10: Complexions of the heart
[Disclaimer: With you belongs to Linkin Park]
I woke up in a dream today
To the cold of the static and put my cold feet on the floor
Forgot all about yesterday
Remembering I'm pretending to be where I'm not anymore
A little taste of hypocrisy
And I'm left in the wake of the mistake slow to react
Even though you're so close to me
You're still so distant
And I can't bring you back
It's true the way I feel
Was promised by your face
The sound of your voice
Painted on my memories
Even if you're not with me
I'm with you
You, now I see, keeping everything inside
with you
You, Now I see, Even when I close my eyes
Trowa sat inside the locker room of the ice ring messaging his ankles. The pair ice-skates he had rented for the day bit at his ankles everytime he would lean over to fix the cuffs of his pants and it annoyed him until he could skate no longer. His green eyes examined the gray exterior of the locker room and noticed its bleak atomosphere; he smiled pleasantly. He couldn't wait to get back to the cabin and sleep in without dinner unless his stomach says otherwise.
Yawning he pulled his snow boots back onto his feet already wrapped in the warmth of his down jacket, he could hear Ryuusei who stood outside the locker room door greeting everyone that came or went from the locker room. He grinned from ear to ear before deciding to call Ryuusei. "Oi! Ryuusei-chan, Koko ni kinasai," Trowa said softly. Ryuusei turned and stared at him for a moment before pointing a small finger at herself.
"Hai," Trowa replied. The 4-year-old trotted over to him with a curious expression on her face, Trowa patted the empty space on the bench. Ryuusei climbed upon the bench sitting beside him with her hands in her lap. "Dakara...?" Ryuusei trailed off when Trowa pulled out his clowns mask he bad brought with him. "Kore wa nani?" Ryuusei muttered quietly reaching over to touch the seemingly fragile object.
"It's a clown's mask. I thought you might like to see it. You looked quite bored," Trowa edged his hand closer to her letting the small girl remove it from his grasp he smiled at the faninated look on her face. Ryuusei stared at the mask with bright gray eyes as she traced its smile. "It's pretty," Trowa found himself in a state of shock; he had heard Ryuusei say something in english! It wasn't very good english (it sounded as though the words ran together) but english all the same.
"Ryuusei.... you spoke english?" Trowa uttered. Ryuusei stared down at her feet disappointingly giving a slight nod. "Hai...," She responded quietly. Trowa noticed the look of disappointment on her face, he thought she'd be happy to be able to speak english so that no one would stare at her strangely when she spoke her native tougne but he obviously thought wrong. Rising up from his seat he stepped in front of her and kneeled down to her level with a look of concern. "What's wrong Ryuusei? I thought you'd be happy to speak english?" Ryuusei shook her head quickly before handing him his mask
Trowa stared at her extended hand for a moment before taking the object from her hand. "I don't mean to pry but what's bothering you?" He asked. Ryuusei shrugged inoocently looking the other way. Trowa's eyes narrowed in suspicion before placing his mask onto the bench and placed his hands on her shoulders. "Does this have anything to do with the person that Heero saved you from?" He asked softly. Ryuusei's eyes watered but she remained steadfast in her silence. "Come Ryu, you can tell me, I won't let anything happen to you," Trowa said.
Ryuusei shook her head bitting down onto her bottom lip, she shrugged his hands off her shoulders and made an attempt to leave but Trowa grabbed her by the waist turning her to face him once more. "No, okay!" She cried in her native tongue. Trowa was taken aback by her sudden change of attiude but it did not stop him from pressing the issue. "Please Ryuusei-chan, we----- I need to know so I can help you. I can't help you if you don't tell me," He pleaded. Ryuusei's body trembled when looked into his green eyes, they were truthful and kind despite his impassive expression---- the mask he and Heero shared. "They---- they orphaned me....," She shuddered. Trowa's eyes widened in confusion. "Who orphaned you, Ryuusei?" He said quietly just as Catherine came waltzing into the locker room singing. She stopped halfway through end of the song when she noticed Ryuusei and Trowa, she could only see the back of Ryu's head but the look on Trowa's face was self-explanitory.
Concerned she walked up to the two wearing a forced smile, Trowa looked up from Ryuusei's face and went red in the cheeks when he faced Catherine behind them. "Err.... Catherine, what are you doing here?" He blurted causing Ryuusei to turn her head toward the brown haired girl. Catherine frowned at his words she placed her hands on her hips in a displeased way.
