FUTURE HAUNTS
~By K.T.~

Chapter X

Disclaimer: Don't own GW.  Show mercy.

Words surrounded in * are in italics.

Duo grunted as he lifted up the man-hole-lid beside the ware-house.  A
body
flew out of no where and nearly smashed him.  He shook his head at the
poor
dead man and then motioned for Catherine to come out of hiding.  
Catherine ran toward the braided man and crouched down beside him as
he sat
on the street with his legs dangling in the man-hole.
       "All-right, Kitty.  We've got to make our way south and then
east."
He was fiddling with his watch and mumbling to Catherine at the same
time.
When he looked up, his gaze froze on the circus girl. 
She held a gun in her hand and another in her lap.  Squeezing the
release
button, she let the empty clip drop on the ground and reached into the
dead
man's pocket for another.  Then she snapped the clip in and pulled back
on
the chamber round.
Catherine glanced up and their gazes met.  Then she raised her brows. 
Duo
merely shook his head and lowered himself into the man-hole.
  ---------------------------
"I can't let you go after him alone."  Heero tried giving Sabriel his
death
glare, but it didn't seem to be having any effect on the young girl.
Instead, she gave him a wry smile. 
"*You* can't afford to waste the time it would take to fight, Heero. 
If
you want to save your friends it *has* to be this way."
Heero shook his head in denial and looked out of the ship they had
stolen.
The colony was coming up fast.  They were out of time.   Heero leaned
back
in his seat and then threw his head tiredly to the side to look at the
girl
as she fiddled with a lap-top.
"What should I call you?"  He asked, still mystified that the girl
whose
death he had tortured himself over for years, was still alive.  But it
didn't make him feel any better.  Instead, it was almost worse...the
way
she'd been forced to become a soldier....a killer...like him...
"Sabriel is fine." 
    "Not Aerran?" 
           Sabriel shook her head no.  Then she paused for a moment and
looked at him.
    "Sabriel Aerran."  She said.
            Heero nodded and then sighed.
    "I still think I should be the one to..."
         "Blood calls to blood, Heero Yuy."  She said stonily.
                         --------------------------------
          Relena wiped at Quatre's face again with the bit of cloth
from her
dress and then leaned back against the wall, bringing her knees up to
her chin.
     "Don't worry, Darlian."  Wufei called to her from the other side.
"Sally will help us get out of here." 
"I'm not worried."  Relena said truthfully. Then she amended. "At
least...I'm not worried about us...but, Quatre seems pretty badly
beaten..."
      Wufei stood to his feet and gave a rude snort.
    "A beating could hardly take out a Gundam pilot."  He told her, a
note
of child-like-arrogance  in his voice.
      Relena held back the impulse to smile and nodded sagely instead.
                        ------------------------
"This should be it."  Duo said, shining his light on the iron ladder
leading up.  He stuck the small mag-light in-between his teeth and
began
climbing.  Catherine was one rung behind, her mind focused on one
thing.
        She was *not* going to let her friends get hurt. 
    Duo grunted as he heaved his shoulder against the man-hole lid and
then
shoved it aside.  He glanced about the cement room and then hopped up.
Catherine's hand slapped against the floor and Duo bent down to help
her up. 
"Who's there?!"  A sentry called out. 
    "Shit!"  Duo hissed between his teeth.  The small light flew out
and
landed on the hard floor with a loud clatter.  Duo winced, jerked
Catherine
out of the hole, and turned, shooting the five men who ran towards
them. 
  Catherine leaned her face away from the sparks that flew around the
room
as Duo and the
sentries had a shoot-out.   Then it was quiet and she watched Duo
straighten.  He turned to her with a cocky grin and gave her a thumbs
up.
         "Yup! Nothing the God of Death can't handle."
