Chapter 12
"Why are we not staying? There are two good apartments here." Minako asked Quatre tiredly as he laid her on one of the couches in Ami's apartment.
He smiled at her patiently, speaking. "It's not a good idea Mina. They'll find this apartment just like they found my house. With all of the new injuries everyone sustained today, we'll never be able to attack the base in a day."
"How long are we supposed to wait?" Haruka questioned, setting Ami down and watching as everyone was finally brought into the apartment.
Michiru was busying herself in shutting the blinds with Hotaru, everyone seated or laying in various spots accross the room.
"At least four days, if you're not all recuperated we'll never beat the dark alliance," Duo stated quite seriously, looking around the room.
Wufei pursed his lips, glancing down at Heero, who was the most heavilly injured pilot. He shook his head. "These locations- our homes, they'll be compromised within the next few hours."
"Yes they will be. Those agents are furious. When their superiors hear they'll be scouting for you within the next two hours. I presume you guys were already close to discovering where we lived?" Trowa asked Mamoru.
Mamoru nodded. "Yes. They'll double their efforts now. We realized your addresses within the preventers were concealed but there are other ways."
"Fine then," Heero rasped out, attempting to sit up. "Let's patch ourselves up and move."
"Move where?" Rei asked from where she sat, touching Makoto's shoulder lightly. Wufei responded.
"There are several locations about an hour away. We'll be closer to Garderville that way too. We'll use cash for some hotel rooms."
"Alright then, let's get my first aid kit," Ami muttered, attempting to sit up. Hotaru stopped her, going to look for it as Usagi spoke.
"I'll call Setsuna." Usagi slowly rose to her feet, wincing but telling Mamoru that she was okay as she headed into the kitchen so she could hear Setsuna better.
Quatre frowned deeply, grabbing the first aid kit from Hotaru as she returned.
He looked at Wufei, also uninjured, and at Trowa, who was mildly injured. Hotaru, Michiru, and Haruka were checking on whose injuries were most severe. Everyone else was hurt.
"We've got our work cut out for us."
"Was all of that car switching necessary?" Rei grumbled, feeling like she was ready to pass out. She had been attacked twice and groped in the last twenty four hours and exhaustion had more than set in.
"Sorry babe, they know the cars me and Trowa and Heero drive. We had to get Wufei's and one of Quatre's to leave town. And ditching them outside of town and taking some rental cars with preventers clearance had to be done. This way we can't be traced."
Rei nodded tiredly. She could understand, but none of the girls were used to being on the run, even if it was going to be for just a couple of days. Apparently the pilots were very good at dissapearing. The group was now headed to a hotel an hour from Garderville.
"Don't worry, before the week is out we'll be at the Dark Alliance base in Garderville with a ton of government troops to help us out," he finished, and this did lighten her mood.
Duo turned back to the road. In the back Michiru, Haruka, and Hotaru were asleep. He could understand it. It was nearly five am and no one had slept all day.
In the next car the preventers had helped them get, Wufei was driving. Riding with him were Usagi, Mamoru, Trowa and Makoto. Setsuna had agreed to meet them in the next town later that day, after everyone rested. In the third vehicle, Quatre was driving. Minako was asleep next to him, and Ami and Heero were practically comatose in the back. He had barely heard a sound from them apart from a few grumbles when they had switched cars.
He knew that Kaden had it out bad for Heero, although after that night all of the agents had a grudge against the pilots.
The sign for the next town coming up was on his right hand side, and he signalled so that Duo and Wufei would follow.
The hotel they had selected was large, not obscure. However the chances that the Dark Alliance would check outside of Garderville or their home town, or know to check this specific hotel, were rare. The city was large, so they would probably have an easy time blending in.
