Chapter 46

Rayan wearily opened his eyes, shifting uncomfortably as he tried to crack his neck. His movement prompted a small whimper, and he quickly stopped, remembering that he wasn't alone.

Giselle laying sleeping, head in his lap and arms wrapped awkwardly around his waist. Rayan looked at her tenderly, then bent down to kiss her forehead. Giselle shifted slightly, but remained asleep, her face still red from the tears she had cried before falling asleep.

Rayan sighed, leaning back against the wall of the cell they had been thrown in. Shortly after their capture, they'd been split up and taken back: Him with Giselle, Will with Riko, and Eva, Yuri, and Aelis separately. Giselle had sobbed all the way there, and had continued crying even after they had been locked up. Rayan had tried comforting her, but considering how he felt like bawling himself, he knew he hadn't been much help. But now that Giselle was asleep, he finally had time for his thoughts to wander.

"How…how did this happen?" he whispered tiredly to the bleak walls of his prison. Just a few hours ago, he'd been living a normal life; well, one that had been relatively normal considering how he had been the heir to one of the most wealthy organizations in the known world. Okay fine, so he had been fighting in a war on behalf of the government, so he'd been trained to use some of the most dangerous weapons ever invented, so he'd been a soldier…

"But I never was a soldier," he whispered brokenly, head slumping forward. "I…I never asked for this! How could I have known…?"

But you did, a voice sang in his head. You were asked, and you accepted. You weren't satisfied to be consigned to a desk signing papers for the rest of your life, were you? You thought this would be exciting, an opportunity to become a legend like your parents.

"But I was an idiot!" Rayan argued back desperately. "I didn't truly know what it meant to fight, what it meant to possibly…lose…everything…"

"Rayan?"

Rayan started as the war he'd been having with himself was abruptly ended. Giselle had finally opened her eyes, and Rayan could see that they were red and swollen. "Rayan…" she said again, tears welling up in her eyes again as she tightened her grip again, sobbing anew. Rayan could only pull her close as she cried in his lap. "Rayan…why? Why why why?!" she choked out. "It's…it's just not fair!"

"I know…" he said softly, thinking about his own dead parents and sister. "I never imagined this would happen," he said dully, stroking her hair.

Giselle looked up at him. "What will…what will happen to us now?" she whispered. Rayan tensed. "I have no idea," he said grimly. "Probably try to make us work for them or-"

"Never!" Giselle shrieked, sitting up and staring at him with crazed eyes. "No no no no no!" she screamed, shaking her head vigorously. "They…they murdered my parents! I'll NEVER-"

"Giselle, calm down!" Rayan said anxiously, pulling her close again. "We don't know what'll happen…we might end up being killed," he finished flatly.

"Better that!" her voice announced, muffled by his shirt. "I'll DIE before that happens!"

Rayan only nodded absently, stroking her hair and staring off into space. Before he could say anything, the door was opened and they were led out.

…………………

Will and Riko sat huddled together in a jail cell, Riko trembling in Will's arms. "Will…I'm scared," she said softly, leaning against his chest. Will nodded, tightening his hold. "I know…I'm scared too," he said.

"Do you think they'll kill us?"

Will shrugged helplessly. "I don't know Riko," he said helplessly. "Nicolae's a ruthless son of a bitch, and 'His Excellency,'" and Will paused to sneer at the name, "That tin can is worse. Not even human anymore."

"Tin…can?"

"The head of all this. Lost most of his limbs in an accident and became a cyborg. Brilliant, really, but one of the cruelest people I know. Worse than Nicolae, if that's even possible. Won't stop at anything to get what he wants."

Riko shuddered. "I don't want to die," she admitted. Will buried his face in her hair. "I know baby…I don't want to die either."

Riko suddenly looked up. Stroking Will's face, she murmured, "Will…I know this is sudden. I know…I know that we haven't really gotten to know each other. But in these circumstances, I just want to say…if we get out of this alive, I want to know you more. I think…I think I might be in love with you."

Will stared at her silently for a few minutes, then finally leaned down to kiss her gently. "Yeah…I know what you mean. I think I might be too," he whispered, just as the doors to their cell were opened. Soldiers came in and pulled them apart, leading them in two directions. "Will!" Riko cried desperately, not wanting to let go.

