I do not own Gundam Wing or any of its characters (no matter how much I wish I did). However, I do take claim over Andrew, Frank, Jim, Stella and any other characters that will appear in this story. But if you would like to use them, just ask me ok? I'll be glad to lend them. Now on with the story.
Chapter 1: Midnight Departure
It was a dark and cloudy night. Fog seeped heavily through the air, making it almost impossible for a person to see past their own noses. It was unusually dark, the moon being currently hidden by the dense clouds.
Silence spread heavily throughout the entire Peacecraft palace. Not even a mouse could be heard. But, despite the deafening silence that existed in the humongous building, there was undeniable movement within it.
A chilly breeze blew in through a window that belonged to one of the building's biggest rooms. Cold air spread throughout the room, and its current resident welcomed it, grateful for the awareness it provoked.
A slender, curvy human silhouette moved about the room, picking objects here and there, choosing them as last-minute resources. Small feet were cushioned by the plush carpet, which did a wonderful job at disguising the person's footsteps.
A sudden rush of air entered through the window, producing a chilling sound when it hit the curtains. Sky-blue eyes darted towards the window, and the person considered closing it, but then thought better of it, knowing it would only be a loss of time. The room's midnight resident was a woman, but a young woman at that. Youth was evident in every single aspect of her, except for her mind. She was at the top of physical development, her body possessing all the characteristic aspects of a woman. Her face was a most beautiful and unique one. Eyes the color of the sky were framed by thick, inky lashes and full, rose-colored lips decorated her mouth. But those eyes held a deep sadness in them, and those lips no longer shined with real smiles.
She moved quickly, knowing time could not be wasted. Securing a last few objects inside of her black backpack, she took a step back, looking about the room for anything important that she could've missed. Confirming that she had everything she needed in the bag, she took a deep breath, blue eyes darting towards a nearby desk, where a knife's blade glimmered with the little light that was able to enter the room. She approached it with cautious steps, and with a slightly trembling hand picked up the pointy knife, careful not to cut herself with it just yet. Determination ablaze in her eyes, she made her way towards the adjoining bathroom, self-conscious about making a mess on the room's carpeted floor.
She made no sound as she entered her bathroom, stepping right in front of the big mirror. Cerulean eyes looked back at her, a cool expression on them. She was dressed in a form-fitting plain black shirt and light blue jeans; nothing else would do. Her waist-long sandy-blond hair fell all around her, tumbling over her shoulders in silky waves. She looked at the big knife resting in her right hand, and once more convinced herself that it was the right thing to do. She lifted the heavy blade to her face, noticing how her sapphire eyes would reflect on the blade's smooth, silver surface; she was entranced with it.
She shook herself out of her reverie; time was running out, there was not a minute to waist. Her gaze wandered towards the mirror once again, and she took a good, long look at herself, knowing that it may very well be the last time that her reflection would look back at her like that—no, she corrected herself. It would be the last time, because she wasn't coming back. Never again.
She broke the gaze she had held with her reflection when tears threatened to fall, and took a big intake of air. She had to be brave. She had already made her decision. Everything was set for her departure, all she had to do was…Don't think about it, just do it, her mind was telling her.
Composing her sudden emotional breakdown, she straightened herself to her fullest, returning to the imposing aura that she had always held. This was it, this was her decision. There was no turning back now.
With a cautious hand she moved the knife, finally coming to rest it at the base of her neck. The metal blade felt cool against her nape's sensitive skin, and she shivered at the feeling, but a smirk appeared on her lips at her cynical thoughts. She closed her eyes after taking a last look at her image, calculating the distance between the knife and its target and at what length she would cut. She picked up her hair and grabbed it all within a single hand; it would be easier to work that way. Then, with a strong hand, she took a swipe.
A couple of seconds passed after the blow, and all that could be heard was her rasped breathing.
Trembling blue eyes darted towards the bathroom's floor, observing the mess she had made on it. She itched to look at the mirror, wanting to know if her deed had been done correctly, even though she could feel that it HAD worked. She felt somewhat lighter; especially her head.
With a shaking hand she touched her neck, feeling how air seeped around spaces that she had never been aware of before. She took back her hand and then looked at it; it was red. There was blood smeared on her fingers. It didn't seem to bother her though. It made her feel all the more cynical.
