Sorry for the wait! I've had a crazy few months! I'm working on finishing Blackout next, so please review and I'll try to start updating regularly.
Part 10
Ami had, about forty five minutes later, found the strength to stand. After their conversation, Heero had leaned his head against the wall and feigned sleep, just resting his eyes while her breathing began returning to normal.
He watched her now as she stood, hands gripping the table to test her strength, before standing without it. She headed towards the doors leading to the living room, more unsteady than she noticed he was sure but he kept silent and simply stayed close.
Everyone glanced up when she entered the room, Heero at her heels. Ami expected Duo to make a joke about them making out or something along the lines, but everyone simply eyed her apprehensively, hardly pretending not to stare. She passed a mirror and noticed just how pale she was, biting back an aggravated sigh as she realized how obvious it was that she'd had an attack. Heero was hardly half a step behind her, trying to appear nonchalant, although she saw from the corner of her eye his hand hovering near her right arm. Also, as she passed the mirror, it was clear that she was walking slower than she had imagined. Her efforts not to worry anyone were wasted.
Had she not been pale from the attack she would have been blushing furiously at the attention she was receiving from everyone. Ami sat back on the couch, shooting Heero a thankful smile, and turning to stare at her friends.
"You were more talkative an hour ago."
The Inners departed that night, the Outers staying with Quatre at his estate as planned. Setsuna headed to the time gates, and Duo and Heero drove them back to Heero's apartment, Duo waving and heading home as well.
It was only about six in the afternoon as Ami and the pilots had left work at one.
"Ami, this apartment is nice," Usagi mused, her and Minako rushing into the elevator with a chuckling Makoto at their heels. Rei smirked, walking besides Ami and Heero.
"I hope they think so, because we're going to be spending a lot of time inside until we beat this enemy."
Ami nodded at Rei's words. "Agreed. I wonder if it would be easier on us to just move to a different city these next couple of weeks. That way we won't have to worry about Dark Alliance agents searching the streets for us."
"You're going to have to call the preventers office and quit Ami," Heero said, as the three of them entered the elevator with the others. "Kaden, injured or not, knows where we all work. Myself and the other pilots are thinking of requesting a two week leave from the office. I'm also making sure with the staff that any records on us, like numbers or our addresses, are destroyed until we get this sorted out. As Kaden attacked us on company property, it's the protocol they would recommend taking anyways."
Ami nodded. "I suppose that is good enough for now, since we're safe in our homes."
"I think that living in a different city is pointless too," Rei pointed out. "They'll have agents stationed all over anyways since it is still technically a running security agency. That means that all of their agents have information on us and possibly pictures. We'd likely be spotted anywhere."
Heero nodded at the dark haired girls words. "I'll call the other pilots and arrange our temporary leave from work. I'll also make sure that no investigation into the Dark Alliance is done without us. Call the office tomorrow morning and quit Ami." They headed down the hall of the fifth floor, Ami pulling out her keys and unlocking the apartment door. The girls filed inside, easily excited by the place and Usagi asking Makoto to cook for her.
Minako paused at the doorway, a devilish smile crossing her face as she noted that Heero was unlocking the apartment right next door. Ami shooed Minako in, knowing what she was getting at, and paused outside her door, approaching Heero.
"If Makoto's cooking it'll be a shame for you to miss it. Do you want to come by later?"
Heero paused at the invite. He already spent a lot of time with Ami, so that wasn't it. Her nosy friends he also didn't mind, as they were full of life and energy and made Ami come alive as well. His hesitation was because he actually could not remember the last time he'd been offered a home cooked meal. As his culinary skills also weren't great, he relied on toast and eggs much of the time, occasionally putting together a salad or grilling a burger.
He nodded once, realizing he had taken a long time to respond and that Ami was looking at him sort of funny. A soft smile took over her face and she nodded. "Okay, in about an hour? You can get to know the girls better!"
