A/N: Yay! So I have the next 3 chapters totally written and am working on more, so expect some quicker updates over the next week. We're getting pretty close to the end now! Enjoy!
-picimadar
When You Run Among Shadows
Chapter 18: Run Along
April 2, A.C. 185, Brussels
"Relena, this is madness!" Rolling her eyes, the young blond refused to face her accuser, instead staring through the chain link fence at the restless ocean waves. "You can't just take off to space! I don't care how safe you think it is!"
"My father is going, and I want to go with him. There's so many rumors flying around… I want to know the truth." She smiled now, watching the water slowly move along the beach, cresting and foaming before returning back to where it came.
"And if these machines exist? If this… 'operation' or whatever actually happens? Who do you think their first target will be? Your own father! If anything you should be talking him out of this!" Neil was infuriated at this point, pushing himself against the metal fencing in front of her. "Don't ignore me, Relena. Please. Don't go out there."
"Neil, don't be so dramatic." Turning away from him, Relena started walking back in the direction of her home. "My father is no Heero Yuy, he's no threat to anyone. He may not be well liked within the Alliance, but he does the job he was assigned the way he is supposed to. That isn't a crime." The two walked in silence for a time, Neil unable to find a hole in her argument. Finally, his expression brightened, and Relena sighed, bracing herself.
"So why are you hiding out here? Pagan's going to worry, and you'll be sorry…"
"I'm not hiding. I'm waiting."
Neil had never been one for dealing with anything cryptic. "Waiting for whom, exactly?"
"Relena! We've been waiting for you!" Patricia Collins and Eva Arian, two of her good friends and fellow members of her little 'order' stood a few meters away, staring at Neil somewhat warily.
"Relena, don't go," Neil whispered, taking ahold of her hand. "You're not doing this just because you can. You're doing this to get information, aren't you? Relena, what are you planning?"
Relena smiled, crinkling her eyes as she took his hand and loosed it from hers. "I would tell you, Neil, but you distinctly asked to be left out of this, and I honor my promises. Now, please. I'm late." Relena walked away, breathing deeply to calm her nerves. Over the past year, Neil had become one of her closest friends, and it hurt her that, though once so interested, he had completely abandoned the idea of being part of L'Ombre and thus, a big part of her life.
"Everything okay?" Patricia asked, watching Neil as they walked away.
"Are we doing the right thing? Why do we even keep doing this? Everything feels so unnecessary." She sighed, linking arms with the two girls conspiratorially. "We're only children."
"Exactly!" Eva shouted. "Which makes it all the better. No one can suspect a thing. Besides, we know war is coming. We know a lot more than half our own teachers do. I don't know about you, but I'm tired of being useless. You brought us all together for a purpose." Smiling, Eva skipped a bit, dragging Relena with her.
"Has anyone heard from Wufei? I don't know how to get ahold of him now that he's been back in space… he won't answer my calls." The two other girls shook their heads.
"He's pretty much a loner, Lena… we never really knew him well. What I want to know is, what's the deal with Dorothy? I saw her the other day and she walked right past me! Talk about rude!"
Relena pursed her lips. "I can't blame her. She's in a difficult place, especially with Treize and her grandfather in places of power. It's better for us all if we let it go. Dorothy can't afford the extra risk of being seen with us when her family's already under fire."
Pattie shook her head. "The mafia. Can you believe that? It's just so A.D. I didn't even know those things existed anymore."
Relena arched a brow, disbelieving. "And what, exactly, would you call L'Ombre then? There's no difference, except that we're not inherently violent."
"Except when someone gets between Candace and birthday cake," Eva laughed, and for a moment Relena felt nearly normal. Are we doing the right thing? She thought, looking past Patricia at the ocean. We are only children… can't that be enough?
Relena woke before she opened her eyes, a mix of horror and disbelief running through her veins. It was a dream. That's all. She tried desperately to keep herself from panicking as she heard, distinctly, Heero's deep and even breathing next to her. She silently thanked god for the scheduled heat the day before, making it too uncomfortable to stay cuddled together for long. Taking a deep and daring breath, Relena sat up, swung her legs over the side of the bed and stood up, trying desperately to make as little noise as possible. Turning her head, she watched as Heero shifted slightly, repositioning his pillow before settling back to sleep, snoring lightly.
Okay, Relena, she coached herself. Grab what you need and leave. She quickly picked up some clothes she had left on the floor the evening before, fumbling around in the dark slightly before she could find exactly what she looked for before practically scrambling out of the room. Now, shut the door. She held the doorknob in the open position carefully, letting it turn back into place carefully as possible before letting go and backing away down the hall. Her eyes had dark adjusted slightly, and Relena could see the kitchen light had been left on downstairs, giving her enough illumination to navigate the stairs without tripping. Reaching the bottom of the stairs, Relena pulled on a pair of panties and blue jeans, flinching even at the tiny sound of the zipper as she fastened it. Pulling on a t-shirt, she continued into the kitchen, opened a cupboard and pulled out a nearly fully outfitted backpack.
