Alone/Together
by Midii Une
Chapter 11
Wufei glanced up into the sky as a pair of mobile suit carriers blasted past
overhead, circling the ruins of the former
He was startled by the staccato, echoing sound of a pair of gun shots from the
direction of the cliffside terrace. His dark eyes took in the dangling cable
and he peered down below to where the beach had been. It was nothing now but a
turbulent, swirling mess of water crashing in white-tipped splashes against the
side of the cliff.
******
“Trowa,” Quatre shouted, peering into the dark vent after his best friend,
shining his flashlight downward, the beam hardly making a dent in the inky
blackness. It wasn’t like Trowa at all to pull an ill-advised move like that.
There had to be an easier, quicker way to get into the
Dorothy tugged on his arm, “Quatre you cannot go down that way,” she said,
“you’ll fall straight into a trap.”
Quatre sighed. “How did you get in Dorothy? Did you see the entrance,” he
asked.
She shook her head. “It was so dark. I don’t know. But there was a road and
some kind of huge overhead door,” she said. They heard the sound of the
Preventers mobile suit carriers arriving.
“Alright,” Duo said, eyes lighting up in anticipation of the battle in spite of
himself. “It’s time for us to squash these busy little ants before they even
know what hit them.”
******
A whimper escaped Midii’s throat as Mezzo crushed her closer to the wall and
his hand lingered on the soft skin over her heart, which was pounding like a
scared rabbit’s. Her hand opened and closed futilely as he tightened his grip
on her wrist. Her mind raced with thoughts of escape.
“There’s only two things more important to a guy than sex,” Stefan had once
said, prepping her for a mission. “Breathing and protecting himself, if you
know what I mean. If anybody lays a hand on you take care of those two things
and run like hell and never look back. If he touches you I’ll go back later on
and make sure the guy never gets back up. Don’t worry about it, you’ll be
fine.”
“Please, please don’t,” she begged, tears streaking her dirty cheeks.
“You’re a traitor,” his voice hissed in her ear. “Traitors are not entitled to
pity. Did they promise you protection? Promise you’d be safe? You betrayed us
and there’s no escaping the penalty.”
“Just kill me, like you killed Stefan,” she whispered softly, her voice
catching on the name.
“Begging for death already,” Mezzo asked, the corners of his mouth turning up
in a cold smile as his hand traveled down to the hem of her skirt. “You
disappoint me, I thought you’d be little tougher to crack Une. Your stuff’s
never failed you before has it? The soft voice, the innocent face, the tears?.
Got’em every time didn’t you? Luck, not skill, that’s all it ever was for you,
from that first failed mission until now. But guess what, you never fooled me,
never.”
He pulled back from her a bit and backhanded her across the face. Her head
jerked from the blow and her grip on consciousness and reality started to ebb
again. Stefan’s words repeated themselves in her head again, from far away. She
lifted her head to meet his cold, pale blue gaze. Now, she thought.
Her knee came up hard in his groin and he dropped her wrist in surprise as he
groaned in anguish, she rammed her elbow into his windpipe.
She made it as far as the next room before the adrenaline rush faded, she tried
to fight against the swimming blackness but she passed out.
*****
“Relena, don’t try to talk,” Heero ordered. Every time she opened her mouth to
speak she swallowed more sea water.
“B-but, Heero,” she gasped, ignoring his sensible advice and swallowing another
large mouthful of saltwater. Relena’s hair floated on the surface as her head
went under as another wave crashed over the two of them. The sea had looked so
calm and tranquil when they had been sitting on the beach but the rising tide
was rough and full of undercurrents.
Heero pulled her up in a lifeguard hold. He felt strangely calm, as he usually
did when in a situation that would usually be very stressful. Hopefully someone
had heard the two shots he managed to get off before he was forced to drop his
gun into the sea, needing both hands to keep Relena afloat in the turbulent
water.
“Just float, I have you,” he said, tightening his grip on her wet body.
“Concentrate on the sunrise, or whatever. Just keep still.”
Relena let her body relax and ride on the water. He was right, he was here and
there was no reason to be afraid. The sunrise turned the water red and pink and
transformed the tips of the waves a glowing white. It was so beautiful. If they
lived through this she’d never forget the strange beauty of the sunrise-colored
water and the absolute transferal of her life into Heero’s arms.
