DISCLAIMER: Gundam Wing belonged to
Sunrise and co. I’m not making any profits out of this, so don’t sue. Oh, those
you think you’ve never heard before belong to me. And feedback is very welcome,
people!☺
TIMELINE: The story mostly takes place
after Endless Waltz. To be more precise, one year after Endless Waltz. That
means two years after my very own Treize’s Revenge series.
NOTE: There are references to the Gundam Wing movie, Endless Waltz in this chapter. So, you will have to watch it to know what really happen or else you’ll be confused.
By Arayelle Lynn.
When the artificial sunlight lit the room, Kylie was already up and about. Though still weak from the loss of blood from the previous night’s ordeal, she knew that the matter was still unsettled and she needed to find out some things. As she sat in front of the computer terminal, she spared a glance at another room on her left and found that it was empty and the bed was already made. That alone told her that Heero was up before dawn to start working and find the assassin.
Kylie sighed, remembering when
all these things started. After she had killed Parkins, she had run a trace to
find his lair. There, she had gone through all his things to find out more
about this assassination, who was behind it and most of all the identity of
other assassins he had hired. Unfortunately, Parkins didn’t left much for her
to make sense of things but from what she could gather, he had recruited seven
assassins, excluding herself to assassinate the target.
And from the information she
gathered, she was able to identify and locate some of the assassin. Some of
them were known to her as she had taken the precaution to get to know a large
number of them when she started her life as an assassin. A few of those Parkins
hired had had a very good reputation, almost rivaled to her in skills. She knew
there and then that she cannot handle all seven assassins and, at the same
time, making sure the target intended remained safe, so she opted to locate
Heero and recruit his help. Convincing Heero to help her had been easier than
finding his current location as he hadn’t made it known to others. But Kylie
managed to find him a few days later and he jumped at the chance to help when
she told him what was going on. Well, after he had a gun pointed at her temple.
Since then, they worked
together. Before the end of last year, they had located and destroyed three of
the assassins before they could even made their move. The other four, who were
slightly better and had established an excellent reputation were even harder to
locate. So, they both decided to change their tactics by waiting for the four
to show themselves. But that would leave the target out in the open. So, they
decided that they should take turns; while one of them waited for the assassins
to show, the other would stay as close as he or she can to the target to ensure
safety.
It was Heero who had killed the
one from the ballroom. While Kylie stayed on at the party, Heero was following
the assassin back to his lair and killed him. Heero also took care of the
second assassin as Kylie was busy posing as one of the security guard. But the
third attempt had been close, too close as the assassin was well aware that
there were people who were hunting down the assassins Parkins had hired and
killed them off. He nearly slipped out of Heero’s grasp and if she hadn’t
appeared to help Heero, they would’ve lost him. Since there were too many
Preventer agents, Kylie had to leave Heero to take care of the body so her
absence won’t be missed by much. Kylie didn’t know where Heero had stashed the
body and she didn’t bother to find out from him.
However, this fourth attack had
really taken her by surprise. While Heero was busy guarding over the target in
the crowds, Kylie was given the job to eliminate the supposedly last of the
assassins. She had managed to sneak up on him while he was ready to pull the
trigger. Then it was over, or so she thought. Then, she saw something passed
through at the corner of her eyes, heading towards the target. She turned, only
to be awarded by an arrow that went through her shoulder. Rather surprised by
the appearance of the new assassin, Kylie was thrown back and only caught a
glimpse of the retreating form. But that was enough to tell her that the new
player was a woman, maybe as young as she was.
And after making sure who was
hit by the arrow, Kylie had dragged herself off the rooftop before Duo Maxwell
and Trowa Barton could catch her. But as she ran, her main concern was on the
new assassin, and how good she really was to be able to sneak up on her.
Kylie reread all of the
information she had gathered from Parkins regarding the assassins he had hired.
So far, she found nothing that described or indicated who this new player was.
Whoever she was, maybe Parkins had kept her a secret or maybe she had an
entirely new story.
She sighed, rubbing her sore
eyes from staring at the computer screen for so long. Then something wet grazed
her thigh as she heard a whine. It was Adin, Heero’s pet wolf-puppy. Heero had
brought him along for god-knows-why.
“What? You hungry?” she asked, rising from her seat to prepare some
food. It was almost twelve in the afternoon and she wondered how Heero was
doing.
Suddenly there was a knock on
the door. Kylie’s head whipped as she reached for her gun. She and Heero had
established a secret knock of their own so they could identify each other and
that was not it. “Who is it?” she asked, as Adin started to growl.
“It’s me.”
Kylie frowned as she recognized
the voice. She hadn’t expected him to come even though she’s aware that he knew
her address. Putting her gun away but within reach, she straightened her
wrinkled bathrobe, preparing herself for a convincing charade and opened the
door. “Sir, why are you here?” she asked as soon as Duke Winteridge came into
view. She felt herself turning into a completely different person.
“Can I come in?” he asked.
Without waiting for her to say yes, he stepped inside. “I’m sorry to have
barged in on you like this since I know it’s your day off, but I need you to do
me a favor?” he said, then stopped when Adin was growling at him. He turned to
her. “That’s a beautiful puppy. Could you call it off me?”
Kylie turned to the puppy and
met its eyes. She nodded, signaling that he should stand ready. Since the pup
had been leaving with Heero for so long, he understood a few non-verbal
commands. “Down, Adin,” Kylie added just for an effect. Adin stood in attention
but watched Winteridge carefully.
She turned to Winteridge. “What
do you want me to do, sir?” she asked.
He came over and put his hands
on her shoulders. Kylie had to use all the self-control she had not to wince as
the pain from the wound shot up her spine. Or not to grab his hands and break
it, something she had wanted to do since the first time Winteridge had taken an
interest in her. But for the sake of this mission, she buried all her violent
urge whenever she was with him.
“I want you to meet Ambassador
Winner this evening,” he answered. Kylie was surprised. “He called up the
office this morning, looking for you so I set up a meeting for the two of you,”
he explained.
“What! Why me, sir?” she asked.
She was mildly surprised by this. Did Quatre suspect something? Is this a trap
the other Gundam pilots set to get her? When she realized Winteridge was
speaking, she put her thoughts aside.
“I want you to find out anything
that could help me win Project Jupiter. Anything, including his plans for
Project Jupiter,” Winteridge said. Kylie nodded, knowing this man thought about
nothing else but money. And maybe how to get her under the sack, which would never
happen.
“But why me?” she asked.
Winteridge trailed his fingers
along her cheeks. Again Kylie had to hold the urge to shoot him in the head.
“Because it seems like Mr. Winner has taken a liking to my beautiful Heather,”
he said, his face closing in on hers for a kiss. Kylie quickly turned her head
away and detached herself from him.
“Alright, sir. I’ll do it,” she
said. Better face the Gundam pilots than being touch by this disgusting man.
“Where and when?” she asked, heading towards the door.
Seeing that his advances failed,
Winteridge walked up to the door. He would try to win her again. As he was
passing her, he handed her a piece of paper. “Here’s the address Mr. Winner
gave.” He winked at her. “I’m counting on you.”