----------------------------
Heero flew through the docking area, briefly wondering where all the
patrol
men were and then flew through the colony "skies" following the
directions
Sally had given him for the ware house.   He saw it, along with all the
shooting, soldiers...Heero's gaze froze on the large Gundam suit
standing on
top of the ware-house. 
"Here."  Sabriel ordered and Heero unconsciously obeyed. 
    The shuttle landed and Heero sat, staring at the mess.  Sabriel, on
the
other hand, began rummaging through packs in various places, and then
settled a hand on Heero's shoulder.
  "Don't worry, Heero.  I'll take care of it." 
    Heero looked up at her and then saw that beautiful, honest smile
stretch
across her young face.
"Go, Heero."  Sabriel threw her chin at the ensuing battle. "Go find
your
friends.  This fight is not for you." 
--------------------------
Duo ran down the corridor and shot a few guys coming out of a room. 
Then
he dropped his gun and scooped up two of theirs.
"Prisoner's barracks!" he shouted, waving for Catherine to follow.
         They turned into the hall and then ran into the room leading
into
the prisoner hall.
    "They've got to be in here somewhere."  Duo mumbled as he checked
through the cell windows.   Then his eyes widened. "Here, Kitty! Here!"
Catherine ran eagerly to Duo's side and peered in the cell window. 
She
frowned when she only saw darkness.
"I can't see a thi..."
     "Over there!"  A man at the end of the hallway cried as he pointed
to
them.
Duo grabbed Catherine around the waist and threw them both across the
hallway around the next corner.  Catherine struggled in Duo's grip and
he
pushed her down while jerking out his gun.   He lept out from around
the
corner let off several rounds before sliding back.
Catherine stared at the braided young man with wide-eyes.  His neck
was
bleeding and his shirt over his left shoulder was soaking with blood.
Catherine felt an undescribable fury fill her being and she grabbed
Duo's
shirt, yanking him to the side. 
The poor guy fell off balance and then stared at Catherine like she
was
crazy.  He watched her take in a deep breath and then lunged to stop
her...but was too late...
Catherine threw herself out from behind the wall and focused on one of
the
soldiers, letting off a shot while her gaze moved on to the next
victim.
She felt a sharp burning in her side but ignored it as she let off shot
after shot...
       ----------------------
Trowa looked up at the large case and knew beyond a doubt that it
carried a
mobile suit.  He set up the explosive and then punched the code for
detonation time. 
"Impressive."  A familiar female voice said. "Now take it off." 
     Trowa felt his lips twitch and actually pull into a smile as the
cold
barrel of a gun was pressed into the back of his neck.
---------------------------
N'Brekk shot the last guard and then kicked down the door of the room
Dorthy was being held in.  He rushed in and then froze when a man held
the
silver haired nymph at gun-point.
       "Choose, young man.  Her life or your own." 
 N'Brekk glanced at Dorthy and admired her outward calm.  He licked
his
lips and then began to lower the gun.
"Drop it."  The man ordered. 
       N'Brekk met Dorthy's sorrow-filled gaze and he let the gun drop
to
the floor.  The soldier smiled and quickly moved his gun to aim at
N'Brekk...
"NO!" Dorthy cried out.   She clasped her hands together and
straightened
them before slamming them into the New Dawn soldier's outstretched arm. 
Her
hit knocked the gun from the man's hand and it skidded across the
floor,
sliding under the desk. 
     The man lunged for  N'Brekk's gun at the same time N'Brekk did and
they
rolled across the floor.
 Then Dorthy saw them.  Swords. Fencing swords up on the wall.  She
lunged
at the wall and reached up, taking down a beautifully formed foil.
Turning, with anger and righteous indignation filling her heart, Dorthy
waited until the soldier reached for the gun and she stabbed the sword
downward. Then she picked up the small near-by stool and slammed it
onto the
man's head. 
N'Brekk heard the soldier scream in pain and he stood wobbly to his
feet,
shaking his head. 
