Author's Note: So this is the first actual new chapter, several years in the making. Sadly, I'm still in the middle of writing the next chapter. I'm still debating whether or not to go through with my original plan of including some smut in the next chapter. I've never written any before, so I'm a little hesitant. We'll see…
Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing or any of the characters. I just borrow them for my nefarious and fictional purposes.
Living The Lie
Chapter Seven: A Lie Untold
"You have exactly five minutes to explain yourself."
Dax met his superior's piercing gaze steadily. He sat perfectly straight in the high-back chair, careful to keep his face expressionless. The only telltale sign of his fear were the beads of sweat he could feel forming on his brow. He resisted the urge to wipe them away with his sleeve. He had failed his mission miserably and now he would have to face the consequences. Unfortunately, the General had not proven himself to be a forgiving man.
"I had her, sir."
"You had her?" General Stryker repeated mockingly. "I'd say she had you."
Dax scowled, his hand returning unconsciously to the gunshot wound in his thigh.
"Not only did you fail to recapture her, you disregarded my direct order to stand down." Stryker glared at the injured soldier. "I had been expecting something more than 'I had her'."
Dax swallowed thickly, trying to quell the panic rising in his chest. "She was alone, so I proceeded. I had her wrapped around my finger, sir. She thought I was on her side." Dax kept his voice steady, willing Stryker to believe him. "If Maxwell hadn't shown up–"
The General cut him off with a wave of his hand. "Fletcher, you should have learned by now that lying to me won't get you anywhere." Stryker watched him squirm.
"But, sir–"
"I believe your five minutes are up." Stryker snapped his fingers and two armed soldiers appeared at the door. "Lock him up until I've decided what to do with him." He waved his hand dismissively as the protesting man was dragged away.
The General paced the length of his office, not even pausing when the door slid open. A young soldier stepped hesitantly past the threshold. "General, sir?"
"What is it?" Stryker snapped.
The man licked his dry lips. "The men are in position. What are your orders, sir?"
"Hold your position. We'll wait until morning." The General smiled to himself. "And this time, I will be joining you." He noted the look of surprise on the soldier's face. "There will be no mistakes."
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"Hey, no falling asleep."
"Mmmm…" murmured the young woman as she tried to rouse herself. "But the couch is so comfy…"
"You have to stay awake. We can't take any chances. That was one nasty blow to the head you took." Duo pressed the ice pack to the welt on her temple gingerly. "How are you feeling?"
"Like I got run over by a truck. That aspirin better kick in soon." She rested her head on his lap and smiled up at him. "Thanks for coming to my rescue. Again."
"What can I say? I'm a sucker for a pretty lady," he said with a wink.
"Bet you use that line on all the ladies."
"Nope, only you, babe." He watched as a ghost of a smile curved her lips and her blue eyes slid shut. Duo brushed a strand of hair from her cheek, his fingers lingering on her soft skin.
"Do you…regret meeting me?" she asked quietly.
"Hell no, you were the hottest piece of ass in that bar."
"Hey!" she protested, punching him lightly. "It was a serious question."
"Honest." He raised one hand and donned a solemn expression. "I have no regrets. This is the most excitement I've seen in years." He smiled wistfully. "I've actually kind of missed it."
"You mean you used to be chased by armed soldiers commanded by an evil man hell-bent on the enslavement of the whole universe?" she asked sarcastically.
"Something like that…" he mumbled.
The woman looked up at him with a puzzled expression. "Wait…are you actually enjoying this?"
"If you mean the part about being shacked up with a beautiful woman, then yes."
She narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "You didn't answer my question."
"Funny, somehow that sounds familiar." He scratched his chin thoughtfully.
The young woman sighed, sitting up. "Ouch. Okay, I'll admit I deserved that."
Duo closed his eyes and rubbed his temples. "Look, let's level here. Clearly both of us have secrets, whatever our reasons are. We both have stories to tell. The big difference here is that in order to really protect you, I need to know what we're up against." He squeezed her arm gently. "I need to hear your story. It's now or never, babe." He brought his hand up to her cheek and brushed his thumb across her porcelain skin. "You know you can trust me."