When he was gone, so was the
Heather Leong persona. Again, Kylie’s hand went to the gun, which was well
hidden under her robe. And again she fought the urge to shoot him. Then
remembering the latest event, Kylie quickly went to the bathroom to clean
herself up. She knew that her meeting with Quatre Winner would mark the end of
something. But she didn’t know what.
>>>@@<<<
Lady Une sighed as she stared
out the window. She wished for countless of times now that Treize Khushrenada
would be here, telling her what to do. She felt lost and helpless to do
anything when it came to Kylie. The girl had been too independent and wild for
her to control and she wished Treize were there so he could decide the
appropriate plan of action to contain Kylie.
‘Thank god, Mariemaia is safe on
Earth and that she’s not giving the world any trouble than she already did
once,’ she silently thanked. Her thoughts went to the little girl, now going to
be 8 years old, who was waiting for her return in Treize’s mansion. Though her
job as a Preventer required her immediate attention, Lady Une never forgotten
about Mariemaia. She treated the red haired girl as if she was her own
daughter, knowing Mariemaia didn’t have anyone else except her and Kylie. If
only Kylie would return to them, then she would complete Treize’s little
family.
Realizing she was day dreaming
too much, Lady Une decided to concentrate on the matter at hand. Due to what
had taken place the day before and the discovery that Kylie might be involved,
they had cancelled Relena’s appearances for the day and rescheduled them for
later. Now, Relena was in her room, handling a politic affairs that needed her
attention while Quatre was nowhere to be found. Lady Une stayed with Relena
while Trowa and Duo went to try and locate Kylie’s whereabouts. Or Heero’s.
Suddenly there was a knock on
the door as a Preventer agent opened the door. He saluted. “Ma’am,” he said.
“Preventer agent Earth is here to see you,” he announced. Lady Une was
surprised. ‘Wu Fei? Here?’ she thought. Realizing that the agent was waiting
for her acknowledgement, she nodded. “Send him in.”
A few seconds later, Wu Fei
stepped into the suite. “It’s nice to know you’re safe. What happened when we
lost you?” she asked, gesturing him to sit. Wu Fei settled down before her.
“Shuttle problem,” he answered.
“Should’ve been the one who ran the diagnostic on my shuttle.”
Lady Une nodded. “Sorry to hear
about that.”
“But it was a good thing,” said
Wu Fei. “Or else I wouldn’t have stumbled upon Zechs and Noin.”
That caught her attention. “You
found them? Are they here?”
He shook his head. “No. They
have another thing in their mind. Something dire to us all.”
“Alright,” said Lady Une. She
trusted Zechs and Noin. If they say that they’re checking something important,
it would mean that something could be very dangerous. “Did you reached Pluto?”
she asked. To her surprise, he shook his head.
“No need. Zechs and Noin already
did it for me,” he said, reaching inside his pocket. He took out a disc and
handed it to her. “I think this will require your immediate attention and the
President’s.” Lady Une took it as Wu Fei looked around him. “When I heard
someone was targeting Relena Darlian, I quickly made my way here.”
“Then you haven’t been in
contact with Sally yet.”
“No one knows I’m back.”
Lady Une nodded. “In that case,
you should call headquarters and inform Sally that you’re back. She’s in charge
in locating you and Zechs and Noin. I’m sure she would like to know that all of
you are safe.”
“I’ll do that right after you
fill me in with what happened here.”
Before she could do so, someone
else entered the room. Trowa nodded when he saw Wu Fei, acknowledging his
presence while Duo yawned and slumped onto the sofa next to Wu Fei, not seeing
who was sitting there. He then suddenly jumped to his feet, after seeing Wu
Fei’s serious face. “Sheesh, Wu Fei. You could’ve at least say hi,” he said
after regaining his wits.
Wu Fei ignored Duo and turned to
Trowa. “Heard you could use some help,” he said. Trowa nodded. “Thanks. Your
help will be greatly appreciated.” He then turned to Lady Une and shook his
head. “Nothing. We couldn’t locate either of them.”
“I see,” said Relena, who had
just walked out from her room and settled next to Lady Une. She nodded at Wu
Fei. “Nice to see you again.” Wu Fei shrugged.
“Likewise.”
“So far we drew a blank as to
where Heero and Kylie are hiding,” Trowa reported. Hearing the name of his duel
partner, Wu Fei looked up. Trowa looked at him. “Maybe we should fill you in so
you might see something we missed.”
Wu Fei leaned back as he
listened.
>>>@@<<<
Again, Quatre found himself
waiting in the restaurant. But this time, his mind was playing strategies on
how to get the truth out from a very secretive young woman. He discarded a lot
of strategies, finding them inappropriate that at last, he decided on a direct
approach.
Suddenly, a shadow was cast upon
him as a voice said, “Mr. Winner?”
He looked up to see the person
he was waiting for. “Hello, Kylie.”
The girl before her looked at
him, puzzled. “I’m Heather, Mr. Winner. You and I have talked about this.”
“We did but I’m not sure that’s
who you really are,” said Quatre, rising up. “No. You’re Kylie Rayden
Khushrenada. Treize’s adopted daughter. I’m sure of it now more than ever.”
Quatre saw her eyes hardened as
she started to turn away. “You’re crazy,” she said, walking out of the
restaurant. He quickly ran after her and caught her when they were outside.
“Why are you targeting Miss
Relena?” he asked. That made her stop.
“I’m not the one targeting her,”
she said, her back on him. But her appearance changed. He was right, Heather
Leong was Kylie Khushrenada. He came closer to her. “In that case, you are
protecting her. You and Heero,” he said, gently. “Those note, the picture and
the roses. They are all warnings, right?”
Then to his surprise, Kylie’s
body tensed as if she was holding back an uncontrollable rage. She turned to face
him, her face cold. “You haven’t figure it all out, have you?” she hissed. Her
voice barely reached the level of a whisper. “Those notes weren’t meant for
Relena Darlian.”
Surprised, Quatre took a step
back.
>>>@@<<<
When Trowa was finished, Wu Fei
was deep in thought. In his mind, he understood that it was a natural thing for
them to suspect Kyle Rayden, the former assassin who had once jeopardized
Relena’s life. And the fact that Kyle Rayden or Kylie Khushrenada kept
appearing at the scene of the crime made it as though she was the one
responsible.
But Wu Fei thought there were
more to this than meets the eye. As one of the two who had dueled her before,
he more or less understood what she was thinking and why she did the things she
done. It made him more attuned towards the reason of her actions. It made him
doubt that she was their enemy.
And by the look on Trowa’s face,
Wu Fei could see that he also had his doubts. But since Quatre’s life was
endangered when the assassin was targeting Relena Darlian, he might be inclined
to believe that the assassin was Kylie Khushrenada.
“Let me see them, please,” he
finally said after a brief silence. Knowing exactly what Wu Fei meant, Trowa
showed him the threatening notes Kylie had left in Relena’s room. Wu Fei
studied the note carefully and then looked up. “Didn’t you say that the notes
were accompanied by some red roses?”
Duo shrugged. “Yeah, but we
can’t very well keep them fresh, can we?” he said. Seeing Wu Fei’s stern look,
he raised his hands in defense. “Hey, sorry. That was a jest. No, the lab has
it. They’re still trying to determine where the roses came from. Maybe then we
can find Kylie.”