"Okay," Relena said out loud, wincing as she realized that she had been careless enough to make any extra noise. Opening the bag, Relena inspected the contents briefly before closing her eyes, steeling herself. Get out, her mind reminded her, and Relena stood, slinging the bag over her shoulder. Putting it down in the hallway, Relena pulled on a pair of socks before walking into the living room. There, resting in the corner, was Heero's gun safe. She approached it warily, almost completely sure that, knowing Heero, it would be more secure than her bank accounts in Switzerland. Thankfully, he's been careless. Reaching the safe, Relena pulled on the handle, opening the door easily. Unlocked. God. This is really happening, she thought to herself. Looking over the small collection of arms, Relena grabbed a small handgun, a clip of ammunition and closed the door quickly.
Finally, Relena heaved a breath, trying desperately to calm her now churning stomach, and, nearly without pausing, grabbed the bag, slung it over her shoulder, slipped into her shoes, opened the front door and closed it behind her. Loosing the bag for a moment, Relena took a map out of a side pocket, looked at it briefly, turned and walked away. Now, don't you dare look back.
June, A.C. 191, Brazil
"Dorothy, I don't think you understand exactly what I'm looking for," Relena said, trying to end the conversation as gracefully as possible.
"You want people you can depend on to play your little game. I'm far from stupid, Miss Relena. You want people you can control. Who better than family?" The two girls walked, quietly, through the streets of New York City, the surrounding chatter and city sounds drowning out their abnormal conversation.
"This isn't about control, it's about safety in numbers. This only started because of people like me, people like both of us, who don't want to remain useless. The networking opportunities in itself are endless…"
"And what would the purpose of that be, exactly? You want to be useful, yet refuse to admit that you plan on using your admitted numbers to exert control of any situation! Miss Relena, that's simply preposterous." Dorothy smiled at the younger girl, taking her hands and holding them in front of her. "I can help you. I know a lot of people who would love nothing more than to work for the causes of someone like you. You're so charismatic and energetic, it's no wonder lowly little teenagers like us can't resist you! Imagine what you could do with a little power backing you up!" Relena pulled her hands away from the other girl, pretending to ignore what she had said, but the words practically rang in her ears.
"I don't want power," she whispered, turning away. "I've seen what it does to people. We need to all find a way to work cooperatively, not make everything based on the might of one person or how nice they sound when they speak!" Relena swallowed, walking away. "My own father hardly sees his family. Why would I want that for myself?"
Dorothy shook her head slightly, as though she were trying to explain a concept to a child and failing. "Because you are different, Miss Relena. People look up to you. Look at the following you have just of students! Imagine what you could do with that alone…"
"No." Relena turned, pointing a finger at Dorothy harshly. "It will never happen. These are my companions, my friends. I would never put them in danger, especially for something as futile as a war."
Laughing, Dorothy clasped her hands behind her back and veered off down a side street and into the city. "That's the problem with humans, Relena. You can always tell them what to do, and with someone like you, they'd probably listen, but you can never tell them what not to and them to behave."
"One-twenty-seven Beechwood Drive," Relena murmured to herself, trying to distract her mind from the memories that came flooding back to her with every step. He trusted you once, her conscious mind interjected, and she woman felt guilt flood through her. He loved you, once.
"One-twenty-seven Beechwood Drive," she intoned again, holding the map shakily in her hands, forcing herself to walk at a reasonable pace. After having been out with Heero, even in daylight, she knew, she hoped, her disguise was good enough to last until her destination. "…. Four more blocks."
"Hey, sweetheart! You shouldn't be out here all alone at night! You need a ride?" a congenial looking older man looked out his car window at her, and Relena remembered what Heero had said. "Here, everyone works for Lavie first."
"No, thanks," she said, smiling to him and showing him the map. "I'm just headed to a friend's place, it's not too far. Besides, the weather's beautiful!" She waved and kept walking, but the cab driver followed her slowly.
"Well, alright, love. Be careful, though. It's practically the dead of night!" He sped away, headlights helping illuminate the street for her temporarily. Her legs were stronger now, benefitting from hours of being left alone with little else to do but exercise in Heero's basement gym and read. Turning a corner, Relena had found the street she was looking for.
"God, this better be the right place," she thought, her mind racing as she tried frantically to plan escape attempts, knowing she could not afford to be wrong. Stepping up to the front door, she looked in the side window. The small townhouse was similar to Heero's as far as she could see, but the house was pitch black. Screwing all her courage, Relena stepped forward and quickly pushed the doorbell, adrenaline making her pulse beat loudly in her ears. Should I ring it again? She pondered her next move before nearly jumping out of her skin at the sight of a light turning on and steps moving inside the house.
"What the heck, Caden?" Neil's voice sounded behind the door, and for a brief second Relena remembered exactly where the man's allegiance lay, terrifying herself. The door opened and, much like her reunion with Heero a month before, Neil and Relena stood, shocked, before she dove in the door and closed it behind her.