Will put on the bravest face possible. "I love you," he said again, looking at her in the eyes as he was led away. "Remember that always."

…………………

Yuri stared coldly at the figure in front of him, who was looking all too smug for his liking. He'd been brought back apart from the others, and locked up alone. A few hours later, however, he'd been let out and brought to TJ's office, where the cyborg had offered him a position again.

"No," Yuri said flatly, eyes flashing. "Kill me before you convince me to work with you again."

TJ laughed. "So foolish, Yuri," he said. "You're far too young to be treating your life so cheaply."

"Can't say I've done too much good with it," Yuri spat back, glaring. "You may as well just kill me now, because I promise you, I won't be changing my mind."

"Really…" TJ said mildly. Yuri narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "What do you have planned?" he demanded. TJ waved him off. "None of your business," he responded. Sighing dramatically, the cyborg turned away from him. "You've made your decision, young man. And you will live with the consequences," he finished, pressing a button and summoning soldiers. "Take him to the designated place," he commanded as Yuri was led away. As the door shut, he smiled coldly. "You're about to learn that you don't try to bargain with me," he said softly.

…………………

Aelis sat alone on the floor, staring blankly into space. She still couldn't quite comprehend what had just happened to her…Her parents, dead. Her brother and sister, also dead. Her entire family as she knew it, save Riko, was gone. And she…she was a prisoner of war. Burying her face in her knees, she thought back to her life before she became a pilot. She'd just finished college, graduated with a degree in English. She'd wanted to become a teacher or a writer. So many dreams she'd had…and now, gone. Even after she became a pilot, things weren't too bad. Granted, she'd been captured by the enemy once already, but then she'd been lucky and escaped. And she had been glad to be with everyone…her cousin Riko, and all the other pilots' children. She still remembered the pillow fights, the attempts at blackmailing the guys, training together with everyone…Even though she knew their parents had been comrades a long time ago, that was in the past, and it was rare that more than two families could ever meet up. The children of the Gundam pilots had been her friends, and now, even they were dead…

Aelis jumped as the door to her prison was opened. Standing in the doorway was Nicolae, who just looked at her. She glared at him fiercely. "You again," she snarled, clenching her fists.

Nicolae said nothing and only observed her for a few more moments, before declaring coldly, "You're pathetic."

Aelis' jaw dropped. "Excuse me?!" she whispered in disbelief, her temper rising. "HOW DARE YOU!" she screamed, flinging herself at him, then letting out a yelp as Nicolae shoved her away easily. She landed in a disorganized heap and sat there dazed.

Nicolae reached down and forced her chin up. "Your parents were my adversaries," he hissed. "Annoying, frustrating, and the bane of my existence, but I gave them enough credit to call them my equals-"

"They were more than your equal," Aelis cut in frostily, glaring at him and yanking herself free from his hold. Nicolae's eyes flashed angrily, but he did not argue. Straightening as soldiers walked in to grab her, he said simply, "But I think that we can both agree that you are far less than what they were," as he walked away.

………………

"Riko!"

Riko started, then ran towards Giselle, who had called her name. The two girls clutched each other tightly, sobbing with relief. "Thank God…you're okay," Giselle cried, shoulders shaking. Riko nodded, tears in her eyes and looking up to acknowledge Rayan. "Rayan…I'm so glad to see that you're well."

Rayan laughed harshly. "Well as can be," he said darkly, glaring at the soldiers that surrounded them. "Where are we anyway?" he demanded, waving his hand.

After being taken from their respective cells, the three of them had been led to the same place: a room overlooking a large auditorium. Will, Aelis, Yuri, and Eva, however, were nowhere to be seen.

Riko glanced up to observe their surroundings. Releasing herself from Giselle's hold but still linking arms with the other girl, they walked over together to a window. "Looks like…a stage?" Riko questioned, pressing her face against the glass. Below them, soldiers were filing in, though the stage remained empty save for two poles. Riko felt distinctly uneasy. "Something's going to happen," she whispered fearfully, then let out a shocked cry.

Both Rayan and Giselle turned towards her at the sound of her voice. Rayan ran over to where the two girls were, and Giselle peered down below. She let out a gasp.