******
Midii came awake choking and coughing from a puff of cigarette smoke in her
face.
“That was very stupid,” he said as her eyes fluttered open, his voice rasping
from his injured windpipe. “Seems like I’m out of commission for the moment so
what shall we do to while away the time?”
Midii groaned and tried to sit up but he shoved her back down, keeping a hand
on her throat, and blowing another puff of smoke in her face. Mezzo looked at
the glowing tip of the cigarette thoughtfully.
*****
He felt like he’d been crawling around in the darkness for hours. Dorothy’s
careless words sending him off unthinkingly on the most direct route to Midii’s
side. The most direct but probably not the quickest he thought, the trip
through the vent giving him time to reconsider what he was doing. He’d made an
awful mistake, he should have gone back when he heard Quatre calling after him.
Suddenly Trowa heard a heart-rending scream seemingly right below him.
He propped himself against the sides of the vent with his arms, suspending
himself in the air momentarily and frowning in concentration before thrusting
down against the floor of the vent with his legs crashing through the thin
layer of metal and the drop ceiling below it.
“What the hell, is it fucking Super Man coming in to save the day,” Mezzo said
sarcastically as pieces of ceiling tile, metal and insulation fluttered down on
top of him and Midii and Trowa landed beside them on the floor.
*******
“What’s the matter Yuy? Miss your boat,” Wufei called, peering over the edge of
the speedboat he had requisitioned at Heero and Relena bobbing in the water.
Heero narrowed his eyes but they didn’t hold their usual look of single-minded
purpose. He guided Relena over to the side of the boat and Wufei pulled her in.
Heero grabbed onto the side and vaulted himself in with his characteristic
powerful grace, his strength undaunted by an hour of swimming in rough water.
“Well,” Heero asked impatiently. “I saw the carriers. What’s been happening?”
“Damned if I know,” Wufei said. “While you were enjoying your relaxing dip in
the ocean I was babysitting Maxwell’s wife, Barton’s sister and some kid who
had all the answers.”
“Answers to what,” Relena asked, her teeth chattering slightly. Heero wrapped
the blanket more snugly around her.
“That woman’s partner was murdered,” Wufei said. “Maxwell, of course with his
dumb luck, led us straight to the body. The kid, his nephew I guess, said
something was going down at the old Corsica base so that’s where the others
are. Looks to me like they found something.”
“Let’s get over there then,” Heero said quickly.
“Where did you think I was headed,” Wufei snapped in irritation. He was more
than ready to finally get some action.
Duo was impatiently hopping from one foot to another waiting for backup before
he could go in with his mobile suit. A grin appeared on his face and a
mischievous glint lit his violet eyes as the boat pulled up to the
deteriorating dock at the base.
“Finally,” he said, failing to hold back a snort of laughter at the dripping
state of Heero’s attire.
“I’ll ask later,” Duo said, hastily strapping himself into a Preventers mobile
suit. “Right now it’s time for the much-anticipated return of the God of Death.
Just be careful with your aim, Trowa ran in there after Trouble and Sally and
Quatre went in on foot looking for them. Got it?”
Heero and Wufei rolled their eyes and followed after their excited comrade,
leaving Dorothy and a damp Relena together in an uncomfortable silence.
*******
Trowa aimed his gun at Mezzo. “Get away from her,” he said, gesturing with the weapon.
Mezzo put his cigarette back in his mouth and raised his hands in an attitude
of surrender and backed away.
“I don’t know who the hell you are buddy but you’re in way over your head,”
Mezzo said, slowly and carefully lowering a hand to pull the cigarette out of
his mouth, his brain frantically trying to come up with a back up plan.
“Just get out of here while you can, she’s not worth saving. Fact is I was just
using her as an ashtray,” he grinned maliciously, taking another drag of the
cigarette so the tip glowed red hot before dropping it and crushing it
underfoot. “There’s nothing lower than a double-crosser, that’s a universally
known fact pal.”
“There’s nothing lower than a man who would hurt a woman,” Trowa answered
coldly, his eyes as flinty as stone, pulling the trigger and knocking Mezzo
back with the blast.