He nodded again, seeing her this happy actually taking his breath away momentarily. She really hadn't been very happy at all, not since he'd known her. Why did she have to leave when this was over? His body moved before he registered what he was doing, leaning down and forcing Ami to take a step backwards against the door as he gave her a scorching kiss, his hand snaking around her waist and her hand grabbing his shoulder.
A few moments later she was shifting slightly. "Heero," she mumbled against his lips. "Stop."
He paused, pulling away slightly and smirking.
"Why?"
"The girls are watching," she responded although she hadn't been looking at her door.
There was a loud clatter followed by Usagi's cry as the women tried to run from the doorway of Ami's apartment, and she chuckled, blushing lightly.
"Sorry."
He smiled a bit more broadly than usual. "They're about as high energy as Duo," he noted seriously, Ami agreeing.
"Well then we'll try to keep it down. I know how easily you become irritated with Duo."
Heero's response, spoken in his usual monotone but somewhat softer than usual, made her smile at its simplicity. "He's my best friend."
The two waved, Ami heading into the apartment and shutting her door. Heero did the same, leaning against the doorway once he was inside. He was changing. He had been changing slowly ever since the war had ended, trying to speak more or not scare people off as much. It had been a very slow change, that was for sure. However he had continued to change much more drastically in the last few weeks. She was changing him. He felt somewhat happier too. Less depressed or bored of his usual ritual. Less cynical, although that would probably take much more time. More inclined to speak, or laugh, or be with people. He wondered if that would go away when she left.
Ami glared lightly at her friends when she entered her apartment, although they were all through with trying to pretend that they hadn't been watching and were instead grinning at her slyly.
Minako broke the silence first, approaching her with a smug smile.
"My my, you two are hot and heavy, more so than I thought. Allow me to fan you to cool you off!" Minako fanned Ami with her hands as she spoke, causing the woman to blush scarlet.
"Mina...."
"This is too cute!" Usagi gushed, the next at her side as Ami was dragged to the couch and interrogated. "Mina tried to fill us in a bit earlier but damn," Usagi rarely swore and Minako was nodding in agreement.
"He's cute Ames, good job," Makoto said, nodding in approval and adding "mmmhhmmm" as Usagi and Minako gushed.
"Hey guys, cut Ami some slack," Rei lectured, beating the girls off of Ami and sitting next to her. Ami sighed in relief, going white a moment later and then bright red as Rei spoke. "So have you slept with him?"
"Rei!" She hissed, wondering how thick the walls between her and Heero's apartment were. "Of course not. That's not me."
"What? They were all thinking it, I'm just the only one who got to the point. Right Mako?"
"Right," Makoto agreed, but finally decided to spare Ami further agony. "Ames, do you have food in the fridge for me to cook?"
Ami nodded. "Yes, I invited Heero in about an hour?"
"Oh we know," Minako assured her, Ami glaring as the women dashed off to check out the rest of the apartment. She knew they would definitely be excited when they found all the clothes Setsuna had provided for her, now for all of them.
A few screams of joy clarified her suspicions, a smile gracing her features as she followed them into the room. She had definitely missed having her friends around.
"It was really good getting to know Heero yesterday Ami," Minako said, applying some blush that morning as they prepared to head out of the apartment. "He's the silent type but it was obvious he was trying for you. He's got kind of a subtle sarcastic humor too- that you have to pay attention to if you want to catch. So who else is driving us all to Quatre's?"
"Duo I think," Makoto said, pausing in her application of her mascara and glancing at Rei, who was brushing her hair. "Right, Rei?"
Rei glared daggers at Makoto, Usagi chuckling and poking her, joining in the fun. "Don't get mad, he might be your future husband!"
"As if," Rei seethed, Ami chuckling. They were headed to Quatre's to talk strategy yet again. She had called the office and quit that morning. The Preventers had told her that they understood, probably assuming she had been scared off from the office attack. She had also taken a few minutes to call the other girls at the office and say goodbye, for two reasons. Firstly, because they had always been so good to her. Secondly, because she wanted everyone in the office to understand that she no longer worked there and that the pilots were on temporary leave. This was for their protection, so that if Kaden or any other agents were snooping, they would leave the office workers alone.