Ignoring Duo, Wu Fei looked at
Trowa. “Where’s Quatre?” he asked. There was a note of urgency in his calm
voice. Trowa looked at Lady Une, who shrugged. “I haven’t seen him. He didn’t
come here.” He then looked at Duo. “Nope. Haven’t seen him.” He paused. “I went
to his room earlier but he wasn’t in.”
Trowa returned to Wu Fei. “I
checked on him early this morning but he wasn’t in. So I thought he was at
Relena’s room,” he said, glancing at Relena who shook her head. She hadn’t seen
him either.
“Dang it!” Wu Fei growled,
hitting his fist on the armrest. He had finally understood the mystery.
“Hey, control yourself, okay,”
said Duo. “The one who was being targeted is here with us, remember. So we
don’t need to fret over who’s not here.” Again, Wu Fei ignored him and looked
at Lady Une and Trowa. “Don’t you guys understand the meaning? This notes are
carrying warning for us.”
“What!” Trowa grabbed the notes
and reread them. Then he nodded his head. “You’re right, once you looked at it
in another way.” Duo turned to Wu Fei. “Yeah, but what does that have anything
to do with Quatre?”
“Plenty. Don’t you get it?”
asked Wu Fei. He looked at the faces of his companions. Only Trowa looked back
at him in horror while the others shook their heads, not knowing what he was
talking about. “The notes weren’t meant for Relena Darlian. It was for someone
else.”
With that, Duo’s jaw hung open
as Relena gasped. Lady Une was startled but it was Trowa who voiced their
fears. “Quatre.”
>>>@@<<<
“It was for me?” Quatre voiced
his thoughts. He shook his head. “No, it can’t be.”
Kylie squared her shoulder.
“Believe it, blondie. I was one of the assassins who had been hired to kill
you.”
“Assassins?” he said, disbelief.
“There were more?”
But before Kylie could explain,
there was a cracking sound as something struck him. As he fell to the ground,
he could see Kylie’s deeply concerned face as she tried to get to him. But she
too slow. His last thought was the fear in her eyes. And the world became dark
and empty.
Kylie caught Quatre before he
fell to the ground. She examined him and found a bullet hole in his heart. By
that time, his blood was pouring out like a leaking water pipe and she applied
pressure on the wound with her hand. She looked up to the crowd, which was
already gathering around. But none were doing something helpful.
Quickly she snapped. “Call the
medic now! Ambassador Winner has been shot.” Realizing who it was in her arms,
a man nodded and went inside the restaurant. Kylie looked around her, furious
with her sloppiness. She should have thought that the assassin will be watching
Quatre, waiting for the right moment to strike. But instead she had brought him
out in the open and let him distract her.
In that moment of urgency, she
thought about nothing but what she would do to make the assassin pay if Quatre
didn’t make it.
>>>@@<<<
Trowa, Wu Fei, Duo and Relena
rushed into the hospital only to find the most wanted person standing in front
of the operation room. “You!” Duo cried, storming towards her. “What did you do
to Quatre? Is this how you repay him after what he has done for you?”
“Can it, Duo,” said another
voice. They turned to find Heero standing near the entrance. He obviously had
been waiting for a while. “Kylie is not the enemy. She was the one who has been
protecting Quatre.”
Duo glared at her. “Yeah, well.
She did a very good job at it.”
“At least she managed to stop
some of the assassins,” said Heero. “That’s a lot more than what you achieved.”
Duo was about to let out some
witty remarks when the operation room swung open. A surgeon stepped out of the
room as the six of them looked at him. “Is there any of the patient’s immediate
family at present?” he asked, looking around the group. Wu Fei stepped forward.
“No, but I have this,” he said, taking out an official letter written by Lady
Une to give him the authority.
The surgeon looked at it and
nodded. “Good enough.” He paused, studying their faces. “He’s fine. The bullet
missed his heart, barely.”
“Can we see him?” asked Relena.
“Well, Mr. Winner is in recovery
right now. You’ll have to wait until he was being transferred to a room.” He
glanced at Wu Fei. “I will send a nurse to get you once he’s finally settled.”
With that, he left. Wu Fei saw Relena and Duo let out a sigh of relief as a
look of relief crossed over Trowa’s face.
They waited for an hour. Each
waited in silence as they were still trying to recover from the fact that one
of them nearly died.
“As you can see, Quatre was the
intended target,” said Heero, breaking the silence.
Relena turned to Heero. “What’s
going on, Heero? Why is there someone who wants Quatre dead?”
“Someone was hiring assassins,
including Kylie, to kill Quatre.” Heero glanced at her. “She came to me to
assist her in finding the assassins and the person who wants him dead.”
“Assassins?”
Suddenly, Kylie pushed herself
off the wall she was leaning against and started towards the exit. “Hey, where
are you going? We haven’t finish with you yet?” said Duo, starting towards her.
“Let her go,” said Heero. “She’s
not going anywhere.”
Kylie gave Heero a nod of thanks
before going through the exit. The others then turned to Heero for the whole
story. But Heero nodded at the approaching nurse. “Let’s get to Quatre’s room
first. He would want to hear this.”
They found Quatre, lying on the
bed. He smiled weakly as they entered. “Hey, guys. That was some surprise, huh?
She told me I was the real target.” He then saw Heero. “Hi, Heero. Long time no
see.”
“How are you doing, Quatre?”
asked Heero.
“A little drugged but I’m fine,”
he said. “What happened?”
“You were shot,” Heero answered.
“Since the medic was too late in reaching the destination, Kylie drove you to
the hospital.”
Quatre nodded. “I remember that.
You were there too. You hold me,” he said. Suddenly, Duo went over him and gave
Quatre a gentle hug. “Never, ever scared me like that, okay?” he reprimanded.
“What were you doing wondering around by yourself in the streets?”
“Sorry. I didn’t know I was the
target,” he answered, touched by his friend’s concern. Even Trowa was looking
at him with deep concern. “Well, at least until Kylie told me I was.” He looked
around. “Where is she?”
“She has to go, Quatre,” Heero
answered, gently. “She needs to give her statement.”
“Well, Heero. Are you going to
tell us what’s going on or not?” asked Wu Fei. Heero turned to Quatre. “Think
you are well enough to hear the story?” he asked. The Sandrock pilot nodded.
“I want to hear it too,” said a
new voice. Lady Une slipped into the room. When everyone had settled, Heero
told them what happened.
>>>@@<<
“So, Kylie’s been protecting
Quatre all along,” said Trowa when Heero was finished. “And you two pretended
that it was Relena who is being targeted.” Heero nodded.
“Yes, that’s the only thing we could do. If we gave
Quatre a direct warning, the assassins would’ve discovered our intentions and
we would never have found them. Kylie and I thought it is best for us to send
warning letters through Relena since Quatre will be staying close to her. We
thought with the security tightened around Relena, they would be able to
protect Quatre too, long enough for the two of us to find the assassins and
kill them.”
“That was pretty risky, you know,” said Wu Fei.
“Because you want to keep Quatre save, you’ve almost jeopardize Relena’s life.”
