FUTURE HAUNTS
~By K.T. ~
Chapter VI
Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing. I do, however, have claims to Sabriel,
N'Brekk, R'nal, Aerran, Ryden, Shadow, and Rina...I think that's all...I
hope that's all...please show mercy and do not sue me ^_~ Greatly appreciate
it!!!
Words surrounded by * are in italics.
"You have a prisoner?" Aerran's eyebrow rose in question.
N'Brekk nodded.
"She was in a small plane with another young man and one of the
missiles shot them down. The young man managed to escape on a dirt-bike but
I brought the young woman in."
"What does the Shadow say?" Aerran asked, her face once again impassive.
N'Brekk shrugged and flipped his knife into the air, catching deftly it
by the blade.
"He doesn't want her hurt." He gave a sigh/snort. "But, it's not
like we can let her go, or anything. She'll go straight to the Preventers."
"Perhaps." Aerran mused out loud.
"Perhaps nothing!" N'Brekk motioned to Dorthy's tent with his
knife. "I know those kind. They're spoiled little rich girls who all run
home to Daddy when things get too tough." His voice lowered as he glowered
at his knife and mumbled. "Like when they're out of money..."
"Perhaps it is finally time for me to talk to the Shadow." Aerran
voiced.
N'Brekk brought his gaze up to look at her.
"You mean you've been working all this time...doing jobs for
him...and you've never spoken to him?"
Aerran held one hand to her chin and the other across her stomach.
N'Brekk blinked at the human pose. Then he grinned and threw a long, strong
arm around her shoulder.
"I'll lead the way." He squeezed her to his side and then let his arm
hang loose around her shoulders. Aerran didn't shrug away so N'Brekk left
it there.
They strode through the camp site and found themselves at the
Shadow's entrance.
N'Brekk gave Aerran a mock look of fright and then pulled her into the tent.
"Shadow." He named the man who sat with a few others at a table in
the large tent.
Shadow stood and looked from N'Brekk to Aerran.
"This is Aerran." N'Brekk told the dark skinned man.
A light lit Shadow's dark gaze and he turned to the other men in the room.
"Gentlemen, if you'd excuse us."
The men went without a word. Shadow came out from behind the desk and
stood before his two "hit-men." One was a good friend and trusted
collaborator. The other, a stranger. Practically as much a shadow as
Shadow was himself.
"Aerran." Shadow named her.
Aerran remained silent.
"What do you think of all of this?" Shadow asked suddenly, hoping
to startle her into some communication.
"I do not think, I only follow orders." Aerran replied, her voice one
note, like a drone of some kind.
N'Brekk pulled away from her and frowned. What was wrong with her.
This was Shadow, they're new leader!
"Kill me." The Shadow ordered.
N'Brekk took another step back as Aerran's eyes flashed yellow-fire. She
moved so swiftly that he wondered how Shadow had had time to react.
Their knives were shrieking as the edges slid along each other. Then
Aerran jumped back and lunged in, her body twisted to avoid Shadow's blade
while her own blade sought blood. Shadow managed to twist his own body
aside at the last possible moment and he lept into the air, flipping
backwards and putting the table between them.
"I *order* you to stop." He told her.
Aerran straightened, sheathed her knife, and stood motionless, waiting.
N'Brekk didn't really feel like moving himself.
"Who trained you?" Shadow asked Aerran.
"It does not matter now." she replied.
"Perhaps I think it does." Shadow told her mildly.
Aerran's eyes met his and the Shadow stopped himself from backing up a
step, even with the table between them.
"He is dead. They are all...dead." She informed him.
Shadow nodded.
"Then why are you here?"
Her face became even more closed off and Shadow wished he hadn't spoken
so hastily.
"I am here to help Oz regain control of the Earth-sphere." The words
were once again like that of a machine's.
Shadow looked at N'Brekk. Then a husky, very human voice questioned.
"Why are you here?"
Shadow's gaze slid back to Aerran's and the two warriors weighed each
other's worth.
"I am here to protect humanity." Shadow answered evasively.
Aerran snorted and again, Shadow felt amazement at the sign of feeling.
"A noble ambition, surely; but what has *humanity* to do with *human
life*?" She leaned over the table, her palms flat on its smooth surface.
Shadow stared into her eyes, noticing the exotic coloring of them.
They were...gold. He also saw the wild-passion in them. The
questions...questions directed at him. She was not mocking him. She would
not be that coy. She was blunt...honest...brave...
The lids drooped, dimming the gold to a dark brown and Aerran back
away from the table. Then she looked back up and her eyes were cold, rock
hard. They also held something else. Knowledge...but of what.