"What you mean what am I doing here? I've outside the entire time!" Catherine exclaimed tiredly. Trowa suddenly grew worried misinterpreting what Catherine meant. "The entire time---- you heard then?" He said unconsciously. Catherine was growing more and more worried by the moment, Trowa was growing more and more stranger by the mintue. "Heard what?? Trowa what is wrong with you lately? We need to talk---- outside right now!" Catherne ordered silencing the young man. Trowa relcuantly sighed rising up from his position. Ryuusei looked up at him with expectant but understanding eyes before she nodded. Trowa followed Catherine outside of the locker room and someplace outside the ice-ring. Their eyes met when Catherine turned to face him, her arms crossed.
"Trowa what is wrong with you? Is it something I've done?" She asked. "You turn red everytime I get near you---- did I do something to embarrass you?" Trowa's head snapped upward raising his hands up in objection Catherine began to grow frustrated. "What then?" She huffed. Trowa fingers fiddled with the end of his right handed glove with a sigh. Its now or never, I can't hide it from her any longer. He began to walk up toward her, Catherine blinked in confusion as he advanced toward her. She edged back a bit but did not move any more the closer he got to her. Trowa's eyes seemed hesitant and nervous the closer he got to her. The young woman stiffened a bit once he was near her. She watched his hands come up from his sides and place themselves on her shoulders, Catherine watched breathlessly as he leaned over toward her his face nearing his. Finally she realized why he was so uncomfortable around her.
He had feelings for her beyond that of any friend! Just as Trowa's lips brushed across her Catherine placed a hand between his and her mouth. Trowa's green eyes widened in confusion in which being the first sign of emotion beside uneasiness had shown aorund her. She removed her hand from between their faces and grasped his wrist he allowed her to remove his hands from her shoulders. "Cathy...," His voice trailed off. Catherine shook her head slowly. "I can't Trowa, I'm sorry to say that I don't feel the same," She whispered. Trowa's head bowed but he put up an understnading face before walking away from Catherine.
The 19-year-old felt horrible watching the Latin American teenager walk away from her and back into the locker room where Ryuusei was waiting for him. But she had to, he was nothing more than a brother to her and she didn't want to complicate their lives anymore by changing their relationship's status. Sighing the brown haired girl turned her back to the locker room facing the wide open space of the wonderland in front of her before her ears picked up someone calling her name. Turning to the left she spotted Relena and Quatre helping Dorothy along the ice looking worn out and taxed. "Trowa come quick!" Catherine cried urgently.
Margaret stood in front of a control panel that spouted thick electrical wires from its back panel, they were attached to a large and dormant mobile suit that Jin resided in. He sat inside the cockpit his back barely against the chair, his head was bowed down, his hands grip the mobile suits' mobility controls and his feet rested on the suit's pedals. Beside the control panel she worked on was a medical monitor and several of men under her order accomapnied by military doctors that were here only to monitor Jin's vital signs.
As she expected his nervous system was affected greatly by the Cestus drug, his brain waves were spastic and unstable. He had leads attachted his forearms, the sides of his temples and his chest underneath his worn black sweater. He'd mutter some incoherent sentences from time to time but no one paid attention to him. The 44-year-old woman felt a twang of guilt toward the young man. Rei had been her friend long ago before they joined the military for their own reasons. Margaret became a mercenary while Rei became the military's top scientist.
They soon became distant when Rei started working on the newest weapons technology, called Srtagos a system for mobile suits that could enhance the pilot and the mobile suits' physical abilites without tampering with the mind. Its sole purpose was for the colonists to use it and revolt against the Earth Sphere alliance whom Margaret had assoicated herself with. Naturally Rei was devistated when she learned what military her friend had joined but swore they would always be friends no matter who their loyalties lied with. However this promise was broken when Margaret was ordered to steal the technology Rei created, she was caught in the act by the very person she knew to her friend, everything else afterward was history. Margaret brought herself out of her thoughts long enough to catch Epyon landing on the far side of the hanger in its mobile suit form. It had obviously completed its mission.
Running a hand through her thick red hair she pulled her glasses off her face and placed them on the control panel as she stepped over the thick bunch of wires and over to the mobile suit Jin resided in. Gripping the platform she pulled herself up onto the mobile suit with little effort and leaned inisde the cockpit to get a good look at Jin's pyhsical condition. Despite his baggy pants and black sweater he appeared worn out and had no will to fight against the drug any longer, she placed a hand under his chin her long fingernails scraping his skin slight as she tilted his head up. "It's a shame your Rei's son. I'll a hard time trying to kill you off," She uttered spitefully. Jin's mouth seemed to twitch at her words, his grip on the mobiltiy controls tighened.
