threw them in because I felt they fit. And I like being random. Okay, I'll shut up now.
ENJOY! (I hope someone out there still reads and R&R's… AHEM.)
--Misplaced in Space – Chapter Twenty; A Night to Remember--
When Ashley emerged hours later, the Gundam pilots and Earthling teenagers unintentionally smeared shock all over their faces, inciting a smug look upon her face. This was so plainly not Ashley. Her hair had been cropped short and straightened, then dyed a shocking blonde to match Quatre's locks. Her eyes had changed to a soft aqua-blue color as opposed to her normal jade, and the clothes, the clothes… She wore a simple blue knee-length skirt with a white dress shirt and matching blue suit jacket. On her feet were harmonizing blue pumps that made the tall girl's appearance scream business, sophisticated, prissy.
Yes, the big bad onna herself had managed to pull it off; prissy. Oh, sweet irony, how cruel 'tis thou.
Ashley (AKA Vicci) was clearly still having trouble walking though, and soon returned to the cushy chair by which her crutches rested. Especially in those high-heeled shoes, her legs became gelatinous after too much walking about. As she sat there she received more collective stares of shock and surprise, particularly from Wufei. The Chinese boy edged toward her, a hand absentmindedly touching her hair. This hand he jerked back when he realized what he was doing and quickly evacuated the newly blonde girl's space.
This transformation in the Smith girl panged at Chang Wufei's heart. It was deeply rooted within his heritage, honor and justice and the like. Now, Ashley had been ultimately dishonored, framed for another's crime, and now had been forced to cut her hair and conceal her identity. It was shameful, in a sense, being forced to illegitimately hide who and what she was.
Below him Ashley was looking up at him curiously, watching the flow of emotions ripple across his face; sadness, anger, disgust, worry. What was Chang thinking? She could only shake her head, for she had not the slightest inclination as to his thoughts. One thing she was certain of, though; if she sat in this room full of people any longer after this massive change, she was going to break down. She did not want to have a break down in front of the Gundam pilots and her friends. With that she stood abruptly, too quickly for her weakened legs and almost fell backwards once more.
As she put her hands behind her to break the fall she found an arm around her waist, and followed the line of that arm up to Wufei's face. "E-erk, Oto…thank you, Otoko," she muttered, unable to muster the energy to be outraged.
"…I will see you to your room?" He had the decency to make it a question.
The tall girl, now almost a half inch taller than he with the high heels, nodded absent mindedly as the two turned, the onyx-haired boy picking up her crutches as they walked toward the stairway behind Bernardo (AKA Jeeves) toward her new bedroom.
Then, once she was finally behind the closed door of her bedroom, she could withhold no longer and let the tears flow freely.
ooo
Kryss, Nicole, Nick, and Anna whispered furiously in one corner of the den after Ashley and Wufei departed, the pilots milling aimlessly around the room. Duo and Heero were amusing themselves in front of the television screen, using the X-box their trainees had produced. The pair had discovered Halo 2 and began rapidly excelling in their kill rates.
"Omao o korousu!" the Japanese boy muttered as he successfully obliterated Duo's character with a grenade.
"Damn you, stoic boy!!" the braided wonder grumbled in return, and once he re-spawned went on a mad hunt for the 01 pilot's on-screen figure to destroy him in return. "I WILL win this damn game!!" Competitive much?
Trowa sat nearby, watching the screen with dulled interest, and Quatre had left the room to attend to some house matter. Thus, the group kept up their whispered conversation in the dark.
"What do you MEAN you won't come!?" Kryss sputtered, looking between Anna and Nick like they had both sprouted second heads. "Ashley deserves to have SOME fun before they lock her up in here all hours of the day, and we're all at the breaking point."
"Yeah!" her brunette partner in crime chimed in, "We just want to get out for a few hours, with Ashley in utter disguise of course. Nobody knows her voice, since the tape was soundless, so what's it going to hurt?" She stuck out her lower lip in a pouting fashion to mirror her impish friend. "So why won't you guys come?"
Nick held up his hands in attempt to cease the onslaught of impish blabber. "It's not that I don't WANT to come with you guys, I can't tonight!" His eyes flicked side to side a bit, twinkling as though he had something in mind. What was going on upstairs with that boy…? "I have errands to run!"
"Errands?" Kryss asked, just as Anna rushed in with her explanation.
"And I promised Zechs that I would stay in tonight. He said he has some stuff to show me, and I can't very well back out on the man. He'd hound the both of you guys AND me until eternity. Besides, look at it this way, I'll have him distracted, so he won't notice you're gone, right?" She blew out her cheeks in exasperation.