Ami groaned lightly, shifting in her bed. The group had checked into the hotel hours before, into two suites. Each suite had four beds and a couch. She was sleeping next to Makoto. In the room were Heero and Trowa, Duo and Rei, and Wufei. Rei was alseep on the sofa bed, and Duo and Wufei had unhapilly shared a bed along with Heero and Trowa sharing another. In the next suite, Usagi, Mamoru, Hotaru, Michiru, Haruka, Quatre, and Minako were sleeping.
The clock read 1 o'clock p.m. She was sure everyone would start getting up within the next hour. Perhaps some of the occupants in the next room were already up and grabbing food from the restaurant downstairs. Actually, she was starving. She hadn't eaten since the previous morning.
The blinds were closed, shutting out all the light. Ami sat up slightly, muffling another whimper as pain shot through her waist thanks to her reopened wound. Her head was throbbing thanks to the few hits Kaden had gotten in. She was sure Heero felt the same, and his back had been so bad too.
Everyone had been worse for wear. She wondered if she could stand. It had been eleven or twelve hours since her attack.
Struggling out of the bed, she glanced down at her cotton shorts and clean white tank top. Someone had changed her clothes? She had to listen to Setsuna and work on staying calm. These senseless attacks had completely taken over her life.
Trying not to wake the drained looking Makoto, she quietly padded away from the bed. She just felt weak. When she had exited the room and entered the small sitting room, she found herself reliant on the wall for support. The pounding in her head seemed worse than when she was lying down.
The sofa bed was empty, but now that she was up she could hear the shower on. So Rei must have been in the shower. Actually, Wufei and Duo's bed was empty. Perhaps they were grabbing food. What about Trowa and Heero? She turned around to glance back toward their bed and the room began to spin just as she noticed that only Trowa was in the bed.
She was down before she could recognize what had happened, but not on the floor.
"Are you alright?" His voice was softer than usual, and quiet, probably because Makoto and Trowa were asleep. Heero lifted her up and moved her to the couch, shushing her objections.
"I'm fine."
He set her down and sat on the ground next to her, wincing.
"Are you okay?" She asked worriedly, trying to sit up on the couch before the room began to spin. A splitting pain tore through her and she realized her weakness was not from her previous attack but from her body gaining more power. The attack was not extreme but she couldn't get up.
"I'm fine. You're having another attack, aren't you?" He said quietly, putting his head in his hands. "We have to kill those assholes and get you home safe before you get worse."
"I'm fine," she muttered. "It's you I'm worried about. That idiot Kaden did a number on your back."
"Don't worry about me; worry about yourself," he repeated. She stiffened. He told her that constantly but she couldn't.
"I can't."
"Ami you're going to have another attack if you get riled up," he muttered, reaching his hand back and squeezing hers. "Just relax. We'll get him."
Minako lounged by the pool in the one piece bathing suit Quatre had purchased for her at the hotel gift shop.
The sun felt good on her skin, and her stomach wound, the reason for the one piece rather than two as per usual, was healing nicely. Everyone was spread in different areas around the pool, no one swimming as they were all too injured for that.
They had all slowly risen that morning and eaten, and had decided thay they would talk strategy that night but needed to rest that day. So they were resting, sleeping or just relaxing by the pool and trying to heal up while absorbing some much needed Vitamin D.
She glanced next to her at Ami, who was pale as a ghost despite the warm glow of the afternoon sun.
Heero had laid Ami out on the lounge chair next to her and sat wearilly by her, although he tried to keep his face emotionless. She understood his anxiety. Ami had suffered what they thought to be three attacks in the last four hours and was asleep again. They had started, according to Heero, when she woke up, and hadn't stopped despite Ami barely moving from the couch. They had only brought her outside too because the hope was that some fresh air would be good for her.
Her friend was dying and fast. If they didn't beat the enemy and get Ami home before she had to freeze the earth she would definitely not survive. How long was that in this dimension? A week? A couple of days? No one was sure.
Setsuna and her made eye contact, and Minako realized Setsuna had been staring at Ami as well. Her eyes were laiden with guilt, and she was sure Setsuna was blaming the entire mess on herself.