A light knocking on the door paused Ami in touching up her hair.
"That's Heero, so Duo must be downstairs."
Ami headed to the door, tugging down on her three quarter sleeved pale yellow shirt, sitting on her dark wash skinny jeans which Ami had avoided wearing because they were too low. Her friends had however spotted them and she was now stuck.
Pulling open the door, Ami smiled at Heero, her smile widening when he bent down and kissed her forehead lightly, speaking as he stepped past her.
"Morning."
The action was very natural and seemed almost second nature from the man she had considered to be the coldest person she had ever encountered only two weeks before.
"Good morning," she offered. "Is Duo downstairs?"
Heero nodded. "Are the others ready?"
"Yes we are," Usagi said, entering the room and waving. The other girls filed out, all offering greetings as Ami grabbed her apartment's key.
"Alright then, let's head out."
They headed downstairs, Duo waving from his car. He had the top up now, so he lowered the window and winked at Rei. "You coming with me?"
Rei rolled her eyes, but glared when she realized that Usagi, Ami, and Heero had already walked away from them to Heero's car.
She climbed in the front, simply nodding at Duo as Minako and Makoto snickered and got in the back.
Duo's car pulled out ahead of Heero's, Heero following behind Duo and pretty sure they weren't being followed. They drove for about five minutes, Heero focusing more on the road than the conversation as Ami and Usagi discussed his dimension. Usagi was being filled in briefly on the Preventers and the Alliance when a loud crash reached their ears.
"What was that?" Ami asked, spinning around in her seat to face the front and gasping as she saw that Duo's car was crashing on the sidewalk about a hundred meters ahead, flipping upside down.
Usagi screamed at the sight, Heero accelerating to approach the other car while Ami tried to see if anyone had attacked the area. She didn't see anyone there....
The car suddenly jerked to the right, Ami and Usagi screaming as it seemed to leave the ground a few seconds before being thrown backwards, the sound of the cars roof hitting the pavement more deafening then Ami would have imagined.
Above the street, two men floated above the cars. General Ryder smirked at the sight of the foliage beneath him, Kaden keeping less cool as he snarled at the cars. He was still a bit injured from when the pilots had nearly killed him, knowing Heero was in the second car and itching to make him suffer.
"Lucky that they were here," Ryder mused. "Good timing."
"Bad timing," a voice snarled, the two turning to see Mamoru floating next to them. "There are so many witnesses here and you two morons are in Garderville Security uniforms!"
"No one asked you, you brainwashed dog," Kaden responded, the three breaking into argument above the scene.
Ami groaned, trying to see clearly as the world around her spun. She could feel blood trickling down her face, from a scrape on her forehead, but was otherwise unaware of how injured she or anyone else was.
A million thoughts ran through her mind. Who of their enemy had attacked them? Were they still around or hiding? Were they terrorizing their friends in the other car? Had a civilian already called the police? They couldn't go to the hospital lest they search for them there.
"H-Heero," she groaned, met with silence in the car. "Usagi?"
She had to get out of the car and assess how badly everyone was hurt. Currently they were all suspended upside down, held by their seat belts as the car was upside down. Her hands fumbled, trembling as she reached for the buckle of her seat belt. Her head was throbbing worse now, and she felt a lot of pain but still couldn't pinpoint where she was hurt.
Finally managing to undo the seat belt, she gasped as she fell out of the seat and amongst the glass bits on the roof of the car. She got to her knees, trying to focus but too dizzy as she spoke lightly.
"Heero?"
She touched his face, noticing the blood on his cheek but not sure how much worse he was hurt. She looked in the back, where Usagi was unconscious but didn't seem to be bleeding from anywhere, the seat belt holding her in the seat.
The other car was far ahead still, and Ami didn't hear any noise coming from them as she tried to see out the broken windshield the distance to the car.