"Let's go." Dorthy ordered him and he followed her, confusedly
glancing
back at the soldier, lying passed out, with a sword sticking through
his
hand and into the floor.
--------------------------------
Heero ran through the corridor, following the sounds of shooting he
could
hear.  He ran faster and skidded to a stop as he entered the Prisoner
hall
and the shots stopped.  Rounding into the main hall, Heero saw a couple
dozen bodies lying motionless on the floor.  Then his astonished gaze
met
Catherine's and she lifted her chin defiantly.
          "Just because I don't like war, doesn't mean I can't or won't
defend the ones I love." 
     One side of Heero's mouth went up in a lopsided agreement.  Then
he
turned toward the prison door and shot off the lock.
----------------------------------------------------
            "I had a feeling I'd see you here."  Trowa told her.
     Sabriel cocked her head to side at the strange note in the
Shadow's
voice. 
   "Hmm."  She narrowed her eyes thoughtfully and then pressed the gun
harder into Trowa's neck. "Disconnect it." 
He reached up and did so, slowly.
    "You know, I was hoping you weren't a loyalist to Ryden.  Were my
hopes
in vain?"  He turned slightly to look at her but Sabriel merely plucked
the
bomb from his hand and then motioned with her gun for him to stand.
Trowa moved to the side and waited for the girl to punch in the code
to
release the mobile suit from its holding.  The case opened, hydraulics
groaning in protest at the weight of the metal doors.   Then Trowa took
in a
breath.
        "Another one?!"  He asked, an incredulous note in his voice. He
turned to Sabriel.  "Ryden's back up?"
           She shook her head.
              "Mine."
It was a Gundam suit.  The girl moved forward to climb up but Trowa
laid a
captivating hand on her arm.
       "What do you plan on doing with this?"  He motioned to the suit,
his
face completely lacking in expression. 
Sabriel looked from his hand gripping her arm to his gaze, her eyes as
empty as his own.
Unexpectedly, she reached up with her other hand and traced a finger
down
the long scar that ran on the left side of the young man's face, from
mid-forehead to lower cheek.
"Did this hurt?"  She asked quietly. 
Trowa marveled at the softness of her finger as it slid down over his
eyelid and then his cheek.  But he stilled showed nothing.
"Soldier's don't feel pain." 
     Sabriel smiled sadly.
        "I'm not a soldier.  And I'm tired of feeling pain. I know my
brother is as well." 
     Trowa's eyes narrowed and then widened.
        "Ryden..."  He released her arm and Sabriel turned to climb
into her
Gundam suit.
--------------------------------
"Heero!"  Relena cried out joyfully as she ran to embrace the man she
loved. 
Heero saw her coming and opened his arms.  He caught up and held her
tightly, possessively.
"I knew you'd come."  She said breathlessly. 
      Heero merely tightened his hold.
"How are they?"  Catherine asked from the door way. 
     Relena heard the other girl's voice and drew away from Heero, or,
at
least,  as far as he would allow her, and stared at the circus girl.
Another shadow squeezed in next to the older girl and Duo appraised the
scene before him with twinkling eyes.
        "I *knew* it!" he pointed a finger at Heero. "I *knew* you had
a
thing for her!"
    "Shut-up, Maxwell and help me with Quatre."  Wufei said testily.
---------------------------------
Rina watched the ensuing battle and gave a little sob of despair. 
They
were losing!  There was nothing they could do...
"Word on the street is, you be needing a little help." a rich male
voice
said from behind her.  Rina turned and stared at all the colonists.
Infront, standing beside the dark skinned man who had spoken were a
smiling
Sally Po and Lucretia Noin. 
"What do you say?"  Sally asked kindly.
     Rina smiled, tears of gratefulness spilling over her young cheeks.
-------------------------
Heero jumped a little, shifting Quatre's weight on his back when he
felt
the blond boy slipping off.  Relena walked hurriedly beside him, her
hand
clutching his shirt as she glanced around them.  Duo was taking point
with
Catherine and Wufei guarding their rears.