The short girls sighed and looked at each other, the back to their friends. "Okay, okay," Nicole relented, "We'll stop bugging you. But you guys know we didn't leave the mansion tonight if the boys ask, right?"
"Right," the 'siblings' responded in unison, nodding for emphasis.
ooo
As the impish duo approached Ashley's door they could hear soft voices within the room speaking and the occasionally sniff. Was someone crying in there? Cautiously Kryss knocked upon the oak door, taking a moment to admire the intricately carved cherubs and angels in the mahogany doorframe that wrapped about the oak.
Following her knock the sounds of footsteps could be heard and Wufei appeared in the open doorway, looking unusually calm and serene. "Imps," he said simply in greeting, nodding to each in turn. With that he looked back at Ashley, who stood with her back turned to the trio in front of a small mirror, calling in a conversation voice, "Is everything in order then?"
At that the blonde onna turned with a smile on her face, looked at Wufei gratefully and nodded. "Yes, thank you Wufei."
At that he nodded in return and excused himself as he brushed past the shorter girls and disappeared down the hall.
Nicole and Kryss stared at each other, their expressions clearly screaming, 'WHAT THE HELL?' as they turned their attention back to their friend. Her only response was a shrug and wistful look in her eyes that said everything and nothing simultaneously. With that she ushered her friends inside and closed the heavy door once more, offering a change of subject to avoid any interrogation. "What brings you shrimps about?"
She was pleased to see the pair puff up a bit at the term 'shrimp.' "Shrimp are tasty crustaceans for eating, not us!" Kryss grumbled as Nicole chose to ignore the stab at her height, thus launching into the explanation.
"We've made an executive decision that you need to have some fun before you get all locked up in here for who knows how long, playing Vicci home owner. Therefore, you must now get into your club attire and get ready for fun, because we are taking you out!" Her impish friend bobbed her head in agreement.
Before the older girl could protest the two were already rifling through her dresser and closet the maids had filled with her clothing. She sighed. At least this explained why they were dressed up, for once, instead of the usual plain randomness. She took minimal comfort in knowing there was some method to their madness.
ooo
Thirty minutes, three costume changes, one bogus claim to a sleepover in Ashley's room, and a climb down the fire escape later, the trio stood down the street from the mansion on the street corner, hailing for a taxi. Ashley had opted not to bring her crutches along, hence her companions wanted her to do as little walking as possible to save her from collapsing and strain. She had selected an adorable pale green tank top to wear over a long-sleeved white mesh shirt, along with very dark, dark denim pants. The legs of the pants flared out and fell so far that her feet were literally invisible, so no one could spy the simple white sneakers she wore to keep her feet comfortable. Temporary green streaks had been combed through her hair with Nicole's assistance, and the look was topped off with spiked bracelets and a spiked choker. At the last minute to further the cutesy punk look, she had pulled her short-cropped hair into two adorable pigtails with hair ties accented by jeweled spheres with portraits of Inu Yasha and Miroku painted on one pair, and Rock Lee and Naruto on the other set.
Once they had flagged down a taxi and given the driver their destination they sat together in giddy silence. Anticipation hung like a thick cloud. This would be the first time in months now that they would spend an evening out without the gundam pilots on their tails. No Gundam Wing, no pilots, no politics tonight.
They could not wait. Nothing could ruin this…or almost nothing.
ooo
Club Elusion literally bounced on the inside. There were people everywhere, on every level, dancing on the stairs, tables, and chairs, all over the place. The island getaway décor stretched to seascape murals on the walls, a night sky above, and even the occasional pool of water here and there with fake palm trees accented by lighted green leaves. Some people sat in bathing suits or less in these pools of water, some that acted as spas with jets and all.
Happy hardcore flitted merrily from the spinning DJ's capable tables, the flyers at the entrance declaring him to be called, 'DJ Seed.' Kryss noted his kitty-boy appearance and approved highly. He looked to have threads of Vietnamese in him, with long hair that fell to his chin and chunky black glasses. He wore large headphones half-on one ear over a black beanie with floppy cat ears that bounced as he danced and spun behind the turntables.
"I'll start to enjoy space more, if I can find more kitty-boys out here," Kryss murmured into her brunette cohort's ear, causing her to burst out in surprised laughter.
Before long Seed's beat swept up the girls, carrying them on the waves of the music. Life zeroed down into that pulse, that rhythm, and nothing else mattered while they danced. It is so very easy to forget every trouble, every problem, when dancing. It is as though the body becomes part of the music, weaving through it, into it, and before long there is nothing left of the physical conscious, only notes and measure.