His eyes were twitching wildly as they shut and closed themselves rappidly showing the woman breif glimpses of his oynx blue eyes. Pushing back her emotions she removed her hand from underneath his chin and let his head drop back down, there was small grunt from him but she didn't concern herself with it as she climbed down from off the platform of the mobile suit. She landed on the ground crouched with her eyes closed. "Ralph!" She snapped harshly. The sound of footfalls apporaching her reached her ears, walking toward the control panel she grabbed her sunglasses she placed them back on her face just as Ralph came into view. "Yes, ma'am?" He said politely. Margaret frowned at the formal response but said nothing to him about it.
"Is the system up and ready to go?" She asked. Ralph blinked for a moment then turned to the technicians behind him that were fiddling with wrenches and asked in a loud commanding voice if the system was ready. One of the technicians dropped all that he was doing and told it was. Ralph turned to Maragaret with curt nod. "Aren't you suspose to know when these things are ready, Kurt?" Margaret asked feeling slightly annoyed. Ralph could do nothing but shrug at her question. "Forgive me ma'am, I was bit preoccupied at the time," He explained. Margaret said no nothing and headed over to the control panel, she punched in a lettered code that appeared on the left monitor of the mobile suit in a very spaced font.
The controls of the cockpit came to life automatically apparrently compelling Jin to sit up straight and stare right into the face of Margaret with a pair of lifeless eyes. The woman watched the mobile suit rise to its legs from its bent psoition it towered over them like a massive building. Jin's eyes watched from the cockpit as he was brought up high above the ground. His eyes lost what little life it had left due to a memory he regained; this memrory was the one he managed to smother into his subconscious never to be seen again. His eys averted to the right monitor noticing a smiling Margaret before him.
He tried to ignore the battle system data behind the transparent image of his mother's so-called friend. "What do you want?" He sneered. Margaret tilted her head back her smile growing by the minute. "Simple, I want the information on the Saratgos technology your mother was working on," She said getting to the point. Jin cocked an eyebrow at the woman his eye followed the darting target behind Margaret's image and his thumb began to press the small button on the side of the mobility controls watching them vanish then reappear, the process continued while he spoke to the woman on the screen.
"I don't know what your talking about," He said calmly. Margaret scoffed throwing her hair back from off her shoulders. "I highly doubt that to be true," She said. Jin ignored her response focusing his mind on the battle system's data on the screen behind her image. "Are you listening to me boy??!" Jin shrugged with a blink. "I told you, I don't know what your talking about. Even if I did, you'd think I tell you? You don't really strike me as trustworthy," He said.
Margaret was beginning to lose her patience with the young boy. Margaret slammed her firsts down onto control panel in a maddening rage, Jin tried his best to keep his cool, it had been so long since he had been inside a machine's cockpit that he forgot about the self-denator installed. "I'm losing my paitence with you boy, if you don't tell me what I want to hear then I will kill your little friend!" This had Jin's undivided attention he averted his eyes toward her while he pressed against the buttons on the mobilty control's harder. The mobile Doll battle data began to move quicker with each passing second.
"If you touch Mariemaia I'll.....," Margaret cut him off with a arrogant retort. "You'll do what boy? Kill me? I find that hard to believe, really I do," The 44-year-old sneered. "Now tell everything you know about the stratagos weapons technology!" Jin's eyes began to burn with rage, this woman was no friend to his mother. "I told you I don't know anything about it!" He shot back angrily. Margaret had reached the end of her rope with the young Korean child, he pushed her to the every edge of her paitence and santiy and he would pay the price for every word he spat at her.
Shutting off the visual and sound system on the control panel Margaret pulled her pistol out from her jacket shoving a full magazine of bullets inside the chamber. "Bring me the girl! I'll kill her myself!" She shouted like a madwoman. The two men that carried Jin out left the room aburptly, a moment later they came back with a kicking and screaming Mariemaia in their grasps. Ralph dared not to make a move with Margaret in the mood she was in now but he wasn't going to stand aside and be silent, of that he was certain.
"Ma'am, I really don't think its necessary to got to such extremes," Ralph stated sternly. Margaret turned aiming her gun for Ralph's heart the 22-year-old stood his ground his face showed no fear toward her. "Unless you want Chris to die I suggest you be silent and follow oderes like a good soldier," Margaret hissed. Ralph's eyes narrowed in dsiappointment. "The war ended a long time ago, I'm no longer a soldier, nor do I follow your orders EX-alliance major Cypher," He said pulling his gun out and shot Margaret in the shoulder.