Crawling to her passengers side window, Ami kicked out the remaining glass, wanting to get out of the car. Unfortunately, the choice was made for her as a pair of hands suddenly grabbed her ankles, pulling her out of the car despite her cry as she was scraped against all of the glass and debris.
"I finally caught you," Kaden seethed, Mamoru and Ryder also standing around their car, ignoring the other car for now. Mamoru looked more apprehensive than the other two, complaining to Ryder quietly as Kaden bent next to Ami and looked through the window.
"There's he is," Kaden said, spotting Heero. "...and the princess." Ryder perked up at Usagi being in the car, Mamoru also taking notice.
Kaden reached into the car, Ami panicking and trying to get to her knees once more, feeling her wounds from the accident more now as she saw it was impossible.
"Stop, leave him alone!" She shouted, gasping as Ryder stepped on her back. "Shut up. My chest still hurts where you stabbed me. Don't think I've forgotten."
Kaden ignored her, snapping Heero's seat belt like it was a piece of floss and dragging his unmoving body out of the window next to Ami. Ami grabbed Heero's arm when he was out of the car, shaking him in hopes of waking him, but Heero remained unconscious.
Ryder picked her up by her arm, dropping her a few feet from Heero. "Don't touch him. He's a goner anyways."
A feeling of nausea shot through her stomach, pain beginning to spread through her limbs as she began to cough where she lay. With perfect timing as always, she was having an attack. Thoughts of why it usually occurred at inopportune times ran through her head, but she couldn't coherently put them together as blood began to coat her hands, the coughing never ending.
Ryder's laughter filled her ears, although she was too dizzy to look up. "Hey Kaden, I thought your girl was just getting sick from those attacks but I think she's dying."
Kaden turned from Heero to glare incredulously at Ryder. From behind Ryder, Mamoru snorted. "Impossible. Her powers aren't supposed to increase that much at one time, hence why she survives every attack. It takes a year until the freeze. If they were increasing more than the norm, then maybe you'd have a point."
"Yes," Kaden agreed, nodding and moving towards Heero again.
"Unless-" Ryder interjected once more, grabbing Ami's arm and turning her over with no resistance on her part. "-you consider the fact that time is moving differently."
Ami tried to ignore their comments, coughing up a lot more blood than the norm and feeling like she was suffocating. They ignored her as well, continuing with their conversation.
Mamoru glanced over at Ryder questioningly, surprise filling his eyes. Kaden froze where he stood as well, turning and staring from where Ami lay, to the car where Usagi was still suspended upside down in her seatbelt, and then moving on to look at Mamoru.
"That's right. Your......kingdom," he acknowledged.
Mamoru's mouth sagged open slightly at Kaden, before he glanced into the car at Usagi once more. His face was hard but his eyes betrayed him. Ami watched him tiredly from where she lay. Was the brainwashing on Mamoru wearing off? What did they mean by the time moving differently? What about the kingdom? Her head throbbed painfully from her attack, and she let it hit the ground, groaning.
Ryder stepped in front of Mamoru, glaring at him now as he indicated at Usagi in the car. "She was promised to me."
"I know," Mamoru snapped, turning away.
Kaden ignored the two men, crouching besides Heero. "Screw you both, you're pissing me off. Let me just finish this pest and we're out of here with the Senshi." Black lightening began to crackle around Kaden's hand. "He won't even feel a thing. Lucky bastard."
Ami screamed, but different voices mixed in with hers. "Garderville Security?"
There were pedestrians and other drivers beginning to approach the cars. They had immediately taken notice of the uniform, Ami realized, as Garderville Security deployed hundreds of agents in the area.
Immediately Kaden stopped his assault, backing next to Ryder and Mamoru as people began to pull out their cell phones across the street to call for help.
"I told you," Mamoru seethed. "We're leaving. Now. Let's check the hospitals for them later."
The three men ran into the alley before they disappeared, Ami crawling over to Heero and shaking him again. From within the car, she heard a gasp, and Usagi was unbuckling herself and then crawling out the window, groaning.