That is in essence the beauty of music, being lost in the senses, which so often go ignored. Sight, smell, correctness and perfection are all that humanity sneaks in normal every day existence, but when lost in music the imperfect becomes perfect. That was perhaps why the girls became so in tune with their dancing so quickly; a need to forget, to justify existence, not with the floods of thought and battle and surviving that had become every day life, but by simply being. Club Elusion dripped with existence in its most primal sense, talking and gossip, idle chatter long forgotten by all patrons.
To be, forget it all, shove it down, nothing else matters…
Let it be.
ooo
Nick wandered the streets of 04 alone that night. The climate controls were turned down exceptionally low that evening, sending a brisk, artificial chill through his bones that vaguely reminded him of his home state Illinois. However, no cold could slow him down tonight; he was a man on a mission, and that mission was to help Mei-Ling in any way he could. Granted, he had no idea where she was imprisoned or how to properly initiate a jailbreak, but he had seen enough movies in his time that he had a few ideas. The old nail file in the cake, something along those lines.
My beloved, do you know?
How many times I stared at clouds,
Thinking that I saw you there.
Where could she be? Where could he begin to look?
Street signs in impossible neon colors lit his face has he pragmatically considered the locations he passed. Finally, his eyes fell upon an unlit sign, simple black and white with gold edging overhanging large double wooden doors. Two white globes of light sat on posts upon either side of the doors.
Police, read the sign. Why not? But how could he possibly get in there to obtain the information he needed? Amidst his pondering his ears picked up on very obnoxious snoring coming from one side of the short stairs that led toward the house doors. Sidestepping and bending over, the sandy-haired young man blinked upon sight of a somewhat hefty, tall man in a police uniform, lying placidly with a large, empty whiskey bottle in his hand against the stonewall holding the steps.
…How very convenient.
ooo
"Nicole and the others must be rubbing off on me," Nick muttered to himself a few minutes later as he strolled through the police station halls. He now wore a somewhat large police uniform (and if he recalled correctly, impersonating an officer was a very big no-no) over his clothing, his coat balled up into the stomach area of the uniform to make it fit somewhat better. He had suddenly become known as 'Officer Randolph,' and had gotten a few positive remarks that he must have lost weight as he came in, hat pulled low over his eyes, and did he have a cold, his voice sounded just a little bit odd.
Why, yes, as a matter of fact.
A few well-placed questions put him finally within a room brimming with filing cabinets, which in turn brimmed with assorted files and folders. After a few minutes of searching the assorted cabinets he had uncovered it; a folder within the records, a folder entitled 'Shou Mei-Ling.' A quick glimpse at its contents revealed a complete history of her newly established 'criminal profile,' which happily included a history of arrests and prison locations.
Jackpot.
ooo
Whenever Zechs called her specifically with that professional tone, it was never to be flirtatious or playful, which disappointed Anna considerably. This visit would probably consist of some choice shouting, not to mention complaints and discussing tactical information. The Marquis tended to call Anna frequently to his office for these 'brainstorming' sessions. She reasoned that he simply needed a new mind to add opinions, other than that of Relena. He trusted her, for the most part. She was not quite as rambunctious as her female Earth friends, though not as timid as Nick. She acted as a sort of median, a bridge that Zechs appreciated. She was able to juggle all of their very different personalities and help each where it suited them.
She shook her head, running a hand through her hair. Regardless of his reasoning, she was there now and would have to endure another of these strategy talks. Best to get it over with.
Pushing open the doors of the Winner conference room, Anan was surprised to find not only Zechs Marquis sitting at the head of the long table, but Relena Peacecraft, and even more surprisingly, Shou Hebi gathered around it. Beside Hebi sat her mother, Xi, and an empty seat beside Relena, which the girl patted dutifully, her eyes firm. Do not say a word.
The girl closed her hanging jaw before a fly could swoop in, taking the seat the pacifist woman offered dutifully. What in the hell was going on? Last she checked, Hebi and Xi were quite aware that they had shot both Shou Chen and Mei-Ling in front of the entire Peace Milion crew, save Relena and Zechs, but undoubtedly they knew the siblings would know the truth of the matter. It was popular knowledge that the duo commanded the Peace Milion together now…was it not?
Nonetheless, the women sat before the small group looking utterly smug. Relena cleared her throat and spoke politely, "To what do we owe this visit?"
Hebi smiled devilishly, her dark eyes twinkling. "We are here to collect, of course."
"Collect?" Zechs raised his eyebrow. "Collect what, exactly?"