Trowa blinked as the smoke of the shot cleared. His head turned and he went
down on his knees, tearing his jacket off and wrapping Midii in it.
“Tr-Trowa,” she whispered, her teeth chattering from fright, cold and pain.
“You sh-shouldn’t have c-come here. I--”
“Shhh,” he murmured, gathering her close in his arms. “Of course I came. Midii,
I lo--”
She heard a rasping sound in the corner and peeked over Trowa’s shoulder, her
eyes widening as the injured Mezzo pulled a gun out of his pocket and pointed
it at Trowa.
“No! Watch out,” she screamed, pushing him down on the floor with the last of
her strength and burying her head in his chest as two shots rang out.
******
Hilde looked out the window as the rose and crimson-streaked tints of sunrise
appeared over the rooftops of the city.
Duo, she thought, where are you damnit? It had been hours with no word from
anyone. She’d fallen asleep for a little while in a chair and she rolled her shoulders
and moved her head from side to side to work out the kinks. She’d awoken to the
sound of aircraft overhead, she knew the type. It was so familiar from her days
with OZ. The planes had been mobile suit carriers.
“Argh,” she groaned, clenching her fists, she couldn’t sit around and wait
anymore. Hilde pulled off the silver-gray dress and yanked on a pair of jeans
and pulled one of Duo’s t-shirts over her head. She crept out of the room as
Cathrine and Anton slept on.
They were going to need all the experienced pilots they could find. The old,
familiar thrill of excitement tingled through her body and made her shiver a
little in anticipation as she raced down the stairs.
*****
“Trowa,” Quatre shouted as Sally tucked her gun back in the holster on her hip
and raced over to the Gundam pilot and the girl who had led them all into this
mess in the first place. Well thank God she had, from the looks of this place
the Alliance had been on the verge of making a very big comeback.
“Are you two alright,” Sally asked as Trowa sat up, pulling a limp and
trembling Midii with him. Sally noticed that her eyes held a glazed, confused
look and her skin had a slightly bluish pallor. She beckoned to the medical
team she’d brought in with her and Quatre.
“Midii,” Trowa begged, bending over her and stroking her hair comfortingly,
holding her eyes with his own. “Just hold on a little longer, stay with me. We
have to get you out of here.”
Her clouded blue-gray eyes seemed to focus on his, caught by the sound of his
voice.
“Nanashi? . . . Nanashi, why did you save me . . . why?” her slurred voice
whispered, a single tear trailing down her face.
A shudder ran through her and her head fell forward against his chest with a
soft little plop.
Sally shoved him aside with surprising strength. “Move Trowa, she’s going into
shock,” she said, laying Midii flat.
Sally scanned the girl’s condition which appeared to be rapidly deteriorating.
Her hand automatically withdrew slightly from her cold clammy skin before the
doctor in her set back to work with calm efficiency. No matter what she’d done
she wouldn’t let her die. Her information was going to save the world a lot of
grief in the end after all. Heero, Duo and Wufei were already hard at work
destroying the underground base before the enemy had even been alerted to their
presence, explosions sounded in the distance. She pried one of Midii’s lids
open with her thumb and chafed her hands over her cold arms.
“Damnit, unresponsive,” Sally muttered, gripping the unconscious girl’s wrist
and monitoring the weak, fluttering pulse beat beneath the translucent,
delicate skin. The bastard had really done a number on her.
“Are you getting this down,” she spoke to her assistant. “Left arm appears
severely sprained, possibly broken; electrical burns upper right chest,
second-degree burns on lower right arm. Unresponsive to preliminary treatment
for severe shock. No evidence of spinal injury, we have to get her out now or
we’re going to lose her, blood pressure’s dropping as we speak.”
At a nod from Sally her assistant carefully started to lift Midii off the floor
before Trowa’s hand stopped him. “Let me,” he insisted.
“No Trowa, we need you here. Go with Quatre, take it all out on the enemy, you
can’t do anything to help her now,” Sally said, shocked at seeing his emotions
painted on his face instead of his usual calm mask. She tried to inject
reassurance into her voice. “I promise I’ll do everything I can, once we’re at
the hospital she’ll be just fine. You just hurry up and finish things here. We
need you.”