A familiar face suddenly rounded the corner and the young people all
stopped in their tracks. 
       A happy grin split Duo's face.
    "Hey, Trowa!  Where've you been?!"  Then he sobered slightly when
he saw
the scar. 
     Trowa looked at them, his face perfectly composed.  Then he
blinked
when Catherine pushed her way towards him and threw her arms around his
neck
in a loving hug.
       "Trowa!"  She cried.
    Trowa encircled her waist with a strong arm while patting her
shoulder
softly. 
        "You can't get out this way, the hanger's about to blow." 
    Heero nodded.
  "You know another way out?" 
       Trowa regarded Catherine for a moment before nodding slowly.
      "Follow me." 
                       -----------------------------------
Hilde blew her blue tinted hair from her face and snapped the wired
together once more. The doors to the ware-house suddenly shot sparks
and
opened.
"I DID IT!"  She screamed happily at Milliardo who was covering for
her.
   He nodded and waved a hand at the others.  What was left of the
Shadow
Warriors, and now the large group of Preventers/colonists began to rush
into
the ware-house. 
Milliardo hung back, holding Hilde's arm before she could follow.
   "Let go!"  Hilde looked at him, puzzled.
          "Not with your boss coming."  He jerked his chin toward Noin
and
Sally who were walking with Rina right towards them. 
          Then, a great rumbling and the loud screeching sound of
metal
scraping metal was heard, and everyone threw themselves onto the
ground.
Two Gundam suits flew high into the colony "sky" and began darting at
one
another.
   Noin, Sally, and Rina scrambled toward Milliardo and Hilde.  They
all
ducked under the door way for cover as they watched the mobile suit
battle
unfold.
                               ----------------------------------
N'Brekk stopped once again, unsure of where to turn next.
     "We're never going to get out of here!" Dorthy said angrily.  She
gave
a hard kick at the wall and then slumped against it.
         N'Brekk watched her sadly and then froze.  He heard
something...more specifically, someone.
       "Sh."  He waved a hand at the silver haired girl and grabbed her
arm,
pulling her close. 
      Dorthy opened her mouth to protest when she heard it too. 
        --------------------------
"When will they blow?"  Wufei asked Trowa.
     Trowa glanced at his watch and then straight ahead.
        "Thirty-two minutes."  He said. 
    Heero adjusted Quatre's weight once again before glancing at
Relena.
The whole left side of her body was nearly pressed into his and she
hadn't
let go of his shirt since the prisoner cell.  He smiled slightly.
         "Hey, you guys!"  A familiar voice hailed them.  Then a slim,
young
woman ran into Relena and knocked her into Heero, who nearly fell while
knocking into Trowa who was still half holding Catherine.
       An olive-skinned man was close behind, but he managed to stop
before
colliding into the disheveled line of people. 
        Duo and Wufei both snickered as Quatre's head was thrown off of
Heero's shoulder and onto Trowa's.   Then the blond shook his head and
began
blinking his eyes. 
"Wha-what happened?"  He questioned sleepily.
    "Oh, Quatre!"  Relena and Catherine both squealed.  Relena squeezed
past
Heero, dragging Dorthy along since the other girl wouldn't let go of
her
near-death grip on Relena, and met Catherine as they hugged Quatre. 
Heero,
once again, nearly fell over with both girls pawing at the young man
riding
piggy-back, and he frowned at them when he re-gained his balance.
"Enough!" 
     The three young women looked at him and Heero suddenly
felt...afraid.
He shook his head in exasperation and re-adjusted Quatre onto him.
        "There'll be time for reunions later.  Right now, I suggest we
concentrate on getting out of here before the whole thing blows."   
     They all turned as they heard a curious Duo say.
        "And, hey?! Who's this?" 
  Trowa and Dorthy exchanged amuse looks at the sight of the wiry
braided
pilot standing next to the tall, muscular N'Brekk.