"What… what in the hell are you doing here?" Neil asked, watching her as she walked into the house, turned off the hall light and put down her bag.
"You told me to escape, I did it. Were you really unaware Lavie no longer had me?" She stared at him, her eyes cold, hoping her expression gave away neither the overwhelming fears nor deep-seated hopes that were flooding her mind.
"We knew," Neil said, "but why didn't you come to me? Where have you been?" his voice had changed now, one of disbelief and relief, as though he were finding a long lost sister.
"You wouldn't believe me if I told you, but I'm going to," she said, kicking off her shoes and collapsing into a chair, realizing many of the furnishings in Neil's home were similar to Heero's own. "Sit, this is going to take some time." Clearing her throat, Relena leveled with Neil. "You left me in prison, Neil. While my previous… caretaker… may not have been, you knew what they did to me. Why?"
Neil looked at her, threading his fingers together nervously. "There's more at play here than you can understand, Relena." She laughed, eerie sound filling the previously silent house.
"Try me," she said, leaning back in her chair. "I know that Lavie wants to drop this colony. I know he wants to use you and his other citizens to claim the others in his name. He's going to kill billions of people, Neil, and you are helping him." Neil sat, open mouthed with surprise. "I'm not stupid, Neil. I came here to find the truth, and I did. Unfortunately, there was a cost," she said, and she looked away, angry.
"Relena, I'm so sorry," Neil whispered, and Relena held a hand up to him.
"The cost was not mine. L'Ombre has reformed itself, and there will be consequences for us all." She paused again, letting the news sink in. Saying it aloud was a entirely different sensation than thinking about it, and Relena had been unprepared for the new kind of apprehension that brewed in her stomach. "They've come for me. They have a good enough idea of what's going on here to know that you all have to be stopped. They will come, and they will fight you. Many of you may die."
Neil shook his head. "I thought you said L'Ombre was dead. Once the war began you let it die. You had promised."
"Someone gave me an excellent piece of advice, once," Relena said, pulling a water bottle out of her bag and taking a drink. "You can tell people what you want them to do and they will drink it up, but take the choice away, and they will hate you. Tell a child to play, and he will, but the moment you tell him to stop, it's all he can think about. We were children, Neil, and they wanted to play. Apparently," she said wryly, "they still do."
"You think that's why this colony exists. Relena, you're ridiculous. Is there anything you won't blame yourself for?" He stood up, throwing his hands in the air before walking away.
"I told soldiers they could no longer fight. Weapons manufacturing is minimal at best, and they were forced to live normal, placid lives. It was more than most were ready for, apparently." Heero, she thought, remembering how she had left him in the night. Did I ask too much? "It doesn't explain this new violence, though. Lavie has given them all the freedoms they could ask, accepting their identities as killers instead of them being hidden and persecuted on Earth or other, pacifist colonies. All he wants in return is for you all to use those skills for his purpose."
Neil looked at her, his dark cheeks becoming flushed with anger. "That's preposterous! He's not going to drop this colony! I work hand in hand with the man. We know that he wants to take other colonies and even some parts of the Earth, but it's only to liberate them from people like you, who want to just snuff out the past decade as though it never existed!"
Relena looked at him as though he were a wayward child. "Pretty words. You're telling me that since they caught me, since I escaped, nothing has changed? Tell me; if his problem is with the laws of the Earth, or with Quatre's rulings on weapons use, or even with our interpretation of history, why kidnap me? What part, other than performing my job, makes me the focus of his vendetta?"
"You're insane." He walked back to the front door, staring at it. "You need to leave, Relena."
"Like hell am I going out there," she said, and Neil whirled around, shocked not only at her language, but that she would so vehemently stay.
"Why? Tell me where you've been, Relena. You look…" delicious, he wanted to say, but he settled for "healthy. Someone took care of you. Who do you have here on this colony? Whoever they are, they'll be found, Relena. If your little 'shadows' are running around here, they need to leave."
Relena turned in her chair and crossed her legs, clasping her hands around her knee. "Does your friend Caden look familiar to you, ever? When you met him, did he remind you of anyone else?" Neil narrowed his eyes, thinking. "I know why you left L'Ombre, why you left Europe and ran away. When the war began you watched me turn to someone else. Do you remember who that was?"
"Heero Yuy," Neil spat before audibly gasping, pressing his back against the door.
"Your 'friend', Caden, is Heero Yuy. By chance I found him, and he cared for me, keeping me away from Lavie, but also from you, Middie, and Trowa Barton."
"They're all here? How…. What in the hell is going on?" Neil's legs looked weak as Relena reached into her bag, pulled out a gun and aimed it at him.
"Neil, my dear. You seem to have forgotten something vital about me. Not only do I run with Gundam pilots, I run among shadows." She stepped closer, a grin overtaking her features. "When you run among shadows, you learn quickly never to loose your footing."