The 44-year-old woman fell over her hand slammed against the control pannel reopening the communications to the mobile suit she fell to the ground clutching her shoulder in pain. None of the men said anything as they watched Ralph exit the mobile suit hanger passing Mariemaia. The 10-year-old met eyes with the older man before he slipped out her sight, she was wondering why he didn't give orders to the men to release her. Didn't he care about her well-being at all if she reminded him of his sister?
Before her mind could process everything that happened a enraged scream reached her eyes, she looked up at Margaret who was hunched over the control panel holding her bleeding shoulder. "Bring her over here now!!" She shreiked madly. Mariemaia was flung over the man shoulder he strode over to where his superior was and dropped Mariemaia onto the ground in front of her. Mariemaia tried to crawl away from the bleeding woman but Margaret's bloody hand shot out grabbing her by her hair. The young girl let out a cry of pain as she dragged up to her feet to meet the barrel of Margaret's gun, she flinched when it was pressed against her neck.
Margaret chuckled madly turning her head toward the control panel. "Prepare to watch her die boy!!!!" Margaret snapped. Mariemaia shut her eyes tightly, just as she was about to pull the trigger the mobile suit came to life pulling itself out of the wire's restraints the cockpit's platform shut snapping the wires attatched to Jin's body, its seemingly rusted joints moved fluidly causing everyone inside the hangar to tremble in fear.
Jin's mind overwhemeled by the system's control and realized why. He was inside the cockpit of WING ZERO.... the machine he believed to have hidden well enough in the mountain region of this area. His head lifted up completely as his grip tighened on the controls, Jin's mind was no his own. His eyes were rendered dull and lifeless as he lifted the arm where Zero's twin buster riffle and shield resided "Commence desctruction......," The ZERO system had taken full controll of his mind.
"Are you sure they're in this area? It looks pretty messed up," He asked as he drove his snowmobile through the deep snow. "I'm sure of it Howard, just follow the big footprints," Heero shouted over the roaring engine of the elderly man's vehicle. Howard looked over his glasses at what he though were holes made by someone digging but they were far too perfect to dug by anyone. They certainly were footprints of a mobile suit.
Ignoring the young man's comment the elderly man continued down the snowy slope until he reached a three trunk blocking the snowmobile's path. Howard turned to glance at Heero but the young man had gotten off the second he stopped the vehicle. He watched the Japanese teenager grab the folded stretching from out of the trunk of the snowmobile and make sure the strudy rope was still fasened around his belt ring.
Heero looked up at Howard. When he had went searching for help he managed to run across Howard whom had come to see what frozen water looked liked and theorized over if anyone could make up a component to freeze ocean water during the winter. Heero managed to keep his paitence intact before explaing what he could to Howard about the current situation. Thus explains why he was with Howard on a snowmobile, but Heero was curious to know why the elderly man was in the mountains instead of on a boat with the sweeper's group.
Brushing the thought off he climbed over the fallen tree. "I'll stay here," Howard yawned. Heero nodded and went the rest of the way back to the creator on foot, his face scrunched up of at the feeling of frozen wind blowing past him wondering if Wufei was still down in the hole with Hilde and Duo. Even if the Chinese preventer wasn't he would've found a way to get Duo and Hilde of the the hole with Horward's help if he even needed it still.
Heero stopped at the edge of the creator and stared down into the darkness, it was sheerly impossible to know if there way anything down there at first glance. "Wufei!" He yelled down into the hole. Below Wufei opened his eyes averting them up to peer at the tiny speck that was Heero. "Its about time you got back here," Bellowed Wufei as he stood up. "Get down here already!" Heero glared down at the darkness knowing Wufei wouldn't be unable to see it at all from his position, he stepped back from the edge of the hole and began to unfold the stretcher. After he had done that he laid the stretcher down onto the ground then looped the long rope through the handles giving it the appearance of swinging crib of some sort.
This had better work..., Heero thought to himself lowering the stretcher down into the hole praying that he had enough rope to go down that far. As he fed the rope more he suddenly felt a yank at it. He blinked of course wondering what that could've been but Wufei's voice silenced his curious mind. "That's enough rope! The stretcher's down here already! What you want me to do with it is my question, though," Came the shout from his Asian friend. "Get Duo onto it! I'll pull him up," Heero called back as loud as he could. There was a faint mumbling sound heard from Wufei that Heero could've mistaken for the loud whistling from the wind blowing around him. His bangs followed the direction of the wind obscuring his vision time to time but he ignored it lost in an ocean of his thoughts concerning Relena and Ryuusei.