Gathering all the courage she could muster Relena elevated her gaze; sapphire eyes finally falling on the beautiful young girl that stood before her. And she smiled; she truly smiled for the very first time in 5 months. Excitement pumping through her veins, she looked down once more, happily looking at the golden locks spread throughout the bathroom floor. They shimmered in the room's light, and for once she noticed that she had really beautiful hair. Or at least what had been left of it.
The red liquid on her finger was still not forgotten though. She hadn't really meant to hurt herself; guess she had swiped harder than what it was needed.
Her reflection seemed to crave attention and Relena couldn't resist looking once more at herself. She looked, least to say, very pretty. Her long, golden hair now barely reached her chin and, frankly, she loved it. It had been chopped into uneven strands, causing it to frame her face in a beautiful way; some strands were longer than the others, and it only served to give her a more stylish look. Not even a professional would have achieved that particular look. For one of the first times in her life Relena truly felt beautiful. She realized she usually never gave herself enough credit, and made a vow to think more highly of her looks from now on. After all, she guessed she wasn't the Earth Sphere's most eligible bachelorette for nothing. But…there was still something that wasn't right. She looked critically at herself, wondering just what it could be.
A beautiful white smile graced her features when it finally hit her. Mischief shining in her blue orbs, she reassured the knife in her hand and, this time with the help of the mirror, took random swipes at the hair locks resting on her forehead. The result was only as good as the rest of her makeover. She looked stylish and trendish; probably for the first time in her life, she realized with a grunt.
The excitement at her new looks settled in, and the urgency of the situation came back full force, reminding her that she couldn't afford to lose any more time on nonsense. Well…maybe one more nonsense, she thought, a smirk growing on her face as her gaze settled on her blood-covered fingers. She approached the mirror, and using her able fingers as a pen she used simple and long strokes to create her masterpiece. Or a goodbye message at the very least.
She took a step back to admire her work, cautious not to step on the hair spread throughout the tiled floor. It was written in a big, cryptic, bloody letter. Farewell…It was simple and short, yet it held all the meaning that Relena was intending to send…well and she had run out of blood too. And she wasn't about to pinch herself again just to paint a longer message on the mirror.
She exited her bathroom and quickly picked her backpack. Everything was set now. But now came the tricky part. Getting out without being noticed. It was a challenge in its own, without adding the pressure of having Heero Yuy as her security chief. Oh, but she loved challenges, and she happened to be prepared for this one.
She knew for a fact that at that moment, Heero Yuy was busily working on a VERY long report on his laptop. That would give her an advantage, for he would be less alert, enough to give Relena the chance she needed. How did she know about the report? Well, let's just say that a few weeks ago a certain Vice Foreign Minister had asked the Preventer Commander, Lady Une, for a detailed report about her security measures. Who better to make the 15-pages report than her own security chief? Relena smirked at her own cleverness. She would teach them not to underestimate her.
Chilly, damp air hit her as soon as she stepped out into her balcony. She cautiously approached the edge, all her senses perked to their maximum. Her balcony wasn't too high, and so the fall wasn't mortal…if you landed swiftly. But first, she needed to tamp with security a little. Relena arched herself as much as she could, her body hovering over the edge. She smiled when she found what she had been looking for. There was a security camera hanging from the balcony's railing, it was sensitive to movement, and it would cause Relena trouble if she didn't do anything about it. Relena reached into her pocket, taking out a pair of tweezers, and started cautiously tampering with the camera's cables, careful not to make much noise as she did so.After toying a bit with the camera she straightened herself, satisfied with her work. Normally, the camera was programmed to tour around in a continuous semicircle, keeping watch over the grounds surrounding the princess' domain. What Relena did was reprogram the camera's tour. The moment she pressed the 'start' button the camera would stay in hiatus for a mere ten seconds, giving her enough time to jump off the balcony and then hide off the camera's view. It was all she could do; she couldn't reprogram the camera for more time because then it would be surely noticed.
She breathed deeply; her muscles were tense, ready to sprint into action. She pressed the button, and then everything seemed to go into slow motion, the seconds ticking by in a painfully slow timer. 1, she stepped over the railing. 2, she passed her feet over the railing. 3, she let her body slide down the edge, hanging onto the railing with both hands. 4, she looked down, her feet anticipating the fall. 5, she let her body slide down even more, trying to tone down the fall as much as possible. 6, she let go off the railing and fell, air hissing in her ears. 7, she landed roughly on the garden grounds, her white Keds sneakers managing to cushion down the hit. 8, she immediately ran for cover, hiding herself under her own balcony and off the camera's view.