Shadow felt his heart pound in fear. Fear for all he was trying to
accomplish. But he ignored the feeling. All wild animals could sense fear
and right now, Aerran was as wild as a savage wolf.
A small smile curled the tips of Aerran's small mouth.
"You're secret's safe with me." She told him and left the tent.
N'Brekk stared at the swinging tent flaps and jumped when Shadow called
his name.
"What?" He turned and looked at the tall, dark man.
"I asked if she was always like that." Shadow stated calmly, feeling
anything but. If she had guessed his secret...
"NO! I've never seen her like that before!" N'Brekk stared at his
hands. "It's like...like she was a totally different person..."
Shadow nodded.
"Well...let me know if anything bothers her or you."
N'Brekk nodded and turned to leave when a hand on his shoulder pulled
him back. N'Brekk stared at the tall, broad shouldered man who more than
matched him for height.
"Don't worry about it, N'Brekk. I like Aerran. She's a great
hunter."
N'Brekk nodded and walked dazedly from the tent.
Shadow moved back to his chair and stared at the table top. He had
finally met the other half of Ryden Alayn...but who's side was she on?
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Rina stared at the tall woman who came from the Shadow's large tent.
She decided to make her move and ran in front of the woman's path.
"Aerran!" She called out.
The taller woman stopped, her stance readied to kill. Then she saw
the petite girl before her. A wry smile lifted Aerran's lips and she
sketched a mocking bow.
"What can I do for you?"
Rina blinked, the blaster in her hand suddenly seeming totally
unnecessary to her forgiving nature. Then the girl thought of her brother,
his throat slashed, blood soaking into the ground like thick, dark paint.
Someone had murdered him. Murdered him for what he knew. What he had seen.
He had told her about going to the circus tent and looking for Trowa Barton,
even though Shadow hadn't given them orders to. Ryden, Aerran, and N'Brekk.
They were going to ruin everything. The New Dawn's cause was not the cause
of those three. . Rina felt the rage fill her thoughts, her heart.
"You can go back to hell where you came from!" Rina shrieked at the
taller woman. She pointed the blaster at Aerran and let off a dozen or so
shots.
Aerran frowned at the wildly flying shots. *That stupid girl is
going to kill someone if she doesn't cut it out!* Aerran thought as she
dashed forward, avoiding the laser blasts with ease. *Someone also better
teach the kid how to shoot*.
Aerran reached the girl and cuffed the gun up as Rina tried to
shoot her in the head. The gun spun from Rina's hands and landed far from
them.
"I know what you did to my brother." Rina hissed.
Aerran frowned.
"R'nal?"
"Don't play dumb!" Rina screamed, pounding her small fists against
Aerran's breasts. "You killed him! You killed him!"
Aerran pulled the sobbing girl to her and held her tightly. R'nal,
dead?! Aerran's eyes narrowed dangerously and she pressed Rina's frame to
her more closely.
"You will be sorry, Ryden." She growled softly.
----------------------------------
Heero stared at Relena's moonlit silhouette as she leaned out her window.
She was wearing a white cotton night-gown that ruffled at the ends and
whispered around her ankles. He gave a slight smile. Only Relena, the
former queen of the earth sphere, would wear a cotton night-gown. She was
so...odd. He gave an inward laugh at his thoughts and then stepped away from
his hiding place.
"Waiting for Romeo?" He asked, his voice nonchalant.
Relena whirled around, her hair dancing out like waves of gold. She
clutched the front of her night dress and pressed back against the window.
Heero moved closer, wondering why she should look so guilty. Was she
really expecting someone?!
"Relena..." Heero said, his voice a warning growl.
"Yes, Heero." Her demeanor changed as she suddenly straightened and
once again became the princess of her castle.
"What are you doing?" He asked, his voice mild.
She lifted her chin and sniffed daintily.
"I don't believe that's any of your business..." The rest of her
words were cut off as she found herself pressed against the nearest wall,
both wrists held above her head by one of Heero's strong hands.
Her breath was coming fast and he could see her eyes were overly
large, wide in their terrified and confused response to his strange action.
He wondered if they could get any wider...but he frowned instead.
"Who are you waiting for." It was non-negotiable question.
"Not your business." She answered breathlessly. She wondered if he would
hit her. He looked like he could hit her. Would it hurt terribly?
Heero drew back, letting the moonlight spill onto her young, beautiful
face. She was so beautiful he ached to tell her. Ached to hold her...
He released her and Relena shrank back into the wall, waiting for
the blow. It didn't come. She opened her eyes. He was standing at the
window, staring up at the night sky. A slight breezed entered the room and
goose bumps rose on Relena's bare arms. She rubbed them brusquely.