Trowa nodded tersely, she was right, he couldn’t do anything. His hand brushed
softly against her cold one. “Midii I’ll be there when you wake up. Please pull
through this,” he whispered, hoping she heard him in her heart, her frighteningly
still face showed nothing at all.
******
“Awww man, this isn’t much fun. It’s like shooting sitting ducks,” Duo
complained, blasting away at the rows of mobile suits. Doing away with the few
manned weapons had taken a ridiculously short amount of time.
“Boring, boring, boring!! This really sucks,” Duo continued, yawning. “Ya mean
I waited up all night for this?”
His beam saber sliced through rows of idle mobile suits like a hot knife
through butter.
Heero’s suit turned slightly as his control panel emitted a frantic beeping.
Suddenly a squadron of the enemy mobile suits erupted from underneath the
floor, the fluorescent light glinting off their gleaming black titanium armor.
“Kuso,” Heero muttered. “A second level. These were just decoys.”
Wufei’s black eyes gleamed with satisfaction. He hadn’t spoken up to agree with
that loudmouthed Maxwell earlier but this kind of battle was much more to his
liking. The tightness in his wounded shoulder was completely forgotten as his
piloting instincts kicked in full force.
“Well fellas, welcome to HELL,” Duo shouted in greeting to the newcomers. “Hope
you enjoy your stay ‘cause it’s gonna be a SHORT ONE!!!”
*******
Sally could see the exit in the distance, the Preventers ambulances,
helicopters and remaining mobile suits barely visible to her eye.
“How’s she doing,” she asked her assistant. They didn’t want to move fast and
jar her too much.
“Hanging in there Sally,” he said, looking at the girl he held carefully in his
arms as if she were a delicate piece of china. “But Christ, she looks just
awful.”
“We’re almost there,” Sally pointed out, just as a man stepped out of the
shadows.
“General Soixante,” Sally exclaimed, a look of surprise appearing on her face.
She knew this man, knew him very well. For many years she had worked under his
direction as a member of the EarthSphere Alliance Forces. It came home to her
that she and Midii had probably been working side by side on many occasions
without her even knowing it.
“Major Sally Po,” the general intoned, instantly recognizing the woman who had
been one of the best officers the Alliance had ever boasted of having in its
ranks. Her judgement and sense of integrity were admirable.
“You’re behind this,” Sally questioned. She had admired the man once, he had
been so much more dignified and fair than that disgusting pig of a man, General
Septem.
“I have always been a loyal supporter of the EarthSphere Alliance,” Soixante
said. “It was my duty to direct a resurgence.”
“That time is over,” Sally said, trying to reason with the man. “This is
nothing but an unnecessary threat to peace. You could have used these resources
to do a lot of good for the Earth and the colonies. I don’t understand.”
“You’re too young to understand Major,” the general said. “There is a whole
generation of men and women who have been nothing but soldiers. We don’t know
any other way to live. War is a way of life for us. Perhaps we’d rather die
fighting than live in this world of peace, a world that looks down upon and
scorns the soldiers who fought and died in the past.”
“No,” Sally said. “It doesn’t have to be that way.”
“I thank your organization for giving us an honorable final battle,” the
general continued, his eyes misting. “Now I will ask you one last favor, Major
Po. You were always an impartial woman.”
He pulled out his pistol and aimed it at them. “Let me die here on the front
lines. You are the commander of this mission, give me satisfaction.”
A tear streaked Sally’s pale cheek. She had admired him once, she owed him a
death in battle. Her slender hand reached for the gun on her hip and she shot
him once, through the center of the forehead.
“Damnit,” she screamed. “When will this be over. Will it ever be over?”
She looked at Midii and decided right then and there that she was going to do
whatever it took to save her life and set her on the right path.
“Never again,” Sally vowed to herself. “I’ll never lose another former ally
like that again. There’s no reason we can’t all adjust to this new way of life.
No reason at all.”
A wry smile crossed her face. She wondered what Midii was going to think about
becoming her personal project.
******
The heat was on and Duo was starting to regret his earlier complaints. There
were just so damn many of them. They kept surging up from the lower level like
an upside down waterfall of mobile suits. They’d already lost a few of the
backup pilots and he was starting to get mightily pissed.