Will and Aelis had appeared, shoved onto the stage by groups of soldiers. "Oh…no," Rayan whispered in horror as he watched each get tied to a pole. "This isn't good…"

…………………

Eva sat huddled on a bed, terrified out of her wits. She'd been separated from the others, thrown into a relatively nice bedroom, and completely left alone. After sobbing alone for the first few hours, she had finally calmed down enough to take into her surroundings. It was plain room, with bed, desk and chair, and a monitor built into the wall. Eva guessed it was a means of communication. Suddenly, the monitor flicked on. Eva shrank back, expecting a face, but instead it seemed to be a video. Curious, she finally climbed off the bed and went in for a closer look. "Aelis and Will…tied up on stage?" she whispered fearfully, hands at her mouth. "What's going on?"

…………………

Aelis' face remained stony as she was being tied to the pole. She quickly glanced over at Will, who had a similar expression on his face. After making sure they had been tied securely, the soldiers left the two alone on stage, leaving them to stare out at a sea of faces. She glanced over at Will again, who felt her stare and turned to look at her. "Hey there," he said wryly. "Fancy seeing you here."

Aelis could only manage a tight smile. Suddenly the crowd hushed as TJ and Nicolae appeared. "Bring him," Nicolae commanded, and suddenly Yuri appeared, led in by soldiers.

Yuri stared at shock at the sight of Aelis and Will, then turned angrily to the other two on stage. "What sick game are you playing?" he demanded.

In response, Nicolae handed him a pistol. "From this day forth, you will be the new leader of this organization," he announced coldly. Yuri stared dumbly. "WHAT?!" he shouted, jerking away.

TJ and Nicolae paid no attention to his outburst. Instead, they gestured to the two tied on stage, who were also staring in shock. "As the leader, it is your duty to dispatch traitors. Choose one," TJ announced.

"Oh…my God," Yuri whispered, realization dawning. He stared wildly at the pistol, then tried to raise it to shoot the cyborg. TJ held up a hand. "Be advised, there is only one bullet in that. You can use it on me, or on Nicolae, but there will still remain one to carry out our wishes. You could use it on yourself, but then I promise you, both those on stage, as well as the others we found, will be summarily shot. Make your decision Wayridge: The lives of yourself and your friends at the expense of one, or everyone…dead."

"You…monster," Yuri whispered, hand shaking. TJ only smiled cruelly. "If only you had been more cooperative…" he murmured. "But it's too late for that now. Make your choice!"

"I…I can't!" Yuri cried desperately. TJ narrowed his eyes. "Careful, Wayridge," he said in a deadly voice. "You are, after all, in front of all your subordinates. Can't come off as weak, now can you," he finished, laughing. "Choose, Wayridge! Save the girl, and she will become your loyal wife. Save your friend, and he will become your right hand man. But one of the two must die."

"No…no…I can't! I-"

"Yuri."

Yuri stared wildly at the source of the voice. Will was looking at him resolutely. "Yuri. Do it. Kill me."

"NO!" Aelis screamed, struggling. "Yuri! Don't you dare! Don't you dare shoot!"

"Yuri, listen to me! Save Aelis! Forget about me!"

"No! You can't! You can't!"

"Dammit Yuri! Pull the fucking god damn trigger! DO IT!"

"Yuri Wayridge, you pull that trigger and I swear I will never speak to you again! Never! I'll hate you forever! I'll HATE you!"

"Are you a fucking man or not you bastard?! Shoot me NOW!"

"YURI!"

Aelis' scream was cut off as Yuri finally raised his head. His shoulders were shaking as he clutched the gun helplessly, the cries of his best friend and lover echoing in his head. Tears streamed down his face as he straightened, aimed, and pulled the trigger.

A single gunshot echoed throughout the auditorium. Aelis let out a scream as Will's body slumped forward limply, eyes staring. Upstairs, Giselle and Rayan were shocked out of their stupor as Riko's body suddenly pitched forward, tears leaking from her eyes as she fainted.

…………………

Aelis was strangely silent as Will's body was taken from the stage and she was untied. "Your savior, milady," Nicolae said sarcastically, waving at Yuri, who was staring ahead blankly. The gun fell from his limp hand and he fell to his knees as Will's body was carried past him. Aelis looked at him impassively, her face devoid of all emotion.