"You couldn't of known Sets," she offered reassuringly. Setsuna only shook her head.
From next to her, Quatre spoke.
"Relax Mina." She nodded with a pout, laying back down.
Rei and Duo looked up momentarily, glancing at each other and watching everyone else who was seemingly asleep. Makoto and Trowa were practically comatose since arriving at the pool, as were the three outers. Wufei slept quietly next to the perturbed Setsuna, and Usagi slept on Mamoru's chair. Mamoru hugged Usagi against himself, not asleep in the least and watching the group from time to time although he seemed lost in his own thoughts. There were currently no other guests at the pool but it was the smaller of the two guest pools and likely undesireable. Plus there was no patio to offer any shade, a fact they did not mind at the moment.
Heero leaned back in his chair, trying to appear nonchalant and failing. This girl had pulled him out of his facade or until recently, lifestyle, of monotony in a matter of weeks and he barely knew how to fake his once perfected mask.
Helping them was one thing but now he was emotionally attached to a girl who was practically on her death bed thanks to the recent circumstances.
This was not like him. This severe attachment. This happy demeanor. Although he had to admit, he did like himself a lot better when he was with her than when he wasn't.
Maybe his current lack of self loathing would stick around but he couldn't guarantee it.
He glanced back at Ami and his eyes widened slightly as he saw her shifting in her seat, her glassy eyes meeting his.
"What time is it?" She muttered. "Why are we by the pool?"
"It's four and we are here because we all needed some fresh air." He responded lightly, sitting up."Are you okay?"
"Yes I'm fine, it was just a bad morning," she responded quietly, clearing her throat. "I'm thirsty, I'm going to get some water."
"I got you some, don't get up," he said, passing her a bottle. She accepted it with a smile and a thank you, glancing next to her. Minako appeared to be sleeping, as did Quatre, but both were smiling slightly.
"Mina stop pretending," she berated lightly, knowing Minako had probably quickly ushered for Quatre to also close his eyes when they saw her waking up. Minako liked to create moments like this for her and Heero to have privacy although creating the privacy was not exactly the same thing. Explaining this to Minako however seemed impossible.
Minako's smile widened as she blinked open her eyes.
"Oh Ami, you're awake! Thank goodness!"
"Mina if we survive the next few days don't pursue acting," Rei said with a yawn from a few chairs away, Minako pouting and laughing with Quatre.
Ami glanced down at her clothing, a pair of shorts and a black tank top she didn't recognize.
"It's from the gift shop Ami. Don't you remember when Mako and Usa helped you get changed?" Minako asked. A frown marred Ami's featured, her eyebrows kniting together in confusion.
"No, I don't remember."
"Oh well you were probably just out of it Ami," Rei said reassuringly, glad she was wearing sunglasses to cover her worried eyes. Setsuna nodded in support, giving Ami a smile.
"Are you hungry? We'll have to get you something since you didn't get a chance to eat."
"No I just was thirsty," she responded, leaning her head back. Heero met eyes with Setsuna, who looked even more concerned.
"Ami you have to eat something or you won't recover from all of those attacks. They'll just tear at your body faster," Setsuna said.
Ami didn't respond, although Heero guessed she was still perturbed by the fact that she had forgotten some of her day. Ami never forgot anything.
"Is it safe for us to be out here?" She asked finally, breaking the silence that had fallen upon those who were awake.
"We have no reason to believe that they know our location or even what city we're in," Heero clarified, and she nodded.
Ami frowned from where she lay on the couch the next evening. From next to her, Duo offered her a cookie, his eyes following the others who were talking absentmindedly. She accepted it only to please him, following the conversation as well. They had ended up sleeping early the previous night and didn't discuss anything, everyone vowing to strategize the next day.
It began with a phone call from preventer's headquarters, which basically let them know that at precisely 9:50 AM the next morning, they would be confronting the Dark Alliance in Garderville.
It lead to some very blunt facts on their end.