“I shoulda kept DeathScythe around. I knew it,” he grumbled to himself. “But
noooo, old Quatre says lets send our Gundams to the goddamn sun!”
A Preventers’ mobile suit slashed its way toward him, dispatching the enemy’s
neo-Taurus suits with ease. At the other corner of the hangar, on the other
side of the gaping hole from which the suits were swarming, explosions erupted
in short, quick bursts of bright orange-red.
“I came to see what was keeping you,” a familiar voice sounded over his comm
unit. “You’ve been up all night. Aren’t you ready to come to bed yet?”
Duo’s face showed a pleased grin.
“With you next to me baby we’ll be hittin’ those sheets in no time,” he
countered. Hilde and Duo stood back to back in their suits and commenced
destruction.
On the other side of the hole in the floor Quatre and Trowa were blasting and
slashing away from behind as well. Quatre glanced worriedly over at Trowa’s
suit. But he soon realized he had no cause to be apprehensive about his best
friend’s performance. Trowa was an efficient killing machine, his usual
single-mindedness concentrated on getting out of there as quickly as possible.
Thirty minutes later it was all over. The neo-Taurus suits were smoldering
heaps of melting, sparking titanium and the survivors were raising their hands
in surrender.
******
“Has she woken up,” Trowa asked Sally, searching her face for an answer to his
question.
“No, but that’s to be expected, we had to sedate her rather heavily in order to
stabilize her vital signs,” she said, frowning a little. Midii was still
restless and agitated despite all the medication they’d pumped into her but
they didn’t dare give her anymore.
“We need to talk anyway,” Sally said, trying to gauge Trowa’s state of mind but
finding it difficult. His usual mask was back in place again. “I’ve been doing
some thinking about Midii’s future. Hopefully you’ll agree to help me.”
*****
A tiny frown creased her brow and one of her fists was clenched on the pale
blue hospital blanket. Trowa reached out and tried to gently open her hand but
she groaned softly and tightened her grip on the blanket.
“Stefan,” she muttered, trapped by the drugs in a nightmare where he was being
shot over and over again.
The other man’s name was like a sharp prick of pain in his heart. What did his
death mean to Midii? What had he meant to Midii? A vision of Stefan’s handsome,
cocky face arose in Trowa’s memory. He’d been a complete jerk and yet he’d died
trying to save her life. Had he loved her? More importantly, had she loved him?
Was everything he thought there had been between himself and her all part of
some elaborate act on her part? She was more than capable of such a deception,
he knew that better than anyone.
His hand reached out to stroke the back of her clenched hand with his
fingertips and finally her grip on the blanket loosened and he took her hand in
his.
“Trowa,” she murmured, her eyes fluttering open slowly, the fear in them fading
to a look of relief. “You’re safe, it’s not a dream.”
She pulled herself up gingerly and he took her carefully in his arms. She
cared, he knew she did. He’d seen it in her eyes.
“What’s going to happen now,” she asked, snuggling her head against his
shoulder, her hair tickling the curve of his neck.
“Sally has an idea,” Trowa said. “We can’t really just let you off after all
that’s happened. I’m sorry Midii.”
“I guess I deserve prison after all the trouble I’ve put everyone through,”
Midii said softly, her voice resigned, but her mind beginning to work out the
details of a possible escape. She had no intention of going to prison, not even
if Trowa thought she deserved it.
He smiled a little at her remark. “It’s not that bad,” he explained. “It’s a
sort of parole. You’ll have to meet with Sally once a month and the rest of the
time you’ll have to agree to stay on a certain colony.”
“Which colony,” she asked.
“Whichever one I’m on,” Trowa said. “I agreed to keep you out of trouble.”
“That won’t be an easy mission,” she said, a hint of a smile appearing on her
face.
“I think I’m up to it,” he answered, cupping her cheek with his hand and
kissing her softly.
*****
“Okay guys,” Duo announced, grinning evilly at his comrades. “You know what
time it is.”
Heero rolled his eyes in annoyance and looked at his watch, drumming his
fingers on the table in an uncharacteristic display of nervousness. He had
somewhere important to be and he didn’t dare be late.