She closed her eyes and leaned into his touch. "I know, and you're right. I'm ready to tell you…on one condition."
Duo groaned. "You never make anything easy, do you?"
"Never." She smiled and winked at him. "Just promise me one thing. When this is all over, you'll take me out on a real first date."
"Date, huh?" he asked, leaning in closer.
"Well," she paused thoughtfully, "if you're not interested, I'm sure I could find–"
Her next words were lost as Duo closed the distance between them to kiss her fiercely. "Don't even think about it," he whispered. Duo grabbed her hips and pulled her onto his lap.
She smiled at him demurely. "You have yourself a deal, Mr. Maxwell." The young woman looped her arms around his neck and pulled him in for another long kiss.
Duo slid his hands down her back, slowing as he reached the curve of her rear. He squeezed gently and pulled her firmly against him. He buried his face in her neck, feathering kisses on the tender skin under her ear.
"Duo…" she whispered softly, her voice laced with desire.
Ring…Ring…Ring…Ring
Duo stopped and groaned inwardly. "You have got to be kidding me…" he mumbled. "Whoever it is can wait." He turned back to the raven haired woman, but she pulled away. The moment was gone.
"It's probably important," she said, already moving off of his lap.
Duo sighed in exasperation and walked over to the phone. "It damn well better be," he muttered as he picked up the phone.
"Hello?"
"Duo. It's Heero. I have bad news."
"After the day we had, I'm not sure it can get any worse." Duo flashed a wry grin at the woman watching him curiously.
"OZ is back and they're looking for revenge."
"What? Are you sure?"
"Yes. Scion, that organization you asked me to look into, is run by a man named General Victor Stryker. He was part of the upper echelon of OZ. When OZ fell he formed Scion, all very hush hush. They've been operating under the radar for years gathering people and resources. They look to be gearing up for some big mission, but I don't have a solid lead yet as to what," Heero finished sounding grim.
"What the…How could this have happened without us knowing? This is bullshit." Duo started pacing, running his fingers through his hair in agitation. He looked over at the woman on couch and stopped abruptly. "Heero, warn the others. We have to be ready when they strike. I have something to do. I'll be in touch."
She swallowed nervously at the intensity of his gaze. This is it. I have to tell him the truth. She took a deep breath and steeled herself for what was going to come next.
"I think we need to have that talk now," Duo told her quietly. "Did you know that Scion was formed by former members of OZ?"
"Yes…"
"You should have told me."
"I had hoped I wouldn't have to involve you more than necessary. The more you know the more dangerous you will be to them. I don't want to give them a reason to…eliminate you." She looked up at him defiantly. "This is supposed to be my fight after all."
Duo shook his head. "Not anymore it isn't. We're in this together, like it or not." He held up his hand when she tried to protest. "We don't have time to argue. Heero says they're powerful and preparing for something big. Do you have any idea what they're up to?"
"I think so. They were originally training me for a covert mission. I was trained to be a spy and assassin. Stryker hoped to incite chaos and upheaval with a few well-placed assassinations. Then Scion would launch an all-out attack, effectively crushing any resistance. That would pave the way for Stryker to usurp power and start yet another military regime.
She smiled sadly. "They said the 'enemy' had captured me and erased my memory. Scion told me that they rescued me and changed my appearance to protect my identity." She ran her fingers over her face self-consciously. "They filled my head with so much hate, and I ate it up. I was so angry and hurt I just followed their orders blindly, never questioning. I wanted revenge so badly…" She wrapped her arms around herself and stared blankly at the ground. "But it was a lie…All of it. The only real tie I have to my old self is my name." She broke out of her trance at the feeling of his warm hand on hers.
"How did you find out the truth?" He squeezed her hand gently.
"I was reporting for a mission debrief. It was a few days before I was to be deployed. I was early, too much nervous energy I guess. It was my first real mission. I stopped outside the doorway when I heard voices coming from the meeting room. It was Stryker and one of the facility doctors and he was angry. I immediately turned around and started to leave, not wanting to end up on the wrong side of an angry general. But then I heard him say something that got my full attention…"
"What do you mean the memory treatments have stopped? Do you know what will happen if she regains her memories too soon? You'll ruin the entire operation!" Stryker was livid.