The preventer's would likely have to fight and would deal with all of the civilian Dark Alliance workers, brainwashed youth or other kidnapped people. They would likely be in the hundreds. Then they probably had about fifteen of the stronger Dark Alliance followers, such as Kaden, to deal with. Beyond them were whoever was in charge of the Dark Alliance, a mystery even to Mamoru who had been working for them when he was brainwashed. There was also the issue of a lot of youma being conjured up and uselessly killing preventer's soldiers or slowing them down. They were luckilly still not going in blind thanks to the blue prints Ami's computer had made them.
"Alright, tomorrow at ten o'clock, ten minutes after the preventer's troops will approach them. The plan's all set then I guess," Haruka mused, the group around the living room nodding the affirmative. "Except…" she turned to stare in Ami's direction, Ami sitting up straighter and meeting her gaze.
"No."
"Ami," Setsuna interjected, trying to keep her tone light. "Yesterday you had four attacks. Today you had five. The time to freeze the earth is basically upon us in the other dimension give or take a couple of days and you simply are too sick to fight, let alone stand most of the time."
"I'm a vulnerability," Ami admitted after a moment. "I know what you mean….it's just I can't stand the idea of all of you going in without me. I'm worried."
"We are too, that's why it's best you stay behind," Quatre replied. "No one in the dark alliance knows we're in this hotel. You'd be safe and hopefully keep healthy until we can get you home safely."
"I hate staying here while you all risk your necks.…."
"Trust us Ami, we know how you feel. You're most definitely a strong asset to the team but this is for the best," Usagi said, the other senshi all voicing their agreement.
Mamoru nodded, speaking. "Ami we're not trying to bring you down. It's all our fault that you're even having these attacks. It's for the kingdom and your role isn't easy-"
"-and you barely made it out the last time we went into the base, and you were healthier then," Heero interjected. Ami frowned deeply, cut by Heero's statement even though he hadn't meant to hurt her feelings. Heero, like Ami, worked off of facts. It was a fact that she had barely survived the last infiltration.
"I know," she said evenly, although it was unnecessary. Heero knew she knew that. He had only been saying it as a reminder to everyone else.
"We should get to bed," Michiru said, breaking the silence.
"Yep, we have to be up bright and early," Rei said, everyone rising.
Ami rose stiffly, nodding at Minako and Makoto, who were smiling encouragingly at her as they still felt bad. In the corner, Wufei was shaking a sleeping Hotaru and telling her to get into her bed, Setsuna smiling warmly at Hotaru. Was something going on between Wufei and Setsuna? It must have been, but Ami didn't linger on the thought of how close Wufei and Setsuna were standing as Heero's voice interrupted her.
"Ami?" Everyone who was supposed to be asleep in the other suite had exited and their roommates were off to bed.
She and Heero were left alone in the sitting area of the suite as everyone in their room washed up.
"You're mad," he stated.
"I am," she admitted, "but not at you. It's just the situation. I've never in the last nine years had to sit one out."
"It's for the best. I won't be able to go in there knowing you're not safe. I'll...be able to focus this way."
She nodded. How could she be upset? If the situation were reversed, she wouldn't have wanted him to come. She would just have to stay here and try to keep sane while he was away. It was unbelievable how a little over three weeks had made her go from being so independent to relying on him for everything.
The time had come for them to finally defeat the Dark Alliance and return to normalcy, but how could she? She was supposed to freeze the planet; Crystal Tokyo's creation was at hand. Something wasn't sitting right with her though. Not their plan or what her life would become when she got to go home.
Everyone was up and dressed by 7:30, heading downstairs for breakfast and planning on leaving before 8:30.
It was a silent meal, even Duo quiet as he ate a bagel next to Rei. Ami was sure that everyone was just going over the current situation in their heads over and over. They wanted to get in and out smoothly. From Ami's experience it was never quite so simple. She was sure also that the senshi we're as baffled about dealing with the situation with government troops as the pilots were with their powers.