"Why, the murderer of my father, of course." She did not even flinch, her mother only nodding for emphasis. "I'm sure people of your command would never let such a traitor in among your ranks." What was this woman playing at? She knew they knew the truth!
…This was going to be a long night.
ooo
Seed's three hour set had finally ended, and some run-of-the-mill techno beat was playing while he packed up his vinyl and gave an enthusiastic hug and handshake to the next DJ with his crate of records, DJ Ermine. The girls watched this and the rest of the crowd from the bar at the sideline of the dance floor, bottles of water in hand. It was their first respite in the hours since they had arrived, and Ashley had to give the impish girls some credit. This was definitely what she needed tonight, not to simply be locked into solitude.
Even if they were fucking insane, she still had the most fantastic friends she could ever ask for.
In the midst of her contemplation, the tall young woman was suddenly aware of eyes upon her and shifted her gaze to her left, spying a man sitting on a bar stool, martini in hand. He looked middle-aged, tall, and Japanese in origin. His face was a gentle oval, his hair gone stark white, certainly not entirely from age, and he wore a pair of simple black slacks with a white dress shirt that was not tucked in. Black army boots and a black duster coat topped off his ensemble, though this older man's club attire looked more like clothing for the trenches of war; some very high-class trenches, for a pristine appearance as his.
She raised an eyebrow at the man, and he made no move to attempt to hide the fact that he had been staring at her. "Yo, you got a problem?" she asked after a few moments of simply staring back at him.
He only snorted in reply, taking a long swig from his martini before opening his chocolate brown eyes once more. Those eyes gleamed with a dark fire that set the girl somewhat off-kilter. The younger and shorter pair accompanying her began to notice her captured attention and took note of the man's appearance.
Nicole cracked her knuckles threateningly, looking past her friend to the stranger. "He giving you trouble…Vicci?" She had hesitated a moment, almost calling her friend by her given name. Almost endangering her safety. She had to remember that she was Victoria Winner now. Vicci. Right.
The man chortled at the brunette's bravado, setting down his glass and still staring back into Ashley's eyes. "No trouble, I'm just rather amused. Aren't you the risk taker?" That last portion he directed toward Ashley alone, and she knew it. Her colored eyes widened a smidgen before she collected herself and huffed, looking off toward the crowd once more. Ermine had begun to spin an aggressive industrial sound that was beginning to match her mood. This old man was starting to grate on her nerves.
"Crazy old lech, I have no idea what you're talking about." Yeah, play it cool, she told herself.
At that the man leaned over, whispering into her ear, "That's some way to talk to one of your friends' namesake, Ashley Lynn Smith."
Her blood went cold, fear causing her pulse to catch in her throat. She took a drink of water and swallowed hard, forcing herself to turn and look back at him, her nose almost bumping his. He was smiling maliciously.
"How do you know me?" she whispered slowly, attempting to pour as much outrage and power into her eyes as possible.
He leaned back lazily, looking as pleased as a cat with a mouse. "I know a lot of things, my dear. Just trust me when I say this; I've got my eye on you, and this won't be the last time we meet. I also will not turn you over. You don't need to worry about that."
"Then what the fuck are you doing here talking to me like this?! Trying to scare me, you shitbag?!?" she shouted back. Anger, yes, anger was what she needed. Anger took the edge off the terror. Anger was good.
"Let's just say I'm…curious." That secretive smile again. The girls were positively fuming.
"Who do you think you are?!" Kryss broke in, reaching past Ashley to grab the collar of the man's shirt. He stood abruptly and grabbed Kryss' wrist in return, twisting enough to incite a yelp of pain and wrench her off his clothing.
"Hey!! You're dead meat, Grandpa!" Nicole growled angrily and snatched her blonde companion out of his reach simultaneously with Ashley as the girl cradled her wrist and glared daggers back at him.
He only smoothed out his ruffled dress shirt and took a final gulp from his martini as he slid off the barstool. He turned to leave and paused a moment before turning back, having planned a suitable response. "I am a very alive man, I assure you of that. My name is Heero Yuy, and I will be watching." He burst out laughing as he watched the trio's jaws drop in a very cartoonish way. "You girls have fun now." He shook his head and turned, disappearing into the massive body of dancers.
ooo
…Eh-hehehehhe. Oo;; Okay, I dunno if you guys will hate me more or less after that chapter with very minimal gundam-pilot appearances. I promise I'll write them more next chapter, or at least try to! o.
Anyhow, that's it for this chapter. :X I hope some things are starting to click in relation to what I have planned. But if not, then it'll be all the more fun when everything is fully revealed. :3 Bwahahahha!