"Ames, are you two alright? There's so much blood...did you have an attack?" Usagi suddenly grabbed her chest beneath her rib cage, gasping in pain when she tried to get off the ground. It was likely that her seat belt had broken a few of her ribs.
Ami looked up, her vision bleary, spotting her friends by the other car. Duo was kneeling by Rei, checking on her while on his phone. He was likely wounded as well. Ami was sure he was calling for help from the pilots for a ride before an ambulance arrived. They did not need to be caught in a hospital. Minako and Makoto were leaned back to back, Makoto's head in her hands and Minako looking only half conscious.
Heero stirred from next to her, groaning loudly and grabbing his head as he got to his knees.
"What happened?" He asked, glancing around the area in confusion a moment before looking down at where Ami lay. Usagi was calling out to Duo, who was struggling over, carrying Rei despite the fact that he seemed badly injured himself. Minako and Makoto were supporting each other, and Duo spoke as he approached.
"Trowa is a minute away with the van."
Pedestrians looked on confusedly, not knowing how to help, but Usagi could hear the sound of sirens in the distance. "I hope they're as close as you say."
Heero touched her face lightly. "Are you okay?" He stared at the amount of blood soiling her shirt, frowning. It was more than usual.
She nodded, wanting to get off the ground but unable to. She reached a shaky hand to her mouth, wiping it of the remaining blood, and allowed it to slip to the ground. Her chest felt heavy, more than normal after an attack, and she struggled to breathe.
Makoto, still approaching and supporting Minako, crumpled to the floor. Minako gasped, reaching down to catch her and instead growing dizzy and collapsing as well, blood covering her waist.
Rei was completely unconscious, some blood on her head and neck from what Ami could see where she lay. She was sure her friends were all more injured than she knew, but her world was currently spinning and she couldn't focus.
Trowa's van pulled up between the two destroyed cars, and he leapt from the car, taking action quickly as the sirens neared them. Duo hurried towards the van as fast as he currently could with a pained nod at Trowa, sitting down in the passengers seat and keeping Rei on his lap to save room inside. Trowa looked worried as he grabbed the unconscious Makoto off the floor, hurrying towards the van and returning to grab the mumbling and sighing form of Minako off the ground. He returned, grabbing Usagi off the ground as pedestrians began to shift and question what was happening. Sighing, Trowa pulled out his Preventers badge and asked them to step back, returning to the van with Usagi. Ami was only aware that she was being lifted off the ground when she suddenly felt cold, realizing that Heero was swiftly heading to the van. He was limping, and she wondered how wounded he was although he refused to show it, getting in the last seat and holding onto her.
Trowa pulled out quickly, driving far too fast for their liking although it was necessary to clear the area. Ami wasn't sure how long it took, but they were soon pulling into the gate of Quatre's estate, and it shut behind them as they pulled into the back.
Ami realized that Trowa had called Quatre's ahead of time as Wufei and Quatre were waiting in the back for the van, Michiru, Haruka, and Setsuna standing behind them and Hotaru watching worriedly from the back door.
The vans side doors were hurriedly pulled open, as Trowa carefully grabbed Makoto off of the seat and rushed inside. Duo got out of the front, limping towards the back door with Rei in tow. Michiru grabbed Rei from Duo, Setsuna catching Duo as he collapsed. Hotaru quickly grabbed Duo's other arm, the two helping him inside. Haruka carried Usagi inside with a frown marring her features, muttering angrily to Quatre about the situation, who was picking up Minako and looking quite concerned.
Ami felt delirious as someone lifted her from the van, and she realized that Wufei was pulling her from Heero as Setsuna, who had come back outside, was helping Heero out of the van carefully. Setsuna also looked angry when Ami saw her face, and she was muttering furiously about the Dark Alliance from what Ami understood.
She could hear a lot of talking and a lot of ruckus in the house, but didn't stay conscious long after Wufei set her on a bed upstairs.