Ami ate her breakfast silently next to Heero, just enjoying everyone's presence for the the time being. It was already past 8 o'clock. The pilots had several guns and other weapons packed in the bags they had already placed in the three rented vehicles they had arrived in.
The silence was comfortable. Although her friends had known the pilots less than a week, it felt like they had always been in their lives.
Soon everyone was standing in the empty hallway, Ami absorbing everyone's actions. Makoto was talking in hushed tones with Trowa, although they both looked confident. Rei was pretending to ignore Duo as he talked a lot, although there was interest in her eyes. Minako was making Quatre blush lightly as she whispered in his ear, and the four outers stood talking with Wufei in a circle. Usagi and Mamoru were simply holding hands, also observing the group.
Ami felt Heero tug at her elbow lightly from behind her, and she turned to face him.
"Take care of yourself," he said simply, and she nodded, her eyes and throat suddenly burning.
All she could think of was Heero entering the base that Kaden was in. Kaden the superhuman who no one had been able to kill.
"I should be telling you that. Please be careful. I suppose telling you to run if you come accross Kaden is useless," she added, a smirk coming accross Heero's face.
"I'm going to kill him," he replied confidently, and she shook her head, the tears she had been holding back now spilling down her cheeks.
"I hate this," she admitted, letting him pull her into his arms as she cried into his shirt, feeling silly but unable to shake her bad feeling.
"I know you do," he said softly. "I'd stay here with you if they didn't need me. I don't like leaving you."
"Hey Heero buddy, everyone's ready to go," Duo called, the two pulling apart.
"Fine, I'll meet you at the car," he replied, Ami and the senshi calling out their goodbyes as the last person to step out shut the door.
"Here," Heero held out a small black gun in her direction, and she frowned.
"Why?"
"I know you're safe here, but just incase...it'll put my mind at ease. Keep it on you until I'm back."
She nodded, respecting his wishes, and accepted the gun. It was small but it felt awkward and heavy in her hand. She looked around the deserted hallway, making sure no one had seen.
He leaned down, and captured her lips, lingering only a moment before pulling back. Fleetingly, he meet her eyes with his intense gaze one last time before he departed.
It was easier for him to leave her if he made his goodbye quick.
Ami watched the door swing closed behind him, hugging her arms around herself. So now she was alone.
Heading to the elevator, she pushed the up button, listening to the rythmic sound of its beeps as it came down. Remembering the gun in her hand, she tucked it into the waist of her jeans quickly. The doors opened and a couple stepped out, stopping when they saw her.
"Shit, I forgot my towel. Is this the first floor already?" The woman asked. She was a pretty brunnete with large almond shaped eyes and a bathing suit on. The man with her, equally attractive, smirked. Ami nodded at her question and the woman rolled her eyes.
"It's your own fault for forgeting your towel," the man told his girlfriend or wife, Ami wasn't sure.
"Whatever, you go get it," she snapped at him, waving her manicured hand in his direction.
"I don't think so, I'll be at the pool," he said, stepping past Ami and off the elevator.
Ami entered the elevator awkwardly, watching the beautiful woman seethe. She pushed the button for the fourteenth floor, the woman pushing the sixteenth floor's button with a huff.
The ride was dead silent, Ami nearly tripping over herself to get off the elevator and heading for her room accross from it as the doors closed. Being in between other couples arguments, however minor, was never pretty.
She opened up her door, heading for the couch lazilly but first removing the gun from her jeans and setting it on the table nearby.
She hoped she wouldn't have any attacks in the next couple of hours. Perhaps trying to sleep would help ease her mind and relax her a bit. Being relaxed usually slowed her attacks.
She laid on the couch and closed her eyes, listening to the complete silence of the room and feeling sad. She had gotten used to the sound of her friends surrounding her.