Relena sighed in relief, congratulating herself for finishing that part of the mission with 2 seconds to spare. Her feet stung a little after the long fall, but it was nothing she couldn't handle, and she gave a silent thanks to the skies that she had done that without gaining any injury.
A switching sound made her look up, and she realized that the camera had started on its tour once more. She would have to be very careful. Fortunately, Relena was very familiar with the palace's security and thus had planned her movements beforehand.
Miraculously avoiding being caught by the security cameras placed all over the grounds, Relena managed to make her way over to the palace's enormous maze, humming the 'Mission Impossible' tune in her head all the way. Like a good girl, Relena had done her homework, and thus had learned that it would be easier to make a successful escape if she took the mazes.
She was about to enter the maze's entrance when a sudden noise disrupted the silence she had been standing in. Fear took her heart in a tight grip as the thought of being discovered inevitably appeared. Her feet seemed to root themselves to the ground as she stood there in front of the maze's entrance, waiting for this dream to stop before it had even started.
The noises became louder with each passing second, and her keen ears picked up several running footsteps. It was a big group. That made her blink in confusion. Had she really awoken the whole mansion?
Suddenly, out of the darkness appeared about 6 big creatures, moving terribly fast on all four legs and being unusually silent.
Relena gave a huge sigh of relief when the creatures finally reached her standing spot. At her feet stood 2 Dobermans, 2 German Shepherds, 1 Golden Retriever and 1 Rottweiler, 6 very capable, deathly guard dogs…all craving for her attention. Relena smiled and kneeled at the dogs' eye level, showered with wet kisses the moment she did so.
The dogs, the only ones within the castle that had always truly cared for her. Trained to mortally attack anyone who attempted to trespass the palace grounds by none other than Heero Yuy, this dogs were deathly and heartless. Except when Relena Peacecraft was present, of course.
It was no mystery that the deathly palace guard dogs were crazy for the young princess. It was a relief for Relena, and a constant source of shame for Heero to know that not even his harsh and strict training had stopped the pups from falling for the 18 year-old girl's naturally charming presence.
Relena stood up in an attempt to cease the dogs' eager greeting. The 6 dogs all calmed and sat down, patiently waiting for their beloved owner's orders. The beautiful smile that had been gracing Relena's face suddenly disappeared as she realized that she was never going to see her loyal pets again. Her joyful, free mood changed in a matter of seconds, transforming into one of sadness and melancholy.
She looked steadily at each one of them, trying to memorize their looks to the point of perfection; her eyes finally settling on the German Shepherd called Heero, whom had been named after the pilot of Gundam 01 for his deep brown fur, unbeatable warrior attitude and particular interest in Relena (though the last reason she wasn't aware of).
Heero was Relena's definite favorite. He was the most dedicated to her, always keeping watch on her and staying by her side whenever she was outside on the gardens and always behaving the most lovable with her.
She kneeled once again, gathering the canines around her and doing her best to hug them all at once. "Be good in my absence okay?" she whispered, feeling a little stupid talking to the dogs, but she was very emotional at that moment, and besides, there was no one else to hear her. "Be good dogs, don't fight between you, and if Heero Yuy bothers you…"she paused and smirked, looking at each one of the dogs in the eye, "bite his butt".
Her smirk grew when 4 of the dogs gave a soft growl in response.
She stood up once again and gave each of the dogs a last scratch on the head. A single tear fell, instantly swallowed by the lush grass underneath, and then she was all posture and authority again, her old resolve returning.
"Now go" she commanded, authority in her voice. They did not hesitate to follow her orders, and in a few seconds they had disappeared into the night. Apart from Heero Yuy, the only other person that the dogs followed without hesitation and with so much commitment was Relena. It proved that love and kindness could be as influential as strictness and discipline.
The dogs did no noise as the night's darkness engulfed them.
The princess wasted no more time and entered the maze. It was high and full of twisting lefts and rights, dead-ends and on-going footpaths. It was no surprise why few people dared to enter the partially abandoned maze; you could easily get lost in it. Not Relena though.
Actually, there was no one who was more familiar with the maze than the golden-haired princess. Due to its complex structure, few dared to venture into the maze, making it the only place where Relena could spend a little time of her day without being disturbed.
She made her way through the maze, knowing every single turn and twist by memory, until she reached the dead-end she had been looking for. Behind its lush, green borders was the north side of the huge stone wall that protected the palace grounds. A good deal of the north wall was covered by the maze's borders, and thus received little care.