Upstairs, Giselle was shuddering in Rayan's arms, still traumatized by the horror they'd just witnessed. Riko had been carried off after she'd fainted. A soldier gestured at them. "You are free to go see your friends downstairs," he announced before leaving. Rayan glanced downward at the scene below them, then looked at Giselle. "Giselle…"

Giselle finally nodded, and the two of them headed down the stairs. Suddenly, they heard a voice calling their names.

"Giselle! Rayan!"

The two looked towards the direction of the voice. Eva was running towards them, tears streaming down her face. "Giselle!" the younger girl sobbed, throwing herself in
Giselle's arms. Giselle hugged her tightly. "Eva…I'm so happy to see you alive," she said brokenly.

Eva sniffed. "I…I saw it all on video," she cried, looking up with tearstained eyes. "How…how could they?! How could they be so cruel! It…it was just wrong!"

Giselle nodded. "I know sweetie," she said quietly, trying to fight back her own tears. After the initial shock of watching Yuri execute his best friend had worn off, the realization that she had just lost the brother she'd just found was starting to set in. She clutched Eva tighter in an effort to control her own shaking shoulders. Before, she'd held onto some hope…after all, both Rayan and Will had been alive. But now one was dead, and she terrified that she'd lose Rayan too.

Rayan watched the two girls awkwardly, then looked up uneasily at the stage. Yuri had finally picked himself up, and after some obvious internal struggling, made his way over to Aelis, who only looked at him blankly.

Yuri tried touching her arm. She swatted him away. "Don't touch me," she said emotionlessly.

Yuri stared at her, a mixture of helplessly, pain, and anger evident on his face. "'Don't touch me?'" he repeated, his temper rising. "Aelis, I just killed my best friend for your sake!" he shouted.

"Did I ask you to?"

Both Yuri and Rayan's jaws dropped. "Wh…what?" Yuri said disbelievingly. "What did you say?!" he snarled, grabbing her arm.

"I said don't touch me!" Aelis screamed, yanking her arm free. "Don't touch me, don't look at me, don't have anything to do with me, Yuri Wayridge!" she spat. "I told you! I hate you! I despise you! I'd be happier seeing you dead!"

"Aelis Merquise, whether you like it or not, we are stuck in this together! And considering how I just had the option of ending your miserable little life, I'd expect at least a little more gratitude from you!"

"Expect NOTHING from me. And let's get something straight: There is no 'we,' Mr. Wayridge," Aelis said coldly. Raising a finger to point at TJ and Nicolae, who were a little ways off giving instructions to soldiers, she hissed, "Those two may have said that I'll become your little wife. And maybe I can't stop them. But as far as I'm concerned, this is all your fault. All of your damn, fucking, fault! Your stupid little revenge scheme at the expense of me and my family-"

Aelis let out a shriek as Yuri slapped her. She raised a trembling hand to her face as Yuri stared at her with murderous eyes. "Don't…you…DARE place the blame on me," he said in a shaking voice. Grabbing her by the shoulders, he shook her and shouted, "It's your parents who ruined my family! Do you have any idea what I've even lived through?! Do you?! ANSWER ME!" he demanded, shaking her harder.

"Yuri, stop it!" Rayan shouted, jumping on stage and pulling him away. Down below, both girls had turned to watch the fight with frightened eyes. Yuri struggled angrily against the younger boy, who was desperately trying to keep him away from Aelis. "Listen Winner, if you know what's good for you, you'll let go," Yuri snarled. "I am five times the soldier you are, and you know it!"

"This isn't about that Yuri!" Rayan cried, not releasing his hold even though he knew he was no match for the other boy. "We...we've all lost so much already. And now all we're doing is pointing fingers at the wrong people!"

"That's enough. Separate them," Nicolae announced, walking back towards them. "Take His Excellency, as well as the girl, and get them ready. You can keep the other three together," he ordered.

As Yuri and Aelis were led away, Rayan looked tiredly at Nicolae. "Well I hope you're happy," he said flatly. "Good for you, you rule the world now. And what are you going to do now?"

