The Hit List

Chapter 9

By Starling

            Kira slowly got out of the car, Heero touching her elbow protectively, as she did so. Gavin followed them, that steely gaze still in his eyes. She found it hard to act helpless as her implied condition required of her, but she pulled off the facade well enough as Heero helped her into Preventer Headquarters. As soon as they were inside, Wufei pulled away, while Mei waved at them through the glass of the car window.

            “Aren’t you going with them?” Kira asked Heero, glancing uneasily back at Gavin. He stood nearby, apparently waiting for more orders from Heero.

            Heero shook his head. “I’m going to meet them at the spaceport.” His eyes took on a distant look as he gazed down one hallway, the one leading to the medical wing. “I need to see Arys first before I leave.” Heero motioned to Gavin. “Carver will be taking you to the spaceport. Since you’re supposedly the one witness who’s seen this guy’s face, besides Nari, we’re taking you along. It’ll make our assassin nervous. You’re not a trained soldier like Arys is, but given you’ve just come out of a coma, it’ll be believable for us to leave you in the background instead of up front shooting all the guns.” Heero smiled slightly, as if he were remembering a fond memory.

            “Do we even know this guy’s name?”

            Heero shook his head, the smile fading off of his face. “I’ll be sure to ask him his name before I kill him.” The chilly tone of Heero’s voice frightened Kira, but before she could reply, Heero had whirled around and begun walking away.

            “I hope that this assassin is the only one killed during this mission. Heero’s carrying so much rage...”

            Gavin laughed, a brittle, cynical laugh. “Rage is one of the permanent characteristics of Heero Yuy. Don’t you realize that?”

            “Wouldn’t you be angry if some man tried to kill your wife?” Kira turned on Gavin, feeling an old anger well up within her.

            Gavin hesitated, confusion crossing his face like an ocean wave. It disappeared, replaced by a grim regret. “This isn’t about Heero Yuy’s rage, is it, Kira?”

            Kira bit her lip, wavering between taking out the old anger on Gavin or keeping silent.

            “Maybe we should just clear the air now, Kira. It’ll make the trip to that colony a lot more pleasant.”

            She disliked his sarcastic tone, but she knew he was right. Kira shook her head. “Not here.”

            Gavin motioned to the elevator. “My office then. I share it with someone else, but he shouldn’t be there right now.”

            Kira gave him a tight smile, trying to calm herself. Three years ago, she had been betrayed by this man. She knew that one conversation could not patch up three years of silence, but it would be a start.

            Heero sat at Arys’ bedside, studying her pale face. Medical equipment blinked and whirred around him, lending a melancholy sort of music to the room. The implant behind her ear blinked at him, telling him that Arys was currently communicating with her Gundam. He wondered what she was doing. Was she scouring the network for information? Was she sitting at the computer in that makeshift apartment, e-mailing him? He touched her hand, felt the cold skin, the motionless slender fingers. He glanced back at the implant and realized that it had stopped blinking, that the power light emitted a steady yellow pitch. Something, a stray thought, brushed against his mind.

            Close your eyes, Heero.

            The voice was Arys’. What was going on? He closed his eyes gently, and before he knew it, he was dreaming, and Arys was standing in front of him, her hands clasping his. There was nothing but black around him, but Heero didn’t care. All he could see was Arys, and she was all he wanted to see. Her hands were no longer cold; they were warm. She was smiling at him, she was wearing that silvery dress she had been wearing the night he had asked her to marry him, and she looked beautiful.

            Arys? How?

            She stepped closer to him, eyes shining with merriment. She placed a finger against his lips, hushing his questions.

            Ask not how, Heero.

            She put her arms around him, leaning against him. Heero rested his head on her shoulder, smelling the sweetness of her hair, savoring the presence that he had missed.

            You cannot kill him, Heero.

            Her statement surprised him, and he stepped back, releasing her from his grasp. The look in her eyes was sad, but also filled with understanding.

            Why? He deserves to die. Heero clenched his fists. He tried to kill you, to take you away from me.

            Arys clutched the hem of her dress and raised it slightly. She performed a graceful pirouette. She winked at him. Dance with me, Heero.

            Heero swallowed. Why shouldn’t I kill him, Arys? Tell me.

            That insane merriment still glowed in her eyes. He must really be dreaming. Yet, he didn’t want to be dreaming.

            Dance with me and I’ll tell you.

            Heero stepped forward, and Arys lifted her arms to him. She smiled. You always were a good dancer, Heero Yuy. They waltzed around for a few seconds before Arys spoke again.

            You cannot kill him because he is part of the truth.

            Heero gazed down at her, wondering at the cryptic sound of her words. What do you mean? The truth?

            The truth will take him. The truth will be our greatest enemy. She looked down at the ground, watching their feet. Heero tipped her head up so that he could see her eyes. To his surprise, her eyes filled with tears. The truth will take me. I will become your greatest enemy.

            Heero’s grip tightened as she said those last words. She would become his enemy? How? When? What was Arys talking about?

            It will not happen for a time though. And she smiled again, the tears gone. And you will set me free. As you have always done.

            Was he going to lose Arys again? As he had lost her this time?

            But if I kill him, will you still be taken by the truth? He wasn’t sure exactly what he was saying, but he used her words in order for her to understand his questions.

            Arys shook her head. I will go to the truth willingly, and you cannot set me free.

            Heero didn’t understand. He frowned down at her as they danced, wondering at the ideas inside his wife’s head. What had she learned? Why was she speaking in such riddles?

            The truth I speak of is not real. It is a truth that is contrived.

            You mean that this truth is a lie.

            They believe it is the truth, but to those outside, it is a lie.

            Those outside. They. She was using such generalities that Heero couldn’t know if his wife was even coherent.

            I am coherent. And that is all I can tell you. Do not kill him, Heero.

            Heero sighed, hoping that his wife was right. I won’t kill him.

            Arys hugged him suddenly, their dance slowing to a standstill. They swayed in place. I love you, Heero Yuy. Heero closed his eyes as he heard the words that he had missed. When he opened his eyes, he found that he danced alone... in the dark.