"Move, now now now!" Heero whispered to the group sharply, everyone on their feet and taking off towards the back doors of building one. Dark Alliance security guards spilled out the front doors, charging the preventer's troops standing outside. The sound of gunfire and screams tore through the air an instant later.
As expected, the group had not taken kindly to preventer's personnel demanding that every person exit the four buildings while the government searched them for suspicious activity and made necessary arrests.
They were entering building one because Mamoru knew that all of the Dark Alliance members who actually had supernatural abilities were in building one, especially because there were no more senshi held hostage. He had also heard that building one housed the leaders on the top floor but had never been allowed to go up, only given scoldings or ordersthat were passed down from word of mouth.
Quatre and Trowa rushed ahead of the group, placing two small explosives on each end of the doors. The doors were blown off and the group dashed inside.
Jupiter winced at the sound but knew that stealth was not their goal. Being silent was useless. They wanted to be heard. The point was to take out the powerful dark alliance members and get a chance at defeating the leaders before the day was out. There was no option to prolong the battle because of Crystal Tokyo and Ami's condition.
"Hold it!"
Cole, the general whom had kept an eye on Minako, appeared in their path. "We're not making this so easy for you."
The room went black even though it was early in the day, their screams torn from their mouths as the floor dropped beneath their feet like the last time they had entered the building.
Mars smirked, getting to her feet in the dark and wondering which part of the bulding she had been displaced to and who was with her. The group had been prepared for this trickery because of the last time, and Mars wondered whom had fallen with her. She was sure an agent would try and attack soon and she had to be ready to kill them.
"Mars." She spun around to see Uranus getting to her feet as well as Trowa.
"I think we got knocked into the basement, we'd better try and get upstairs," Trowa said immediatly, surveying the large room criticially.
"You're not going anywhere," General Anthony's low voice seethed. Mars felt goosebumps on her arms all of a sudden and brushed them off as a sign of her own weaknesses, suddenly wishing Duo was with them and not knowing why such a stupid thought was crossing her mind.
"Agreed," the dry voice of another agent spoke, them turning their attention to another general and the youma next to him.
Uranus glowered at the general, knowing it was the agent who had been watching over her during her captivity. "Daniel. What is your stupid ass trying to do? Let's finish these idiots," she seethed, ignoring the laughter of the three before her.
"Still feisty I see," the general she had referred to as Daniel said. "I like that."
"You're not really my type," Uranus replied confidently, not hesitating to attack. "World Shaking!"
The youma next to Daniel was destroyed with a scream, the two general's raising their brows.
"Impressive. What about you Mars? Anything to add?"
Mars wasn't paying attention to him, already having summoned her attack. "Mars firebird!"
Trowa gasped, taking a step back as a large bird of flames swooped around the basement, engulfing the two generals, who cursed and shouted. Shaking from his stupor, he saw his opportunity, raising his gun and beginning to fire. The screams of the two generals increased, the trio taking off towards the exit.
The other doors of the room blew open, five more youma charging and attacking. The three collapsed to the floor by the exit with screams as they were engulfed in a black webbing which crackled with electricity. Trowa tried to untangle himself from the strange web, unable to and only aiding in electrocuting himself further as he released it and crumpled to the ground.
"Barton! Shit," Uranus cursed, looking up at the bleeding and burned generals. "Stop it!"
Anthony crocuhed next to Mars, frowning at her. "That hurt you little bitch." He grabbed her by the face and shook it slightly. "Wait until my leaders are done with you and see what I'm gonna do to you."
He looked at the five youma. "Get them up and get them upstairs, now."
"That was quite a fall we took," Quatre admitted, trying to remain positive as he helped Neptune to her feet. Tuxedo Kamen and Pluto were already up, looking around the tiny corridor they had been thrown into a bit helplessly.
"I don't even see an exit. It could be a trick," Pluto said solemnly, looking around. The sound of laughter reached their ears, the quad spinning around and searching for the source.
Two men Quatre didn't recognize stood in front of them now, a youma behind them and snarling.