"What am I going to do? This is what I'm going to do. The two lovebirds," and Nicolae waved a hand the direction the other two had been led off in, "will become the new leaders of the new ESUN. Under the command of two members from the Peacecraft line, we will take humanity to completely new levels-"

"Figureheads," Giselle whispered dully, cutting in. "You're making another Queen Relena," she accused Nicolae, glaring up at him.

Nicolae smiled. "Oh no, Miss Barton. Not just another Queen Relena. Why, with the heirs of the Winner Corporation and the Sank kingdom by their sides, they will form an empire."

"No."

Nicolae raised an eyebrow and turned towards Rayan, who was glaring at him with a mixture of hatred, repulsion, and anger. "No. I won't become your puppet. The others won't either."

"Are you so sure, Mr. Winner? Your friend Yuri said those exact same words. And look at what has happened now. Oh no, don't tell me. You're going to say you'll die first. You're going to say that you'd rather throw away your life than be used. But tell me," and suddenly soldiers appeared. Giselle let out a scream as she was grabbed and a gun pressed against her forehead. "Tell me," Nicolae continued triumphantly, "what will you do when the lives of those you love are at stake?"

"Don't do it Rayan! Please!" Giselle pleaded. Off to the side, Eva beat futilely at the soldiers with her fists. "Let her go! Let her go!" she begged.

Rayan was shaking. Tears finally started pouring down his cheeks as he turned back to Nicolae. "And what will you do with her…if I say yes?" he choked out.

Nicolae smiled. "Nothing you need to worry about. But I can at least say she will be alive, which is more than others can say," he sneered.

"Rayan! NO!" Giselle screamed.

Rayan looked helplessly at her. "Giselle…I'm sorry," he said brokenly. "I…I don't want anyone else to die. Please…" he whispered as she slumped over, defeated. "Forgive me…"

Nicolae nodded. "Good. I'm pleased to say that you have made a wise choice, Mr. Winner." Gesturing to some soldiers, he said, "Take the girl away, and then please show Mr. Winner his new quarters. And treat him with the respect he deserves. He is, after all, the new head of the Winner Corporation," he finished with a smug smile.

"You're sick," Rayan whispered as he was shown away. He stopped suddenly. "What about her?" he demanded, gesturing towards Eva, who was staring up at him with frightened eyes.

Nicolae looked over at her carefully. "Take her to see Miss Yuy," he finally said. Eva looked up wildly. "Riko! Where is she?! What happened to her?" she cried shrilly.

"Miss Yuy had an unfortunate episode where she passed out. She'll be fine, girl," Nicolae said coldly. "Take her to the infirmary."

…………………

Riko opened her eyes wearily. "Ugh…" she groaned, sitting up. "Where…am I?" she asked to no one in particular.

Suddenly the memories came rushing back to her. She and her friends, captured. Her parents and the rest of her friends, killed. Will, killed. Tears started flowing from her eyes as she began to sob. "Will…" she cried, digging her fists into her eyes.

"Awake, are we?"

Riko looked up. "You monster," she whispered, staring at TJ, who had appeared in the doorway. "You heartless monster. Why?" she demanded angrily.

"Why? There are many reasons, Miss Yuy. Some is for revenge. Some is for power. And some…some is because I couldn't stand seeing what you and your parents were doing to humanity."

"Us? This is OUR fault?!" Riko cried in anguish. "How was ANY of this our fault?!" she demanded.

"Never mind that for now. Don't worry, you'll have the chance to make it up. I've been told that your friends Yuri, Aelis, and Rayan have already agreed. The four of you will become the new leaders of the Earth Sphere Unified Alliance-"

"You want to use us?" Riko whispered, shocked. "No! I'll never do it!"

"So said the other three. Remember, you are in no position to argue," TJ said flatly. Turning around, he said, "Rest up. You have much work to do," he finished, leaving her.

Riko stared as the door shut. "No…no," she cried desperately, head in her hands, wishing she could tear her hair out. Her hand suddenly brushed the scarf in her hair. Will's scarf, she realized, pain stabbing her anew. She took out and held in close to her heart, shoulders shaking. Suddenly, she stopped. She stared at the scarf for a moment, an idea forming with her head. Bringing the scarf up to her lips, she kissed it gently. Then with trembling hands, she began to tie a knot.