“Not this again. Must we go through this every time,” he asked. Duo’s
traditional post-mission awards were always stupid and often embarrassing.
“Yep, we do,” Duo said grinning. “And just for complaining you get yours last
Heero.”
An almost-growl emerged from Heero’s throat and he peered at his watch again.
He decided against complaining, it would only egg Duo on to stall his silly
performance even further.
“Okay, we’ll do Quatre first. Cuz’ Quatre, you’re always polite. It’s amazing man,
even in the middle of a battle. You’re polite,” Duo said.
“Thanks Duo,” Quatre said in a pleased voice. He was the only one other than
Duo that enjoyed the post-mission awards. The other three pilots thought it was
outrageous and unnecessary. Quatre knew they needed to act a little crazy at
times and let the tension out and Duo was very good at making that happen
Duo handed Quatre a double-padded fencing jacket. Quatre looked at it puzzled.
“What’s this for,” he asked.
“Man, you get the award for bravery in the bedroom,” Duo said. “Sleeping with
the chick that stabbed you takes guts! My advice is to keep the jacket handy in
case she gets moody.”
“Uh, thanks. I guess,” Quatre said, blushing furiously.
“Okay Wufei, you’re next,” Duo continued, handing the Chinese pilot a
bullet-proof vest. “Since Sally told me that Trouble’s gonna be joining our
happy little family I gotcha this in case she decides to shoot at you again.”
Wufei didn’t answer and left the vest sitting on the table in front of him untouched.
Duo handed Trowa a big box of candy in the shape of the heart. “This is a first
for Trowa,” Duo said, grinning wickedly. “Give him a hand guys. Trowa gets the
romantic hero award. I was gonna give you some escape-resistant handcuffs so
you don’t lose track of her but Hilde wouldn’t let me. Oh yeah, sorry, I ate
all the chocolate cherries outta there too. I got hungry.”
Duo peered under Trowa’s bangs. “Look he’s blushing,” he laughed.
Trowa backhanded Duo and looked at his watch. He wanted to get back to the
hospital. Midii was getting out today.
“Hey, no smacking the awards emcee,” Duo scolded Trowa, evading his swat.
“And now for Heero Yuy,” Duo said finally, handing Heero a pair of his and her
lifejackets. “One for you and one for the princess. Just so you guys can stay
afloat next time you spend the night in the ocean. Nice first date Heero, bet
she never forgets that one.”
“Can I leave now,” Heero asked, restraining himself from smiling. He was
getting soft.
******
“Sorry I’m late,” he whispered, taking her in his arms and kissing her softly
and with increasing passion as she wrapped her own arms around him tightly.
“You had me a little scared for a minute there,” she teased. “I thought maybe
something had come up. Another mission perhaps.”
“Nothing could keep me away. Not even one of Duo’s idiotic awards ceremonies,”
he said.
“Speaking of ceremonies we’d better get up to the mayor’s office. This was the
last appointment of the day,” she said.
Standing together in a warm patch of afternoon sunlight that glinted on the
marble floor, Heero and Relena privately exchanged their wedding vows. The
slender gold band he slipped on her finger was cool but warmed instantly from
the contact with her skin. She vowed never to take it off.
“You may kiss the bride,” the mayor said.
Heero bent and kissed his wife.
*****
Another nightmare. Cold sweat beaded her forehead and she tossed back and forth
restlessly in the hospital bed. She couldn’t scream, she couldn’t move.
Midii sat straight up gasping for breath, her heart racing. She kept dreaming
the dream where Trowa came into that alley to save her and died, died just like
Stefan. She kept seeing the blood, so much blood and the surprise in his eyes.
She pushed a slender hand through her hair as her heart continued to thump
crazily. What could she be thinking? She loved Trowa, loved him more than her
own life. Loved him more than her own happiness.
“I can’t do this,” she thought. “I can’t stay here.”
She got dressed, an awkward task with her broken arm. Trowa’s Preventers jacket
was still in her closet with her things, she held it close to her for a second,
fighting back tears. The she slipped out of the hospital unseen by anyone.
Next time on Alone/Together: Epilogue . . . Can Trowa track Midii down or will
he invent a popular CD-rom game entitled “Where in the World is Midii Une?”
*******