Pluto and Neptune stiffened however, recognizing them as the agents whom had kept a closer eye on them.
"Lucas, David," Tuxedo Kamen acknowledged, shaking his head. The two turned to look at him.
"It's the traitor," the one called Lucas said, stepping forwards. "What shall we do with him David?"
"He's expendable. In face we'd be doing our leaders a favor if we killed him and the other guy. However-" David stopped speaking, turning to look at the youma. "The senshi are to be incapacitated and not killed, understand? Our leader wants to see them."
"Right," the youma said, the three turning to look at the quad in front of them.
Neptune glanced around the crowded hallway, knowing that no battle would be won in the hallway. There was barely room for two people to stand side by side. Any attack she or Pluto fired would likely hurt or kill everyone in the cramped space.
One look at Pluto's eyes told her she was thinking the same thing.
"What about a compromise," Neptune spoke, gaining their attention. "This hallway is way too tiny to fight. One attack by me or Pluto or even your youma willl hurt us all. You don't harm Mr. Winner and Tuxedo Kamen, and the four of us will come willingly to see your leader."
The two generals paused, staring at each other and back at the four tense individuals in front of them. It was true- the magic had dumped the four in an inconvenient spot- and this was a much easier solution to getting them in front of their leader.
"Fine," Lucas said. "However you are wearing handcuffs and coming willingly. Trust me- when you see your friends chained up and injured you'll be happy you didn't put up a fight."
'For now,' Pluto thought, although she nodded at the agents. Quatre glanced at Tuxedo Mask. They were lucky. Part of the plan was getting upstairs to the leader, whether they were dragged up there and injured or found the way themselves. They had predicted before arriving that things could go horribly wrong and that they would wind up somehow tied up in front of the leaders. However the advantage to this solution was that they would not be injured. Perhaps their other friends would be- this way they would be strong enough to fight later in the day when the others could not. Part of Quatre was worried as they headed up with the generals to see the leader but he really wasn't. The vast amount of preventers troops were completely dominating the employees and other buildings. It was only a matter of time before they made it up to the top.
Heero got to his feet grouchilly, surveying the rows of empty beds in the room they had been thrown in. Jupiter and Saturn stood a step behind him, Jupiter speaking.
"Heero, the door is right there!"
"That it is, but you won't be allowed to get at it," Dominic said, crouched on the cot behind her. Jupiter jumped, Saturn screaming as the hands of another general who she was familiar with from her captivity wrapped around her waist.
"Cameran, hands off of her," Jupieter spat, ignoring Dominic as the other general touched the younger girl.
Heero spun around, instead coming face to face with a youma. The youma smiled, Heero glowering as he raised his gun and fired at it about six times before it raised its hands and blasted him with some sort of an ice attack. He wasn't sure what had happened but he was on the floor and shaking next to the cot, feeling like he had been thrown in an ice covered lake.
"Heero!" Saturn gasped, the general holding onto her smirking.
"That's it. Jupiter thunder dragon!" The room was torn apart by Jupiter's attack, Saturn ducking to the floor next to Heero to avoid it as the youma Heero had shot screamed in agony before becoming dust. Dominic and Cameran tried to dodge and were unable, getting hit and becoming furious.
"Damnit! Control your girl Dominic!" Cameran seethed, Dominic nodding and raising his hands. He formed a large red ball of energy in front of him. Jupiter frowned, taking a step back, and dodging swiftly as he threw it at her. Getting to her feet, she gasped as it bounced off the wall and gained speed, hitting her squarely in the stomach.
Saturn gasped as Jupiter screamed, rushing to her side and shaking at how much blood there was from the one hit. Cameran approached and grabbed her by her hair, pulling her struggling form away from Jupiter and using his superior strength to stop her struggles almost completely.
"You're all coming with us and you're not causing any more trouble," he said succinctly, Saturn glancing down at where Heero was gasping for breath and nodding.