Ami turned in the bed she was laying on, pain shooting up her waist and causing her to gasp. With the adrenaline from the accident now well worn off, she knew whatever wound she had received on her side was deep. She hoped the effects from her attack were over. She wondered how everyone else was doing and how seriously they had been wounded. Running her hand over her face, she felt a patch on her forehead. Her friends had done their best to patch them up. She knew it was enough for her and the rest of the Inners but she hoped that Duo and Heero were doing alright.
What time was it? They had departed from the house at around ten that day, so how long had she been knocked out?
Spotting a clock in the room she lay in, she frowned. It was only noon. It was likely that the Outers and other pilots had barely just sat down if they had patched everyone up.
Ami wasn't tired at all and despite the pain she was in she couldn't bare laying in bed any longer. She needed to know what was going on. Grasping the edges of the bed, she stood, her head a bit better but still a bit dizzy. Exiting the room while supporting herself on the walls, she saw that she had been laid on the second floor, and could hear voices from downstairs.
"-transporting from house to car isn't even safe! What do we do, lock ourselves inside one place and hope they don't find a different way to trace us?" Haruka exclaimed. Setsuna was calmly sipping from a cup of tea, watching Haruka passively. Wufei was seated next to Setsuna, smirking at her overly calm demeanor. Next to Wufei sat Quatre, and next to Quatre were Michiru and Hotaru. Trowa was frowning next to Haruka, although he looked preoccupied with something else.
"What we actually need is to defeat them before they kill us or before the Preventers go in. A few witnesses to the attack saw the agents in Garderville Security uniforms. The information got back to Preventers headquarters immediately and now they want to put together a team to investigate. I just got off the phone with a friend at the Preventers and he told me that the Preventers won't hold out for more than another three or four days. I'm starting to think that we won't be able to avoid bringing in some Preventers troops."
"Garderville Security issued an apology and said that they are investigating the rogue agents as well, but I don't think it'll stop the preventers," Wufei said thoughtfully.
"Well, not to bring up risking any more human life, but perhaps we will need the assistance of the Preventers troops. After all, there are many innocent members of the Dark Alliance who are brainwashed to work at the Garderville Security. They need to be taken down by soldiers, not Sailor Senshi," Michiru said. Her words hung in the air a few moments, everyone thinking over what she had said.
Taking the stairs slowly, she saw that the Outers were in the living room with all of the Gundam Pilots. Surprised that Duo and Heero were alright, she entered the room, smiling and nodding at everyone before turning to assess Duo and Heero. They looked tired and had some cuts from the broken glass, but otherwise seemed fine.
"Ami, glad you're up," Quatre said.
"Thank you." She turned to Heero and Duo, frowning. "Are you two alright?"
Heero nodded, watching her warily. Knowing him better than she would have guessed, Ami sat down, watching as he visibly relaxed. She was sure she had just been standing a bit unsteadily, then again Heero noticed everything. Duo responded.
"Yeah Ames. Hotaru healed me and Heero's larger wounds."
Hotaru blushed lightly, Haruka speaking. "Well Ames, you ladies have an edge on the Pilots, in that you'll probably be fully healed by tomorrow. It's better that they're not out of commission for a week."
Ami nodded, knowing that while Hotaru didn't have the energy to heal everyone, helping Duo and Heero was hugely important. She hoped the other inners were feeling alright.
Leaning back further into her seat, she realized why everyone was still watching for her as she got a look at her shirt, completely covered in blood. She blushed lightly, beginning to apologize and request a clean shirt from Quatre, before growing pale. The conversation between Kaden, Mamoru, and Ryder came back to her.
"Setsuna," she said, meeting the woman's eyes. "Time is moving differently here?"
Setsuna opened her mouth to speak and closed it, blushing lightly, odd for the confident woman. "I'm.....sorry. I knew it was passing differently, but I didn't realize just how fast until I went back to the gates of time last night."
Everyone looked on curiously, waiting on Setsuna to speak. Haruka and Michiru exchanged worried glances, as implications of what this meant really sank in.