Heero glanced at Relena. “I know. But Quatre is
becoming a quite influential individual among the colonies. The leaders of the
colonies looked him up as the one who would replace his pacifist father, one
who could act as the liaison between Earth and the colonies.” He looked at
Quatre. “They need a young representative. The Earth has Relena Darlian and the
colonies feel they should have you.”
“One question,” said Duo, raising his hand. “Why
kill Quatre?”
Heero shook his head. “We don’t know. We still
haven’t figured out who is hiring the assassin.” He looked away. “That’s what
Kylie is doing right now. She’s checking out a possible suspect.”
“Who?” asked Quatre. When Heero gave him a look he
realized who it was. “Winteridge? Why would he want to kill me?”
It was Trowa who answered. “Project Jupiter, right?”
Heero nodded. “Project Jupiter.”
“That’s ridiculous. Why would anyone kill a rival
just because of a project?”
“Money is a powerful motive, Quatre,” Trowa reminded
him. “You’re his main rival in getting Project Jupiter and he wants you out of
the way.”
“And Winteridge is the only one with enough money to
pay the assassin 6 million credits for your head,” said Heero. Seeing Quatre
paled, he continued, “Kylie and I have done a reference check on who are the
possible suspects who might want you dead. Aside from MacGarth,” He glanced at
Relena. “Winteridge is the only person who fit the profile. We didn’t suspect
MacGarth because he doesn’t need you dead to destroy us Gundam pilots. He could
easily try to convince the other representatives to find and execute us. And
besides, he doesn’t have any idea you’re a Gundam pilot.”
“So, that leaves Winteridge,” Heero continued. “But
to make sure it is him, Kylie went to work with him, posing as someone else.
But so far, he hasn’t done anything to tie himself to the assassins.”
“So, it could also be someone else all together,
right?” asked Quatre.
Heero nodded. “Seems like it.”
Duo yawned. “Well, that’s okay. At least it’s all
over. Heero got our last assassin, right?”
Hearing silence, he turned to the Wing Zero pilot.
“Right?” he repeated his question. Heero looked at him and shook his head. “No,
it’s not over. The assassin got away before I could even get to her.” He
glanced at Quatre. “I had to abandon my hunt when you were shot.”
“Don’t worry,” said Trowa. “This time, you have all
of us helping you out.”
Duo shook his head. “I will only help if that girl
is out.”
“Duo!” Relena and Quatre chorused.
“Sorry, guys. I can’t work with someone I don’t
trust. And I trust that girl even less than a mouse trust a hungry cat.”
“Why not?” asked Lady Une. “She’s fought with you
before, remember.”
“Yeah, well, I need her to clear up a few things,”
said Duo. “Like where was she when Dekim Barton relaunch his mad scheme. We
could’ve use her help at the time.”
At that, Trowa looked at Heero. “She was there,”
Heero answered, quietly. Duo and Quatre looked at him, surprised while Wu Fei
nodded. “Yeah, she was there alright.” Lady Une stared at the two of them. “You
saw her too,” she said as Relena whipped her head towards the older woman.
Heero nodded and looked at Trowa. He knew Trowa had
also saw Kylie during the chaos. But he didn’t know she made herself known to
Wu Fei and Lady Une too. Duo, Quatre and Relena watched the others exchanged
glances. “I guess we have to make room for more stories,” said Duo settling
down on Quatre’s bed.
Instead of telling them his story, Heero turned to
Trowa. “You should go first. I think you’re the one who first saw her.” Trowa
nodded and looked at the others, especially Wu Fei. “As most of you know, I’d
manage to infiltrate into the Mariemaia Army only to be captured by Wu Fei.
Dekim then gave me two choices, to serve him or die. I chose the former,
thinking I could somehow stop his mad plan.”
“While Dekim was busy directing his men to prepare
their descent on Earth, I was busy preparing for my own escape.”
>>>@@<<<
After
Colony 196.
Trowa Barton walked casually
along the corridor. Most of the Mariemaia Army were busy boarding the shuttles
that would take them to Earth and rejoin their main forces. But Trowa had
another agenda. And to put that agenda into good use, he had to secure his
escape. And since the hangars in L3 X18999 were mostly bursting with
activities, he chose the fourth hanger as his means of escape. It was because
the hangar only store small shuttles which would not be practical to transfer
more than 5 soldiers to Earth. However, there’s still the matter of the guards
Dekim put in the hangar to secure the transport. But Trowa knew that he could
take them on if he had to. And one thing for sure, he had to hurry up if he
were to meet some old friends.
As he was approaching the
hangar, he immediately knew that something was amiss. The hangar was quiet, too
quiet. He slowed his pace and leaned his back against the wall near the entrance.
He reached for his weapon and when he was ready, he poked his head into the
hangar.
To his surprise, he saw a few
Mariemaia’s soldiers lying on the ground. A red uniformed soldier stood above
them, his back was onto the entrance. Realizing who it was, Trowa stepped into
the hangar. “So, you got in as well,” he said, seeing the familiar uniform.
The soldier turned around.
“Likewise,” she said. Trowa noticed she had tucked her long red hair inside her
cap so everyone who didn’t recognize her would thought her as a male soldier.
“I was there when Dekim and Wu Fei took you in.”
“You were?” Trowa said,
impressed. While he had been discovered, she had managed to maintain her
identity a secret.
“Yeah,” she said. “I was at the
back with the red uniform’s troop, though it nearly throw me off when Dekim
announced that they had a traitor among them. Luckily I saw you first before I
decided to reveal myself.”
Trowa looked at the three small
shuttles inside the hangar. “Are you going some place?”
Kylie nodded. “Yeah. My work is
not done. I still have to catch her.”
Realizing who she meant, Trowa
gave her a nod. “That means I’ll be seeing you on Earth then.”
“Looks like it,” she said.
“Dekim is going to drop this colony on Earth, you know. Are you going to do
something about it?” Seeing that the hangar was secured, Trowa kept his weapon.
“Yeah, and I think I have a few others who’s going to help me.”
“Good,” she said, knowing who he
meant. She had seen Heero and Duo breaking into the base. She had even taken a
few shots at them in her pretense as a Mariemaia’s Army. She glanced at a
shuttle. “Don’t worry, I’ll make sure that this place is secure until you and
the other two get here.”
Trowa gave her a look. “Thanks,
we would appreciate that greatly.”
With that, he was gone,
determine to save the people on Earth as well as the ones on the colony.
>>>@@<<<
“That’s the last time I saw
her,” said Trowa. He turned to Heero. “That’s why I told you to go to the
fourth hangar. I know she would be waiting for us with at least one shuttle
prepared.”
“Hm… that explains it,” said
Heero, remembering what happened next.
>>>@@<<<
After
Colony 196.
When Heero reached the fourth
hangar. He immediately knew someone was there. As fast as lightning, he whipped
his gun to his right. He then was taken by surprise. From the shadows, a figure
emerged. “You.”
“Hello, Heero Yuy. I’ve been
told that you might be coming here.”
But Heero didn’t put away his
gun. He trained evenly on her, seeing she was wearing the Mariemaia’s Army red
uniform. She could be working for Dekim. Kylie shook her head. “I guess Trowa
didn’t tell you.” She paused. “I was here to secure us a shuttle.”