…………………

Eva whimpered as she was led down a mess of hallways. Everything had happened so fast that she had no idea of what to do except blindly go where she was taken. Finally, she and her escort arrived at the infirmary. "Here to see the prisoner," the escort announced.

The doctor on duty nodded. "I'll take her," he said. The two saluted each other, and Eva found herself pushed towards a door. "In there. You have ten minutes."

Eva nodded mutely, standing outside the door uncertainly. What could she say? She could guess why Riko had fainted. Should she try to comfort her? But she herself was in no position to comfort anyone. She wrung her hands for a few more minutes, finally gathered her courage, and hesitantly opened the door.

She screamed.

Doctors and soldier rushed into the room, pushing her aside. Riko was dangling from a light fixture, the scarf wrapped around her neck. Her eyes were already glazed over, and her tongue was protruding from her mouth. Eva held and stomach and tried not to vomit. "Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God," she whimpered as doctors and soldiers shouted at each other, someone taking Riko's body down and rushing her away. "Oh my God…Riko! Why?" Eva sobbed, hunched over. "WHY?!" she screamed as someone finally took note of her and took her away.

…………………

Riko opened her eyes, confused. Why was she still alive? She could remember well what had happened: She'd tied a knot in Will's scarf, thrown it over a light fixture, put her head through the loop, and simply stepped off the bed. She could even remember the pain in her neck, the way her body twitched as black dots began to cloud her vision, and she could remember thinking that it was finally ending, that everything was over.

But now she found herself in another bed, very much alive, and with a bruised neck. She hadn't done it fast enough, she realized dully. Someone must've found her and revived her.

The door opened, and Riko suddenly realized she wasn't in a hospital bed. Rather, she was in a rather richly decorated bedroom. Nicolae marched in, dragging a whimpering Eva with him. In his other hand he held Will's scarf, the same scarf she'd tried killing herself with. She stared at the two coldly.

Nicolae stopped in front of her, still keeping a firm grip on Eva's arm. "Well, Miss Yuy," he sneered. "That was rather rude of you. Had you been successful, it would've definitely put a bit of a damper on our plans."

Riko only stared at him in silence.

Nicolae snorted. Looking distastefully at the scarf in his hand, he flung it across the room where it landed in the fireplace. Riko said nothing as the scarf was slowly burnt. Her heart was already dead, anyway. She still maintained her silence as Nicolae yanked her out of bed and dragged her across the room to a desk, where there was a sheet of paper and a pen. "A contract similar to the one your friend Rayan signed. Sign it," he spat.

Riko laughed derisively. "I'll kill myself again before I sign away my life to you," she sneered. She already knew what the contract would say.

"Go ahead."

Riko stopped laughing. "What?"

In response, Nicolae pulled out a long knife and placed in on the desk. "Go ahead. Use this. Quicker than hanging yourself anyway. But," and he pulled out another knife and pressed it against Eva's throat. Eva let out a frightened cry as she felt the knife draw blood. "It'll be both your lives."

Riko stared. "You wouldn't. You wouldn't kill a helpless child. And didn't you find her useful?!"

"Not useful enough. Just watch me," and he pressed the knife harder. Eva began to cry. "Riko!" she begged.

Riko stared at them with wild eyes, and then stared back to the desk. She could feel her heart breaking. The knife or the pen, which one? Finally, she made her choice.

She grabbed the knife.

Eva screamed.

There was silence in the room as Riko took the knife and started hacking off her hair. Tears flowed freely down her face as she viciously sliced off her long hair, leaving it short and cropped unevenly. The other two observed her quietly, Eva with sad eyes and Nicolae dispassionately. When she was finally done, she flung down the knife, picked up the pen, and viciously signed her name. She slammed the pen down, breathing heavily, then looked up with blazing eyes. "Go to hell," she whispered, pushing Nicolae away from Eva and wrapping the younger girl in a tight embrace. "Riko…I'm sorry," said Eva in a muffled voice.

"Don't be sorry Eva. Don't be sorry at all," Riko whispered, hugging Eva. She pulled away and looked at her sadly. "We're in this together, okay? We'll be…just fine…" she choked out as she straightened and Eva was taken away. "Just…fine."