"Setsuna, tell me it's moving slower in our world," Haruka said. Setsuna shook her head.
"Sorry. Faster. Much faster. In the last three weeks almost nine months have passed. In one more week, it will be about time to freeze the earth."
"That is unbelievable," Michiru said, leaning forwards. "Setsuna, Mamoru is still brainashed and we're all still here. Their is no kingdom to create right now. Plus...." She turned to stare at Ami.
Ami frowned, knowing what this meant. "Impossible," was all she offered.
"Is it?" Haruka questioned worriedly, turning to face Setsuna.
"Her body is accumulating the power at an accelerated rate, that's why her attacks are worse. Her body is preparing to freeze the earth a week from now in this time, since our dimensions time is moving so fast."
"Then send Ami back to our dimension," Michiru said. "At least let her body have three more months to accumulate the power instead of a week."
"I can't send her back there unprotected. The Dark Alliance will go after her. They'll find and capture her."
"Setsuna, Ami can't survive gaining all that power in a week," Haruka stated.
"Well I don't know any other solution, and let's be honest, if we don't beat the enemy soon there won't be a need to freeze the earth and create a kingdom. We have to move fast."
From the doorway, Usagi's voice was heard.
"This is unreal."
Ami snapped out of her daze, having begun to tune out the outers' argument.
She looked up at Usagi, speaking. "If it helps, Mamoru still loves you. That much was clear today. We'll get him back and figure all of this out when the time comes."
Usagi nodded, her eyes a bit glassy. Ami frowned at her own words. Figure it out when the time comes- there was no time. They had one week. What did that mean for her?
She glanced over at Heero, whose eyes had been on her the whole time. His face was an unreadable mask as usual, but strangely enough she felt that she knew him well enough to understand that he was angry. She felt a little angry too. Basically, she had one week left with him. Eithr their enemy killed them all, or the accumulation of her powers too quickly would kill her, or they beat the enemy and she survived- but she woudl have to leave him to be frozen in the earth before Crystal Tokyo for centuries.
"Ami."
She looked up at Setsuna.
"Try not to stress yourself at all. Your attacks are happening, more often than not, in battle or in high stress situations like attacks. I think your power accumulates most at those times because your body is acting in its defense. It is essentially useless as you can't use the powers so it's hindering you. I'm not sure it'll make a difference this close to the freeze but you should still be careful."
Ami nodded. She had been wondering about that.
The other inner senshi had slowly awakened and joined them all in the living room, Quatre ordering in pizza so that no one would have to cook.
Ami, for the last two hours, had been tense and hadn't said much. It was only about two-thirty in the afternoon. The day was moving slow and now that her situation was really sinking in she was feeling trapped in the house, unfortunate because it wasn't safe to leave yet.
She and her friends had changed into some clean clothes and still she felt dirty. Currently, Usagi and Rei were talking with Duo, Setsuna, Wufei, and Hotaru. Haruka and Michiru were seated on the other side of the room in the loveseat, arguing quietly amongst themselves.
Minako and Makoto were lying on the couch tiredly, Quatre and Trowa sitting accross from them and conversing quietly.
Ami glanced over at Heero, seated silently next to her. He was staring straight ahead, unmoving apart from the steady rise and fall of his chest to indicate that he indeed was breathing.
She pursed her lips slightly, suddenly feeling like she needed to scream. She needed out. She needed air. No- she couldn't even go outside.
Maybe a shower, if anything to at least help her feel clean. She stood, Heero glancing up at her.
"I'm taking a shower." Her voice had an edge to it, as though she was tense or feeling claustrophobic. He nodded wordlessly, watching her head upstairs. From nearby, Trowa looked over at him. Heero stood, feeling like he needed to talk to Ami but not knowing what he even wanted to say.
Trowa turned back to his conversation with Makoto, understanding that something was bothering the normally stoic pilot.