“Where are you going?” he asked,
putting away his gun.
“Earth. That’s where Dekim is
heading.”
Heero shook his head. “Nope.
That’s not where I’m heading.”
“If you’re fetching your Gundam,
I guess you can take that shuttle,” she said, pointing at the first shuttle.
“I’ve already prepped that shuttle and it’s ready to go.”
“Thanks,” he said, moving
towards the shuttle.
Kylie checked the entrance.
“Where’s Trowa?”
He glanced back at her. “He got
held up. I guess he have other things in his mind,” he answered.
“I don’t think I can wait for
him,” she said. “I got to get to Brussels’s presidential residency before it is
secure.”
“In that case, don’t wait for
him. He might take a little time getting here.”
Kylie nodded. “Understood.” She
moved to the second shuttle as Heero was boarding the first one. “Heero,” she
said, as he was entering the shuttle. He waited for her to continue. She looked
at him. “Do me favor, please. Give me a way out.”
Understanding what she meant,
Heero nodded. “Be careful.”
>>>@@<<<
“What does she mean by that?”
asked Duo, as soon as Heero was finished. But when he didn’t answer, Lady Une
volunteered. “I think I know what she meant.” She noticed Relena questioning
glance and continued, “I met Kylie in the presidential residence. Or rather, I
stumbled across her plan. She was with Mariemaia.”
Although she had already
finished giving her statement to the local authorities, Kylie hung around the
hospital, wondering what was going on in Quatre’s room. Was Heero explaining
her part in this incident? Did the other Gundam pilots understood her actions
and accepted them as necessary means? Or were they still doubting her good
intentions to protect a member of their group?
Personally, Kylie didn’t care
what they thought of her. She had stopped caring what people say ever since she
was little. No, she was more concern over what the Gundam pilots would do next.
Since this mysterious assassin was not yet found, they would want to start
hunting down for her. Kylie didn’t care much about Heero, Trowa and Wu Fei’s
safety but she knew the assassin could easily destroy the weaker of the five,
Duo and Quatre. And those around them. No, she knew that the only person who
could best this new assassin, was her and she would do everything to make the
assassin hers.
She closed her eyes and leaned
against the wall, again wondering what they were doing upstairs. Were Heero,
Trowa, Wu Fei and Lady Une telling the others what she had done during the
Barton Foundation crisis? She almost laughed at that. It had been her greatest
failure. She should’ve detected it sooner rather than later. But once she was
aware of Barton’s crazy plan, the ball was already rolling and she had no
choice but to silently infiltrate his army, posing herself as one of them. Her
main plan was simple, to see Treize’s only surviving family, Mariemaia
Khushrenada.
>>>@@<<<
After
Colony 196.
Kylie reached the Brussels
presidential residence at just the right time. Dekim was issuing orders to
secure the mansion and so she quickly abandoned her shuttle which was well
hidden in the forest nearby and slipped past the guards. As the shield doors
slammed shut, Kylie leapt into the deep hole and was almost crushed by the
sixth shield door. As soon as she was passed, she took out the grappling gun
and shot it to slow her descent. She then swung herself, released her hold on
the gun and landed on top of the mansion without so much of a noise.
She looked around, surveying for
any sign of the enemy only to find the rooftop empty. ‘Hm…posing as one of
Dekim’s pawns is easy. The next part that is tricky,’ she told herself, making
her way inside. She slipped through an open window into one of the empty room.
She tiptoed to the door and put her ear onto the door, listening. Satisfied
that no one was on the other side, she opened the door and walked into the
hallway.
Then a couple of Mariemaia’s
white uniforms walked down the hallway, on watch. Kylie walked casually passed
them, knowing if they notice that she didn’t belong there, she would have to
kiss her life good bye. When the two turned
into another hallway, Kylie quickly made her way towards her goal. She had
already studied the schematic of the place and know exactly where she would
find Mariemaia, Dekim and Relena.
It didn’t take her long to find
her target. Walking down in the other hallway before her were Mariemaia and
Relena, flanked by some soldiers. Quickly and surely as if she was one of them,
Kylie went to Mariemaia’s side, purposely using the little girl to shield her
face from Relena Darlian. “Ma’am,” she said to Mariemaia’s ear. The little girl
paused. “What is it?” she asked.
Kylie glanced at the other
soldiers, as if what she was about to say was confidential. “There’s something
your grandfather wanted me to show you. Something that’s worth your immediate
attention,” she whispered. Mariemaia took the bait. Thinking that it was
important and dire to their mission, Mariemaia turned to the other soldiers.
“Continue escorting Miss Relena to the control room. I’ll be there shortly.”
She turned to the red haired soldier. “Show me.”
Kylie, who had immediately turned
away before Relena could see her face, led Mariemaia into another hallway. Her
plan was to lead the little girl away from her soldiers, some place where they
can have privacy. And she knew exactly where. After walking for a long time,
they stopped before a room. “It’s in here, ma’am,” Kylie said and swung the
door open.
Mariemaia entered the dark room,
wondering what was inside. “Well, what it is that you want to show me?” she
asked, impatiently. She wanted to go to the control room immediately and watched
how her enemies retaliated her obviously victorious plan. When the door was
closed, the room was plunge into a complete darkness. She jumped and turned
around, expecting trouble.
“You should be ashamed of
yourself,” said a voice, the soldier’s. But this time it was hard and cold.
After her eyes adjusted with the dark, Mariemaia found that the soldier was
training a gun on her. “You should be ashamed of yourself,” the soldier
repeated. “Using Treize’s name to fight this useless and dirty war.”
“What.” She backed a step. “Who
are you?”
“Who I am is not relevant. I’m
just the ghost of a forgotten past.”
The little girl stared at the
soldier. “What do you want?”
The soldier came closer, until
the gun was practically touching her head. “For you to stop acting like a
child. For you to start thinking like Treize’s daughter.” Mariemaia saw the
soldier’s cold eyes flashed. “Open your mind, Mariemaia. Treize sacrificed his
heart, his soul, and his life for this peace! What are you doing now will only
taint his name.” Then the soldier’s voice softened. “Let him rest in peace,
Mariemaia. Let him rest for the first time in his life.”
Hearing the deep sorrow in the
soldier’s voice, Mariemaia was mystified. ‘Did this person know her father?’
she thought. “Who are you?” she whispered. The gun was lowered but before the
soldier could answer her question, the door burst in. As quick as lightning,
the soldier reached for a second gun and whipped it on the intruder, Dekim
Barton.
“So, you’re the one,” said Dekim,
recognizing the soldier before her. He trained a gun on the soldier as she had
hers on him and the first one on Mariemaia. Mariemaia looked at the two of
them, confused. “Dekim, what is going on? Do you know him?” Dekim nodded and
smiled evilly.
“I don’t know her but I know of
her,” he stared at the soldier. “This is Kylie Rayden Khushrenada. Your
father’s adopted daughter.” His eyes grew cold. “Your father’s greatest
traitor.”
“She’s my sister!” Mariemaia
turned to the older girl. “You’re my sister?”
Kylie’s eyes narrowed. “I’ve
never betrayed Treize and will never betray him. If there’s a traitor here, it
is you yourself.”