The two were so much alike despite Ryuusei's child like innocence in spite of all that happened to her, both kind hearted and forgiving never judging anyone by first glance. He smiled at the thought of the little girl that was immediately replaced by an image of Relena with her protective arms around Jin. He frowned deeply. Where was that boy and Mariemaia anyway? Heero had no time to speculate on the whereabouts of Jin and his girlie friend the yank of the rope caught his attention once again stealing him away from his mind. "He's on, pull 'em up!" Wufei shouted. Heero began to pull up on the rope ignoring the immense weight that followed he grunted as he pulled against the weight that threatened to pull his arms out of his sockets.
He could feel his feet sliding through the snow so he placed them behind a sturdy appropriate sized stone and continued to pull until he saw someone's head peer over the hole with weary cobalt blue eyes. Heero smirked triumphantly and pulled Duo up over the side literally flipping him out of the stretcher onto his injured arm. Duo bit down onto his lip and stared up at Heero with angry eyes holding back a wave of profane words bubbling in his throat.
Heero ignored the look on his friends face kneeling down in front of him helping up sit up. "You've got lousy timing Heero," Duo grumbled grudgingly. "And you've got bad luck," Heero retorted slapping him on the shoulder. Duo winced. "Maybe so," The American sighed looking upward. He turned to meet Heero's hardened Prussian eyes, the look of a soldier had returned once more. "I suppose I don't have to tell you how Hilde and I ended up down there.....," Duo said blandly. Heero narrowing his eyes was the only response the American got from him and it was only one he wanted anyway. The thought of Epyon infuriated Heero no end, he was under the impression that the Gundam was destroyed when Zechs decieded to save him the trouble of destroying the rest of Libra's power system. Now it was back and it had attacked people he came to care for. Duo sought comfort from the pain in his body and wanted nothing to fall asleep but his injured body wouldn't allow that.
Their moment of silence was interrupted by Wufei ushering Hilde out of the creator grumbling, the German teenager flopped to the ground no energy left in her Wufei climbed out of the creator with little effort and rested himself on the ground with a sigh. Heero stood rose to his feet pulling Duo up along with him. "We've got no time to sit here and rest, there's work to be done," The Japanese teenager's demanding tone of voice let everyone know he was playing. "Duo, Hilde take Howard's snowmobile and get to a hospital. Duo, once your fixed up I need to get back to the cabin and grab our stuff."
Hilde opened her mouth to object to Heero's overconfidence in Duo's healing abilities but Wufei gave her look that told her otherwise but Hilde decided not to pay any heed to the Chinese preventer. "Don't you think Duo needs to rest? His arm is not the only thing that's hurt you know," Hilde pointed out bluntly. Heero turned to meet her blazing gaze with his cold Prussian blue eyes then he turned to Duo raising his eyebrows at him in question. Duo looked hesitant about telling them his physical condition knowing he could be treated like a fifth wheel if he did so but he saw no immediate harm in telling them.
"I kinda injured my lower torso a bit--- Damnit that hurts Heero!" Duo yelped when Heero punched him in the side. Heero watched as Duo recoiled from his touch fighting to stay up on his feet. The 17-year-old fell on his knees clutching his side while glaring up at his friend. "I'll have to agree with Hilde this time, I can't have you overdoing it if you injured that badly," Heero said. Duo scoffed climbing to his feet, Heero acted like his father sometimes and he hated him for that. Removing his hand from his hand from his side he attempted to cross his arms but remembered he had a broken arm, he cursed silently to himself.
"Your just proving my point, Duo," Heero said. "Shut up Heero. I'm not a fifth wheel you know," Duo snapped walking off only to be pulled back by Heero himself. Their eyes met setting off a rage inside of Duo, he balled his hand into a fist threatening to punch Heero if even tried to knock him out. "I don't treat you fifth wheel nor are you one, I don't need you getting killed because of your thick headed decisions. I'm doing this for your own good," Heero said barely unable to control his rising temper. "Its a wonder your still able to walk with that injured torso." Duo scoffed yanking his arm out Heero's grip, that was a low blow even for the stoic Japanese teenager Duo silently walked off leaving the three behind.
Hilde glanced in Heero's direction before running off after Duo. Another moment passed before Heero heard Wufei speaking to him. "That was uncalled for. This will only make him do something brash out of anger towards you," Wufei uttered. Heero shrugged picking the stretcher from off the ground folding it back up into his portable size then proceeded to wrap the rope back up in its original state. "That's not my main concern right now, right now we've got to get back to the cabin to get our stuff. I'm sure Relena and the others are there," The two young men proceeded to search for their snowboards. Heero tried his best not to dwell on Wufei's words no matter how true they might of been, it had been harsh for the sake Duo's well-being and nothing more.
[TBC]