----------------------------
Sabriel checked the readings of her mobile suit once more before
crashing
her fist into *Zeus'* head. 
 His voice came over her intercom.
     "I don't know who you are, but I don't think you realize who
you're up
against.  I am god, and I command you to surrender!" 
"If you are a god, then I guess that makes me one, too, Ryden."  
Sabriel
answered tonelessly.  She felt her heart constrict when his gasp came
over
the small radio.
      "Aerran! You're alive!"
           Sabriel slid a helmet over her head, connected the wires to
the
main computer of the suit and sticking the other ends, sharp with
small,
pin-like needles, into her scalp and through her skull.
"Aerran is dead, remember, Ryden.  You killed her.  You killed her and
Heero Yuy back on that ship." 
      Sabriel squeezed her eyes shut in both physical and emotional
pain. 
"Then why do you still haunt me, Aerran?  I didn't want to kill you,
but...you're not like me...not completely!  If only you *had* taken
that
serum   Do you remember...?"
           *Atlantis/Sabriel* opened her eyes, the pupils gone, nothing
left
but blind, golden orbs.
      "I will always remember." she whispered.   Her suit moved in for
another attack but *Zeus* blocked it.
       "I will not be defeated by your miserable *Atlantis*!"  Ryden
screamed as he landed his suit sloppily and ripped his saber from its
sheath. *Atlantis* landed gracefully and waited, seemingly calm. *Zeus*
charged and *Atlantis* held up her shield as the beam saber came down
hard.
  "You WILL DIE!!!"   The insane man screamed.
-------------------------------
 Rina stood, frozen to the spot as she watched the mechas battle.  
She
whirled around to look at Noin, Sally, and Milliardo.
"What are we going to do if Ryden wins?!"
    "Who's the other pilot?" Noin asked, her eyes never leaving the
mobile
suits.
           Rina turned back as well.
     "I don't know." 
  "What's going on?"  A curious voice asked from behind the four
figures.
    They turned and regarded a cheerful Duo, scowling Wufei, blinking
Relena, gun toting Catherine as well as Dorthy, grim faced Heero
carrying a
dazed Quatre, a very "long-time-no-see" Trowa, and some other man they
didn't know.
"Duo!" Hilde ran and jumped into the braided pilot's arms.
   Sally smiled at Wufei who rolled his eyes.  Milliardo gave a shy
smile to
Relena, who smiled just as shyly back, and he then proceeded to help
Quatre
off of Heero's back.
Catherine put the blond's arm around her shoulders and told Milliardo
that
she could handle it.
     Noin gave a quick hug to Relena and then smiled at the others. 
Both
she and Milliardo turned to N'Brekk and Dorthy who were standing
quietly
together and watching it all when another voice broke into their
thoughts.
"Shadow!"  Rina ran to Trowa looking up at him.  She pointed to the
fighting mechas.
   "It's Ryden!"
        Trowa squinted at the suits and then narrowed his eyes
thoughtfully
as they landed, one charging toward the other.
"Where are the others?"  He asked, not taking his eyes off of the
battling
mechas.  
     "They went in but I called them out when the mobile suits flew
out. I
didn't know what to do.."
       "You did fine." Trowa tore his gaze from the fighters and laid
an
encouraging hand on the young girl's shoulder.  "Your brother would be
proud." 
        Rina's eyes shimmered with unshed tears and she nodded
slightly.
Then she opened her mouth, thought for a moment, and closed it.
        "What is it?"  Trowa asked kindly.
    "Can I hug you?"  The green eyed girl asked softly. 
           Trowa smiled and pulled her into a brotherly embrace just as
the
Shadow Warriors and Preventers/colonists began to pour out of the ware
house.  Many of them had men under gun point and Preventers began going
through their gear a little away from the building, bringing back hand
restraints to cuff the New Dawn soldiers. 
---------------------------------
Mary Paradis