“Yeah, I know what you’re going
to say next, street girl,” said Dekim. “You’re going to say that you know
Treize very well. That everything you do is justified to protect his name. That
you’re willing to die for him.” He gestured at Mariemaia. “Well, here’s
Mariemaia Khushrenada, Treize’s own flesh and blood. So why are you against
her? To protect Treize’s name or to protect your own interest?”
“I don’t need to justify my
actions and my relations to the likes of you, Dekim,” she said. With that Kylie
removed the gun from Mariemaia and pointed it on him. But her next words were
directed to the little girl. “Please see it with your mind, with your heart.
Dekim is using you.” She looked at her, her eyes softened. “Please, turn back.
Turn back before I can’t even save you from your enemy.”
“Don’t listen to her, Mariemaia.
It’s a trick,” said Dekim. “She’s trying to protect the Gundams and this false
peace.” He paused. “Remember, you are victorious.”
Mariemaia stared at Kylie,
trying to make out this new turn of event. Her mind weighed everything, trying
to make the decision that could change her life. Then, she knew exactly what
she wanted. “I am victorious,” she said, moving towards Dekim and stood next to
him. “I will be the leader of the world.” She looked at the older girl,
defiantly. “What are you going to do now?”
For a moment, Mariemaia saw a
look of disappointment and defeat in Kylie’s eyes. She shook her head. “It
doesn’t matter now. I’ve done what I came here to do.” She lowered her guns and
said to Mariemaia. “If you survive this, find Quatre Winner. Ask him for your
father’s letter. I just hope it is not too late for you.”
Dekim approached the girl,
planning to disarm her. Suddenly, Kylie lashed out with her foot, knocking his
gun aside. The two guns were quickly trained on them both. Her eyes icy cold
and her voice hard. “I may have lost this round, Dekim. But mark my word I will
not stop fighting you.” She then kicked him in his stomach as he doubled and
fell on top of Mariemaia. By the time they detangled themselves, the former
assassin was already gone.
Kylie made her way cautiously,
knowing that Dekim would surely have his men looking for her. But she knew
exactly where she’s heading. She knew exactly what she was suppose to do. After
ducking in and out of the mansion’s many hallways, she finally reached her
target. Looking for any sign of guard, she slipped into the communication room.
And stopped.
“It’s you.” She was surprised to
find Lady Une waiting in the room.
Lady Une looked at her. “Kylie,
thank you for trying,” she said, softly.
“Y… you know?”
The head of Preventer nodded. “I
was there. I saw Dekim went in and overheard everything. But I guess Dekim’s
influence on Mariemaia is stronger.” She was then surprised when the younger
girl shook her head. “That is yet to be determine. Mariemaia might yet surprise
you, Lady Une.”
Kylie then moved to the
communication console and started punching buttons. Lady Une went to her side.
“What are you doing?” she asked as the girl worked. Kylie waited a few minutes
before answering her question.
“Contacting Heero. He has to
know that I fail to change Mariemaia’s mind.” Then her face hardened, void of
emotion. “He will know what to do.” Surprised, Lady Une looked at her. “Are you
going to let him kill Mariemaia, your sister.”
“Heero will judge her as he sees
fit,” she answered, her voice betrayed no emotion. She then turned to Lady Une.
“Unless you can change her mind, colonel. Isn’t that the reason you are here?”
Lady Une was startled. Then she
nodded. “Thank you, Little Fire.” Kylie minded the nickname and turned her
attention back to the console. “I’ve patched into Heero’s frequency. You better
get to Mariemaia now.”
Lady Une nodded and left. Kylie
turned back to the task at hand. She was about to send Heero a transmission
when she heard him talking to another person. Curious, she listened.
“So that’s why you’re
allowing Mariemaia’s autocracy?” said a deep voice. Heero’s.
“That’s where the souls of those
who fight gathered,” said another voice. Wu Fei’s?
Kylie frowned. ‘Looks like
Heero is facing Wu Fei. That means he already has his hands full.’
“That maybe okay for now,” Heero was saying. “But
Mariemaia will end up repeating history. The history full of miserable battles.
Unless we stop the process now, more soldiers like ourselves will become
necessary. If that happens, history will continue to repeat itself.”
There was a pause.
“Wu Fei, tell me,” she
heard Heero said. “How many more people must we kill?” There was a long
silence. But when he spoke, the tone in his voice was different. Somewhat,
sorrowful? “How many more times must I kill that girl and her dog?”
She heard Wu Fei drew a
surprise breath. “Zero will not tell me anything,” said Heero. “Tell
me, Wu Fei,” he pleaded. That was his last words. Then, she heard a
thumping sound as if Wing Zero had crashed. She waited for Wu Fei’s next
action.
“Would an incident like that
have to be repeated again?”
>>>@@<<<
As Lady Une told the others her
story, Wu Fei kept his silence as his thoughts went back to that fateful day.
Although he hadn’t really seen Kylie in person, she had been there. Closing his
eyes, Wu Fei went back to the moment when Heero crashed himself into the ocean.
>>>@@<<<
After
Colony 196.
“Would an incident like that
have to be repeated again?” he asked himself, wondering. He wondered if what he
was doing was right. Or were Heero, Trowa, Quatre and Duo doing the right
thing? Suddenly his communication system crackled as a voice said, “Well, do
you have Heero’s answer yet?”
An image appeared. Wu Fei was
surprised to see his enemy’s adopted daughter. She was wearing a Mariemaia
Army’s red uniform. “Kyle. You’re here too?”
The girl stared at him, her eyes
as cold as ice. “Well? Tell me. Have you got the answer to Heero’s question
yet?” she repeated and waited for his answer. She then glared at him. Wu Fei
saw her fist clenched. “How dare you?
How dare you turned your back on the thing that you fought for, before
this.” Though her voice was even, there’s a hint of something dangerous in it.
“What?”
“You are one of those people who
changed me. Those who told me that I should stop fighting and be one with the
peaceful world. You told me to protect this peace. And I did. I abandoned my
sinful life and death just so I could protect the peace of humanity with you
Gundam pilots,” she said. She then rose her voice. “So how dare you’re telling
me now it was all for nothing!”
Wu Fei was stunned. The image of
the destruction of his only home again played his mind, over and over again.
His sorrow, his disappointment, his rage. Those emotions replayed again as he
tried to find the answer. And then what Heero said earlier rang in his mind.
“ ‘Tell me Wu Fei. Tell me
how many more times must I kill that girl and her dog?’ ”
Right then, he knew his answer.
He knew the answer to Heero’s question. And at last, Wu Fei was finally at
peace.
He looked at the image before
him. “I know it now,” he said. “I know exactly what to do.” He then prepared
his next course. But before he ended the transmission, he added, “Thanks.”
Kylie shook her head.
“Thank me when we finally
complete our duel,” she said.
Wu Fei nodded. “Understood,” he
said, knowing he still had to fight Kylie. But this time, he knew that they
would fight without having hatred for each other.
Kylie stared as the screen went
blank. Finally, her job here’s done. She had finished what she came here to do.
She had gave Mariemaia a warning and a choice and she had also showed a friend
the right path for peace. Now, if only she could reach that peace herself.