"But General, the risks…If we continue the treatments she will suffer permanent cerebral tissue scarring. We have never used this procedure before. We have no idea how severe the psychological repercussions will be. It could make her completely unstable," the doctor stated calmly.
"Now you listen to me, Dr. Coulter, I don't give a damn what happens to her brain. I just need her to be a distraction. And when their backs are turned, my boys will take care of the rest."
"Sir, with all do respect, you're not being reasonable…" There was a loud thud.
"No, you listen to me doctor, you'll do as I fucking tell you. We wiped her memory for a reason, and I want it to stay that way. I don't want her to remember a goddamn thing until she stabs them in the back…And then it will be too late."
"I was stunned at first. There was no doubt whom they were talking about. I had to know the truth. The problem was I didn't have clearance. I was only ever a grunt. I never questioned anything and did exactly as I was told like a good little soldier." She shook her head bitterly. "I was such a fool. So completely blinded by my need for revenge.
"But Dax…he had clearance. He worked in the intelligence division." She chuckled to herself. "I bet he even knew all about my past. That bastard. I went to see him that night with a bottle of vodka. When he final passed out I stole his keycard. Breaking into the archives wasn't difficult. Dax was always predictable. I knew all his passwords.
"It didn't take long to find the files they had on me. Unfortunately a lot of it was redacted. But I put together enough information to glean the truth. They had abducted me from my home, not rescued me as I'd been led to believe. They'd tortured me for information before wiping my memories and changing my face.
The young woman stood up and crossed the room to look out the window. "I fled that night, taking only a few things and the clothes on my back. I've been on the run ever since. Three long years," she whispered.
Duo slid his arms around her waist and kissed the top of her shoulder. "I'm so sorry…"
The young woman found herself smiling as she leaned back into his muscular frame. She soaked up the warmth from his body, borrowing some of his strength. She turned in his arms to meet his gaze. "We need to stop them. I don't know the whole plan, only that I was a pawn in a much larger scheme. Their first objective was to wipe out the Gundam pilots, but I was never able to discover their identities…" she trailed off as she felt him stiffen suddenly. "Duo?"
He threw back his head and laughed mirthlessly. "Wow, good ol' OZ. Up to their old tricks. I guess I shouldn't be surprised." He shook his head at her confused expression. "So, what was your role in all this?"
"I was to target one specific pilot. They would orchestrate a chance meeting and I would earn his trust and friendship. Stryker wanted me to discover the locations of the other pilots before assassinating him." She looked away from him with a frown. "It didn't seem like a foolproof plan, but Stryker was adamant that I would succeed. Although with the information I have now, it seems more likely that I was only ever meant to be a distraction…"
Duo wasn't feeling quite as confident anymore. His gut told him something was very wrong, but he had to ask. "Who was your target?"
"I only heard them mention him once by name," she hesitated, looking up at him uncertainly. "They called him Shinigami."
"Who are you?" he whispered taking a step back.
"Duo, what's going on?" She tried to keep the panic from her voice, but his expression unnerved her.
"I asked you a question." He grabbed her wrist, squeezing it painfully. "Who are you?"
"Duo…you're hurting me." She pushed against his chest with her free hand. "I've already told you everything I know."
"Your name. What is your name?" he demanded shaking her roughly.
There were tears in her eyes when she looked up at him. "Hilde Schbeiker."
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Author's Note: So just a little preview of where I'm at for chapter seven…
"You really don't remember, do you?"
She was so focused on his full lips that she almost didn't hear him. "Remember what?"
"Me," he whispered.
Hilde furrowed her brow in confusion, trying to make sense of her lust addled thoughts. "Wait…" She wracked her brain trying to recall what she had wanted to say to him when it hit her. "You recognized my name," she said softly.
"A name I haven't heard in five years." His voice was impossibly husky.
"Who was I to you?"
"You were mine."
Hilde swore she heard Duo growl deep in his throat before his lips crashed into hers.