Relena carefully made her way through the green border, and after battling a little with the endless leaves and branches, she made it to the other side of the maze, literally trapped in a little space between the maze and the stone wall. The years and the elements had weakened this particular spot, making it the perfect place for Relena to make her little escape.
Security cameras had still not been installed in this part of the wall, making it all the more easier for Relena to escape. She readjusted the backpack on her shoulders and started to climb the high wall, placing her feet on random stone pieces that had peeked out of the wall line.
Every second counted, every movement counted; at the minimum noise she could be discovered, and then all her effort would have been in vain, not to mention that her 'guardians' would…well, they would certainly make the rest of her life a living hell...or at least worse than what it already was.
She climbed the wall with agility and ease, having prepared herself for this night. Relena gulped as she reached the top, she would have to stand for a mere second on the wall's top. That would be her most vulnerable moment; anyone looking towards that direction would be able to see her, that's why she had to do it fast. Very fast.
She counted to 5 under her breath, assuring herself that everything would go out fine. Once she reached the other side of the wall she would have to run like hell. Just to be sure.
Relena hauled herself up, stood on the wall for half a second, and before she knew it, she was at the other side of the wall. She was free.
She didn't waste a second though; she sprinted and was soon running at top speed towards the rendezvous point, her backpack secure at her back, she would have time to enjoy her freedom later.
Her head once again hummed with the 'Mission Impossible' tune as she ran, and she had to stifle a giggle. She felt like a secret spy, having just got out of the enemy facility she had had to infiltrate. Amazing, she had been free for just a few seconds and her normally depressing mood had already disappeared.
She ran for about 3 minutes, enjoying the wonderful feel of the chilly air hitting her face and thanking her luck for this being such a dark and foggy night, the streets were literally deserted thanks to that.
The mist was so dense that she could practically grab it in her hands, and she could not see much farther than her own nose. She would have lost herself had she not known the way by memory.
After 4 minutes of non-stop running Relena started to slow down. According to the velocity she had been running at and the time she had ran in total, she should be close to the rendezvous point. The fog prevented her from seeing anything though.
Feeling a little desperate about the situation, Relena weighed her chances, carefully thinking about the pros and cons. It took only a few seconds for her to make a decision.
Two fingers went into her mouth and with force and experience she whistled, the sound echoing throughout the whole area, which, she knew, was the neighborhood's park.
The silence that followed was deafening, and Relena felt worried and apprehensive, thinking that she had just given out her position and presence to anyone who could want to know. Great, she was starting to think like Heero. Thank god she wouldn't be seeing him anymore.
Suddenly, a whistle similar to the one she had made broke through the night's silence. It sounded to Relena's left and it was closer than what she would have expected. But, it was all the assurance she needed.
Quickly, she made her way to where the whistle had sounded from, and it wasn't long before she was able to distinguish a big, dark figure among the mist. Relena approached it, realizing as she did so that the figure was actually a truck. Relena smiled in triumph.
As she further approached it she noticed a human figure standing near the right side of the truck. Without hesitation Relena sprinted towards the figure in excitement, "Frankie!" she called, loud enough for the person to hear her.
The person, who due to his size and shape could undoubtedly be described as a man, turned sharply when he heard his name being called, and he opened his arms just in time to catch the petite princess in a bearly hug.
"Hey, Lena, we were getting worried about you" the man's gruff but gentle voice calmed her ears, and his strong arms encircled in a way that could only be described as protective and friendly.
Relena lifted her head to look at her old friend, a dashing smile on her face as she did so. It had been such a long time since she had seen him, and it warmed her heart to see that he was fine and healthy, and yet, his characteristic caring personality didn't seem to have disappeared.
Frankie was very tall, and a little wide too. He had light brownish hair, glinting green eyes and a contagious smile. He looked at her too, probably wanting to see just how much she had changed.
"Wow, Lena…wha—did you cut your hair or something?" he said, a teasing smile on his face, "you look gorgeous girl"
Relena couldn't help but chuckle, but she was pleased with his reaction nonetheless.
"As a matter of fact, yes, I did cut my hair a little" Relena said, going along with his game.
Frankie gave a low, hearty laugh, "No, but seriously, Lena, you look good. Really good. I didn't know you where one to go to salons"
"Um…actually, I cut it in my bathroom with a knife" Relena confessed, a little embarrassed at her impulsive actions.