Suddenly, she heard gunshots.
She quickly stepped out of the room only to hear the sound of battle in another
hallway. Sensing trouble, Kylie made her way towards the battle and found Lady
Une. She had her back pressed on the wall as bullets came from the hallway on
her right. When the bullets seized, Lady Une released her own shot.
“Need a hand?” Kylie said,
moving next to her. Lady Une gave her a glance.
“I’m trying to get pass that
hallway but it was well guarded. I don’t think we could use this way to the
control room.” She turned to the other girl. “Is there another way to it?”
Kylie shook her head. “Nope.
This is the only way.”
“Then we can’t get there until
we handle these men. But I don’t think even us combined we could overcome these
gentlemen.”
Then the younger girl’s eyes
narrowed. “No, not us. You. Only you can get to the control room,” she said.
Lady Une looked at her. “What? What are you saying?”
Instead of answering
immediately, Kylie grabbed Lady Une’s rifle. “Did they see you?” she asked.
Puzzled at what the younger girl was planning, Lady Une hesitated. “Did they
see you? Whole of you?”
Lady Une shook her head. “No.
I’d only poked my head into the hallway. It was how they decided that I don’t
belong here.” Kylie looked at her over and nodded. “Good. That means these men
were sent to find me.” She snaked her arm out and fired, trying to hold them at
bay.
“What are you planning, Kylie?”
asked Lady Une, cautiously. She didn’t like the look on the girl’s face.
Kylie gestured at where she had
came from. “You go back to the communication room. Once the soldiers are gone,
double back here and go to the control room.” Lady Une looked at her.
“What would you be doing then?”
she asked.
Kylie looked away, determined.
“Since they’re looking for me, I won’t disappoint them. I’ll distract them so
you could go and try to knock some senses into Treize’s daughter.” Lady Une was
about to object when the girl gave her a sharp look. “Go now before I do
something we both regret.” She added. “And be wary. They might send a few of
their men to check on the room.”
Reluctantly, Lady Une made her
way back to the communication room. Kylie then threw down her red cap and
jumped into the hail of bullets. She let out a few rounds, just enough for the
soldiers to register her as their target before jumping back for cover. She
waited a few seconds, and when she heard the sound of running footsteps, she
quickly made her way into another hallway, drawing the men away from where Lady
Une was hiding.
>>>@@<<<
“And that’s the last I saw her,”
said Lady Une. “But she was right. The commander of the team that was hunting
her down really did sent a few men into the communication room as precaution.
But they were nothing I can’t handle.”
“After I could no longer hear
the gunshots, I doubled back and made my way to the control room.” She paused.
“When everything was over, I tried to find her in the mansion but there was no
sign of her.” She turned to Heero. “I guess you knew what happen to her, right?
‘Give me a way out’ was to tell you that she’s planning to infiltrate the
Brussels presidential residence and that she would need an exit so no one knows
she’s even there. Save you, me, Wu Fei and Trowa.”
Heero nodded. “Yes. And it’s
also to give me a way in.”
“And that’s why you blast your
way through the shield doors,” said Duo. “And I thought you were losing your
mind. I guess in a way, you did.” Heero gave him a look and then turned away,
remembering what happened when he was in.
>>>@@<<<
After
Colony 196.
Again, Kylie’s paces slowed as
she was forced to move in stealth. She had just disposed the men who were
shooting at Lady Une in a room and locked them in. Now, she had to stay quiet
and wait until Heero gave her favor.
When the whole place shook, she
immediately knew that that was her favor. As the residence was thrown into a
state of chaos, Kylie waited patiently, guessing where Heero would land. When
the place shook for the third time, she quickly went to the spot which
sustained the most damage.
She saw Heero coming down the
way she did earlier. But when he landed, he didn’t land so smoothly. She ran to
him and helped him up. She saw that he was weak and battered. “Are you
alright?” she asked, supporting him. She led him away from the hole on the
ceiling above, knowing they didn’t need a rock falling on top of their heads
and rendered them unconscious.
For a moment, Kylie gave him
time to recover. Then, Heero stood up and looked at her. “I’m alright. I need
to put an end to all these madness,” he said to her. Knowing exactly what he
meant, Kylie nodded. There’s no sense in telling him that she failed. He
already knew it by the look of the destruction caused.
“I leave you to do your thing,”
she said.
Heero nodded. “You better. I
don’t think you want to watch this.”
But as Kylie was about to leave,
she stopped. “Heero,” she said, stopping him as well. They stood back-to-back.
“Please do me another favor,” she said, softly. Heero was startled at that but
remembering what he had done to Duo earlier, he nodded. “What is it?” he asked.
“Please, be gentle with her,”
she said. “She’s just a kid.”
Heero let a long silence passed
between them. Then, he nodded. “Hm… alright.”
And both of them went to their
separate destinations.
>>>@@<<<
“So, that’s why you didn’t
really kill Mariemaia,” said Relena.
Heero looked at her. “Don’t be
mistaken. I did kill her that night,” he said.
“Heero’s right,” said Lady Une.
“The Mariemaia that night is dead but the Mariemaia now is an entirely
different girl.”
“I guess you’re right then,”
said Relena.
Duo then shook his head. “Okay,
okay. So Kylie really did help us back there, big time but still one cannot
help but wondering what that girl’s really up to. She’s too unstable.”
“I guess, that’s what we have to
expect from her,” said Quatre. “She’s so used to working alone that it might be
hard for her adjusting with working in a team.”
“Well, except maybe when she was
working with Heero,” said Duo, looking at his serious friend. “What is it with
the two of you and carnage anyway. You two seemed to enjoy each other’s
company.”
“That’s none of your business,”
said Heero.
Duo gave up. “Alright, alright.”
Then he remembered something. “Hey, wait a minute. Wu Fei hasn’t give us his
side of story.” He went to the quiet Chinese pilot. “What happen when you saw
Kylie?”
Wu Fei gave Duo a sharp look. But he directed his answer to Heero. “She gave me the answer,” he said. The others waited for him to continue but from the glance that he and Heero was exchanging, they knew that that was a personal matter.
“Tell me. How did you figured
out the notes were meant for me?” asked Quatre, trying to break the intense
silence.
“Well, buddy,” said Duo. “As
much as I want to take credit for everything, I guess this time I have to tell
you that Wu Fei was the one who figured the notes out.” They turned to Wu Fei
who looked at the blond pilot.
“The red roses told me
everything,” said Wu Fei. “When you guys told me Kylie is back not as Treize’s
Revenge, that gave me a head start.”
Duo frowned. “Isn’t Kylie and
Treize’s Revenge are one and the same?”
Wu Fei shook his head. “No.
Kylie is the little girl Treize had raised ever since she was rescued from the
streets.” He glanced at Lady Une. “Treize’s Revenge is the persona Kyle Rayden
created to protect his true identity. That’s the difference.”
“I don’t think I really follow
you on that but please, continue,” said Duo.
“The main focus are the red
roses and Kylie,” Wu Fei continued. “If Kylie has came back as Kyle Rayden
and gave the red roses to Relena, that means the notes are for her but here, Kylie
herself gave the red rose so it is likely that Quatre is the intended
receiver.”