Venus offered Wufei a hand up, smirking as he ignored it and stood himself. Wufei looked around what appeared to be a training gym, speaking.
"Are we alone in here?"
"It's never that simple," general Cole's voice said smugly, the two spinning around to see Cole standing next to Ryder, who held his hands over the mouth of a struggling Sailor Moon.
"Ryder go. Get her up there first," Cole said, Ryder nodding. He and Sailor Moon dissapeared before Venus could blink. She screamed, rushing forewards.
"Where is she?"
Cole stared at her critically, only about five feet between him and Venus.
"You're going too, don't worry. I don't suppose you'll come peacefully?"
"Not a chance!" Venus wasted no more time. "Venus love and beauty shock!"
Wufei smirked at the name of the attack, the smirk dissapearing as he watched it crash into Cole head on and leave the man's body shaking on the floor.
However Cole was up in a flash, a fierce wind taking over the room as he floated above them. "You're really going to regret that."
The room began to crackle with energy, the two on their knees and gasping as the air grew thick.
"What's going on?" Wufei questioned, not used to this sort of fighting.
"Oh my God, I...I c-can't breath," Venus suddenly admitted, grabbing her chest as she was no longer able to speak. Wufei felt the same sensation, unable to speak as everything went black.
Ami shifted on the couch, unable to sleep or even relax without knowing how her friends were.
How long had she been laying down? She took a peek at the clock, frowning. An hour and a half had gone by. She hadn't expected them to be fast plus the drive was an hour, but she was still so tense.
The bad feeling returned and she had the sudden urge to vomit. Rushing to her feet, she ran into the bathroom, only succeeding in coughing up a bunch of blood into the sink.
Eyes watering, she rinsed out her mouth and cleaned the sink, hands grasping the edges of the counter weakly. She had to get a hold of herself and relax before this attack got out of control.
Glancing back into the mirror, she screamed as she met a pair of cold brown eyes. The beautiful woman from the elevator was quick to silence her, throwing her hands around Ami's mouth.
"Shut up!" She seethed, "Do you know how much trouble I had to go through to get this room key?"
Ami elbowed the woman's exposed stomach hard, watching as she doubled over with a cry and dashing out of the bathroom.
The gun- where was the gun Heero had given her? Spotting it on the table, Ami grabbed it, screaming as someone tackled her to the floor from behind her. She crashed into the side table by the couch, her attacker pinning her down. The gun clattered uselessly to the floor a few feet away. Ami saw a pair of delicate hands pick the gun up.
She craned her neck, seeing the woman from the elevator now holding the gun. Who was holding her down? She turned, spotting some short brown hair. The man that had been arguing with her.
"That's a good job you two," a voice that she unfortunately recognized spoke.
"Kaden," she muttered tiredly, trying to see where he was standing.
"You two really are excellent, the only two spies to generate results. Perfect timing," he continued.
"Thank you general," the woman spoke, keeping the gun trained on Ami as the man hoisted her off the floor and she met Kaden's displeased face.
"You have been so much trouble. Most definitely more than you are worth. I will enjoy watching the life leave your eyes when this is all over." He turned to the others. "Search her, does she have her wand?"
The man complied, his hands rougly groping Ami's form. "No sir." Ami tried to pull free, weakened by her attack and unable to.
"Where is it?" Kaden asked her.
She didn't reply, the woman approaching her and also pulling off her communicator.
Kaden stalked into the bedroom of the suite, emerging victorious moments later. Ami sighed. Of course he had found it- it had been right at her bedside.
"In the short forty minutes since your friends and the Preventers arrived they've caused quite a ruckus- the preventers are taking out all of our civilian troops and arresting them," Kaden said. "However we won't be allowing any preventers personnel to get to see our leaders. You however have received the honor. Shall we?"
He approached where the workers were holding her, generating a gaping black portal right next to them. "Move."
I'll have the next chap up soon and hopefully something for Blackout, I'm slowly woking on the epilogue.