Frankie's mouth looked like that one of a goldfish, opening and closing continuously. But he quickly composed himself, "Really? Wow, cool. Um…maybe you could cut my hair one day huh?"
Relena chuckled again, nodding her head in an affirmative.
"Ugh, are you two gonna stay there all night talking about clothes and hair? They'll catch us, torture us, and then they'll make us go to the electric chair if you two don't hurry up" the voice sounded exasperated and annoyed from inside of the truck.
Relena's sapphire eyes grew wide when she recognized the voice, and another smile made its way unto her lips. "Jim?" she asked as she climbed into the truck, Frankie opening the door for her as a good gentleman.
"The one and only" said the person sitting behind the wheel, his elbows resting over it in a position that expressed boredom.
An excited squeal was the only warning he had before a soft body was tackled against him. "Oh, Jim it's been so long! I didn't know you were coming!"
Jim awkwardly hugged her in return, he had never been one to express much emotion, but he was glad to see his old friend once again. "Well, I wasn't going to let you two have all the fun…You look nice by the way"
Relena smiled in return, feeling all the more beautiful at the compliments she had received from her friends.
"Speaking of fun, we should be leaving. They could be searching for Lena at this moment for all we know. We better not take any chances" Frankie said, closing his door as quietly as possible after he had sited himself at Relena's right.
"Do you have everything you need?" Frankie asked, looking at Relena with serious eyes.
She nodded, unbuckling her travel backpack from her shoulders and settling it in her lap. She looked at her left, peeking at Jim, who was gazing untrustingly at the foggy surroundings. Jim was slender and languid, and tall at the same time. A dark brown mane covered his head, and two deep brown eyes and a peculiar chin occupied his long face. He had always been the more serious and 'intellectual' of the group, besides her, and it surprised her and warmed her heart to know that he was so willing to help her cause.
"Relena" Frankie started, seriousness was evident in his voice, and he knew he had all of her attention, "do you really want to do this?"
Relena's heart seemed to stop as she thought about his question. What she was about to do implied a lot of sacrifices and risks. What if things didn't go as she had planned? What if her escape was an unfixable mistake? And what if…what if her friends betrayed her?
Her heart on her throat, Relena glanced at both sides of her, and she smiled. Frank Orlean and Jim Lamb, she had known them since she had been a little girl. Frank, Jim, Stella, Sandra, Jason, Leon, Carrie…she had met them all via her cousin Andrew when she had been adopted by the Darlians, and they had been inseparable ever since. Her foster parents had never approved of her new lively friends, but they couldn't keep her from visiting her cousin, and thus she had spent all her childhood summers on her cousin's mansion, where the whole group would join and play together in endless nights full of games and companionship sessions.
This were her lifelong friends, they had always been there for her; even when the wars had hit and her true identity had been revealed she had received tons of letters and messages, showing her that her friends still supported her and would be there for her no matter what.
They would not betray her. She knew that because she trusted them; she trusted them, not only with her life, but also with her heart.
"Yes" Relena said with a solemn voice, "yes, I want to do this"
Both Jim and Frankie smirked at her reply. "Well, what are we waiting for?" Frankie asked, buckling his seatbelt as a silent promise was made. Jim and Relena did likewise with their seatbelts, sealing the pact.
Jim started the truck with a gentle rumbling; the truck's lights were off, in an attempt to pass as unnoticed as possible. They made their way through the mist, slowly at first, for it was dangerous to drive in such weather. Relena didn't look back, not once.
AN: Okaayy...that was chapter 1! I really hoped you liked it, and I did it as long as possible. I'll just warn you that I won't be able to post chapter 2 until after the 8th of january, because I'll be going on a vacation trip. But as soon as I'm back I'll update ok? Thanks for you comprehension and I'm really sorry for the wait, but I'm afraid there's nothing I can do. Oh well, I hope this chapter pleases you until then, and be sure to make me know if you have any questions, suggestions or just any randomcomment about this.
Lady Lydia: "But wouldn't Heero have tapped her lines or something as a security precaution?" That's why the cellphone was kept in a "secret compartment". No one was supposed to know about that particular phone, not even Heero. Don't worry, it will be explained in a further chapter.
Pureevil230: You're talking with a hopeless 1xR fanatic. So youdon't have to worry much about that, however, it will have to do with the plot, just like Zechs' attitude.