“Why is that?” asked Relena.
“Because you only give a red rose to the person of
the opposite sex,” Heero explained. “That’s why.”
“That’s correct,” said Quatre, remembering
something. “Amy Pierson told me the same thing. She said that it is proper that
the red rose is given to me because it’s from a girl.”
“Exactly,” said Wu Fei. “That’s how I know the notes
were meant for Quatre.”
“Brilliant deduction, Sherlock,” said Duo. He turned
to Heero. “So, the roses weren’t suppose to act as an identification mark after
all.”
“Actually, it served both purposes,” said Heero.
“She wants you to see her as an enemy so she and I could protect you from
discovering the true assassins.”
“But why?” asked Quatre.
Heero looked away. “She still feels that she owe
us.”
>>>@@<<<
After sitting in the lobby for a
long time, Kylie decided to leave. She knew that the others would leave soon
but she didn’t want them to find her there. She didn’t want them to see her
guilt for not being able to save Quatre Winner from getting shot. She knew she
had done a very bad job at that and it’s time for her to change that.
Suddenly, Kylie heard a voice
calling for her alter ego. She turned only to find Kent Winteridge, making his
way quickly towards her. Before she could do anything, he had his arms wrapped
around her. “Thank goodness you were okay,” he said, a note of anxiety was
evident in his voice. He looked at her. “When I heard what happened… are you
alright?”
Kylie was taken aback by the deep concern in his
eyes. ‘Is he really the one who’s trying to hurt Quatre?’ she thought,
doubtfully but realizing that he was waiting for her to respond, she quickly
assumed her role as Heather Leong.
“Yes, sir,” she answered.
Winteridge shook his head. “I knew I shouldn’t have
sent you to see him. Who could have thought that Quatre Winner was the real
target all along.” At that Kylie frowned. How did he knew Quatre was the
target?
His next words answered her question. “When I heard
that Winner was shot and that he’s the target from the radio, I came here as
fast as I could. I didn’t hear anyone else gotten hurt from the news but I had
to make sure for myself.”
Kylie detached herself from him. “Well, sir. As you
can see, I’m fine. I was going back home, anyway.”
“Let me send you home,” Winteridge offered. “My car
is just at the front.”
“No, sir. That’s okay,” she said, politely though
she felt as if she would vomit. “My car is parked nearby. I can get myself
home.” She then added. “Besides, you need to go and see Mr. Winner, you know,
to show your concern for his misfortune. Maybe that would convince him how a
good man you are.” She purposely did that to get him off her hair. She needed
to do something that night. And she didn’t need any sort of complications.
That seemed to work, luckily. “Alright,” said
Winteridge, reluctantly. As he was about to leave, he grabbed her arm. “But I’m
going to come and see you first thing tomorrow.” Kylie nodded and then added to
herself. ‘Provided if there is tomorrow for me.’
She then walked to the front car park. It was almost
deserted since the visiting hour was coming to an end. She was deep in thought
as she made her way towards her car which she parked near a tree after dropping
Heero and Quatre off at the main entrance. She reached the car, inserted the
key and twisted it. It was then her natural warning alarm went off.
>>>@@<<<
Duo walked over to the windows
to close them. The visiting hour was almost over and Quatre seemed like he
needed a good rest. Looking out the window, Duo saw something. “Hey, Kylie was
leaving,” said Duo. Heero, who was standing near the window spared a glance.
Sure enough, Kylie was walking towards her car which was park under a tree.
When she reached her car, they lost sight of her because of the tree.
“I guess she’s finished giving
her statement,” Duo commented.
Quatre looked at the spot where
she was shielded from his view. “I thought she would come up and join us. Then
I could thank her for protecting me,” he said, disappointment was clearly
written on his face.
“Well, buddy. What can I say,”
said Duo. “She’s probably kicking herself right now for getting you shot.” He
then reached out to close the window when suddenly there was a bright flash of
light. Then, there was a loud explosion and the window in his hand shattered.
Duo felt himself thrown to the floor and then he heard nothing else but
silence.
>>>@@<<<
Someone coughed as Relena felt
someone move on top of her. Then that someone helped her up and she tried to
get rid of the ringing in her ears. It was then she realized someone was
talking to her. “Are you alright?” asked Lady Une, who had been the one who
shielded her from the shattered glasses.
Relena nodded, surveying the
room. The smoke was already seeping in as other figures started to move. She
saw Trowa holding Quatre, realizing he had been shielding him from the glass.
Wu Fei was already up and staring at the shattered window. But she couldn’t see
Duo or Heero anywhere.
“Heero!” she cried, fearing that
he might be hurt since he and Duo were the closest to the window. She then
heard a groan and saw Heero checking over Duo. The Deathscythe pilot was
holding his hands in pain. “What happened?” he asked, groggily.
“Let me see,” said Heero,
examining Duo’s hands. Some pieces of the glass tore into them. Relena winced
at the bloody sight and knew that it was even more painful for him. “Let’s get
the doctor to take a look at it.”
“Yeah, well, I just hope I won’t
have to lose my hands.” He then grinned, ironically. “And to think that I’m
actually in a hospital. How convenient.” Relena could almost hear the sarcasm
in his voice. Then, he winced in pain as Heero helped him up.
Outside, they could hear sounds
of running footsteps as the hospital workers tried to make sense what happened.
They each tried to find if there was anyone hurt by the blast. “What happened?
We’re not in war anymore,” said Relena, repeating Duo’s question.
“Kylie!” she heard Quatre cried.
She turned to him only to see him, Trowa and Wu Fei staring outside the window.
She followed their gaze. Where there had been a tree, there was only a
blazingly burning bark. Next to it, what used to be a car, was nothing but an
inferno.
“NO!” Heero said, hitting his
fist on the wall. He then ran out of the room, followed by Wu Fei. Quatre was
about to run after them but stumbled. Trowa caught him immediately, telling him
to stay put. Lady Une who had been staring at the wreckage in shock, stifled a
cry of her own and followed the other two.
‘Please, let her be okay,’ said
Lady Une as she tried dodging the near-panic hospital workers. She still didn’t
know what had happened. One thing Kylie had been at the parking lot and the
next, her car was on fire. ‘Please, God. Let her be okay,’ she prayed, knowing
that she would never forgive herself if anything happen to one of Treize’s
daughters.
But when she was outside,
reality struck her like a sledgehammer. The wreckage was burning furiously. So
great a fire that none of them could approach it within 50 meters. It was then
Lady Une realized that no one could have survived the blast.
“Heather!” she heard a voice
called out. In her shock, Lady Une noticed Winteridge was staring at the big
inferno. She had almost cried out Kylie’s name herself but took control,
knowing she can’t reveal who Kylie was until the time was right.
Heero and Wu Fei stood before
her, as if frozen in time. Lady Une could see the look of rage in their eyes,
as if promising a great punishment to the person who did this to their ally.
Suddenly, Heero’s face hardened, his jaw set. Without any word, he returned
into the hospital. Wu Fei followed him so he could give his friends the bad
news. Lady Une waited for a moment. Then wearily, as if she had aged twice her
age, she walked back into the hospital and slumped on a seat. And then she let
out the uncontrollable tears.