Heero followed Ami upstairs, frowning when he saw how slowly she was moving. She was hurting from the accident still, and he reminded himself that she would be healed from that by tomorrow. Her attacks though- those wouldn't heal.
Ami was well aware he was a few feet behind her, but didn't stop until they were out of earshot of the others, hence why she headed up to a guest room on the third floor. He turned on the lights and shut the door behind him as he entered, leaning back against the door and crossing his arms. She spun around to face him as well, her arms already crossed over her stomach and tipping her head at him.
"Did you want to talk?"
He stared at her a moment, before speaking. "Did you?"
Ami sighed, looking frustrated as she ran a hand through her hair, grabbing it a moment and releasing it as she let her hand drop to her side.
"No," she said simply. He nodded once, silence passing between them.
The two stood and stared at each other a minute longer, before he spoke again.
"So either the Dark Alliance kills us all, or we beat them and you all go back to your world quickly and freeze the earth for centuries?"
She began to nod, but he spoke. "Or.....since you had to come here and accumulate all the power your body was supposed to gain in a year within one month- it might kill you."
"Right," she responded, but he shook his head angrily.
"So you're not upset that you might die?" He questioned.
"Not exactly, not of death. You know I've died before," she explained, trying to quell the natural feeling of nerves that came from the topic they were discussing.
"Don't be so ready to accept death," he snapped, walking forwards and catching her arm.. "It's not who you are. You're better than that."
"You don't know that, you hardly know me," she responded. "Anyways, I'm not trying to die, I'm just considering the distinct possibility. Wouldn't you be ready to accept death if you were backed into my corner?"
"I would be, because my life is cheap and meaningless. Yours is more important and you should do everything in your power to preserve it," he responded sharply, not releasing her arm.
"Are you serious? What makes my life more valuable than your own? Haven't we been through this? Every life has value, and that includes yours Heero! Don't put my blood above yours!"
"Don't worry about my blood. You just work on staying healthy. We need to end this conversation and you need to relax. Meioh said you shouldn't get stressed."
"How do you expect me not to stress," she demanded, pulling her arm free. "I am always stressed. This situation is insane. Don't you see? We didn't want to talk about it, but we're on a time limit now and every road seems to end with us being apart for good. Even if we beat the enemy and I survive to successfully freeze the earth, us senshi will be frozen for hundreds of years.........and I-" She stopped speaking, worried that she would say something she'd regret. "Forget it."
"No," he said, stepping closer and grabbing her carefully around the waist, not wanting to harm her accident injuries further. "I can't sit back and accept what's happening."
Her eyes became glassy, and she struggled to find her words. "Heero you and I both know that I am sick. This wasn't supposed to happen- I was supposed to stay in my world and slowly gain these powers. I am afraid to admit it most times, but I'm sick. I never feel well and I don't want anyone to worry- or maybe I just couldn't admit to myself the last week or so that the attacks were getting drastically worse. I-I don't know what to do....even if I survive- I'm scared to leave you."
"Then don't."
"I have to," she replied heatedly, the feeling that her lungs were about to explode returning full force. She only realized that she was no longer standing on her own when Heero began to shake her, and she saw that she was being held up by him but considerably nearer to the floor.
"Oh, Heero, I'm sorry," she attempted, but he indicated for her to stop as he set her on the bed, a worried frown on his face.
Ami wanted to speak again and assure him that all was well, however the painful breathing only caused more pain in her chest and then her head began to throb.
"Just relax," he said, his voice tense. "Breathe." He had seen her breathing change when they were arguing, but the way that she had gone white so quickly had indicated to him immediately that she was having another attack.
Ami remained pale white and trembling, leaving him nothing to do but sit on the bed and place his head frustratedly in his hands. Ami was right. The situation was insane. When someone was sick- his first instinct was to take them to a doctor. A doctor couldn't do anything for her. What were they supposed to do? Wait for the Dark Alliance to find them? Send Preventers troops in to help them? Wait for Ami to become so sick that she couldn't get up...or die?
All he knew was that they had to think of a plan- and fast.
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