"What do you think about Sabriel Arran?" He asked her suddenly. Relena
froze, wondering if he knew...no, wondering *how* he knew? She came to
stand beside him and asked him as much.
He gave her a side glance.
"You two were pretty mysterious at one point, secluding yourselves in
here..." He trailed off as a strand of her silky hair was blown by the
breeze. Without thinking, he reached up and tucked it back behind her
ear. Her cheek was so soft and he allowed his hand to rest there, his
fingertips barely brushing the skin. Relena turned her cheek into his
calloused palm and closed her eyes as she nuzzled it.
Heero swallowed, fascinated by the feel of her skin on his hand, and
the way she looked as she rubbed against his palm. Like a kitten...or a
puppy...
*"Are you lost?" The mahogany haired angel asked him.
"I've been lost since the day I was born." He said, the answer wrenched
from somewhere deep inside. Her face came close as she handed him the
bright flower...*
Heero brought up his other hand and cupped Relena's face in his palms.
Relena looked up at him, her eyes filled with a dreamy look. Heero leaned
down until his forehead rested against her own. He closed his eyes and
breathed in her scent. She smelled like lilies and fresh rain.
Relena remained still and reveled in Heero's touch, all the while her
mind in a whirl. What did he want from her? He had said he felt nothing
for her but...
"Heero..."
"Shh." Heero laid a finger on her lips and traced it down her chin.
Then he snaked his arm around her back and pressed her against him, resting
his cheek against her cheek.
Relena wrapped her arms around Heero's neck and threaded her fingers
through his thick hair. He was so...so...unpredictable.
"I would never hit you, Relena." He said softly.
Relena stiffened. Why had he said that? How did he...?
Heero pulled back reluctantly, knowing he wouldn't be able to stop if
he started something now. Relena brought up a manicured hand and brushed
his bangs from his eyes. He gripped her hand and pressed a kiss to her palm.
Relena's breath caught at the gesture. Then he released her and strode
to her door. He opened it and turned back.
"Tell Sabriel that her job is to protect you, not ours."
Relena nodded stupidly, her palm tingling from the warmth of where
Heero had placed his kiss. She watched him shut the door and then she sank
onto the bed. She press her kissed palm to her heart and marveled at its
frantic beating.
-------------------------------
"My Lord Ryden, your mobile suit is complete."
Ryden threw his wine glass at the man who stood at the door, and
then laughed when he heard the thud from the man's fallen body.
"Thank you." He said as he stepped over the bleeding head and walked down
the corridor. Men stood on either side of a large door and saluted Ryden as
he entered the large hanger.
"Ahh, *Zeus*." He spread his arms out and looked up worshipfully at the
large mobile suit.
Then he lovingly ran a hand along the large mecha's foot. "My beautiful,
beautiful god."
An alarm suddenly began to ring throughout the building.
"What is that?!" Ryden screamed at his men. They looked at one
another in confusion and then shrugged. Ryden pulled out a gun and shot one
of the guards. "WELL FIND OUT!" He screamed at the remaining one. The
wide-eyed guard scurried away.
-------------------------------------------------------
"Be careful!" Sally warned her younger partner as she looked at him. He
was half-way through the air vent when he suddenly pulled back and turned,
his face stopping scant inches from Sally's own.
"I am always careful." He informed her, his voice soft.
Sally felt her breath quicken as she stared into the Chinese-man's dark
eyes. Her own eyes widened as he leaned forward kissed the tip of her nose.
Then he was gone, crawling through the air-vent towards the hanger.
Sally blew out the breath she realized she had been holding and then shook
her head, a wry smile quirking her lips in the corners.
"That guy is going to drive me crazy."
---------------------------------------------
Sabriel moved quietly through the hallway and stopped before the door
leading to Relena's bedroom. She glanced at the window positioned at the
end of the hallway and glared in the rising sun's rays. A hand gripped her
shoulder and swung her around.
Heero fixed his steady gaze on the slightly shorter woman before him
and his eyes narrowed calculatingly.
"Where have you been?" he asked shortly.
The woman's left brow rose.
"I was out searching for Miss Relena's young friend."
Heero's brows dropped in a frown of confused contemplation.
"All night?"
Sabriel shrugged out of his grip and stood a little farther away from
the perfect soldier. When Heero realized she wasn't going to answer he
folded his arms across his chest in a lazy stance.
"Did you find anything?"
The woman's shoulders drooped, defeatingly, tiredly.
"Nothing." She gave a helpless look towards Relena's door.
"Let Relena sleep." Heero commanded. "Come down stairs so we can
talk with the others."
He relaxed a little more when the dark haired woman bit her bottom lip
hesitantly. He
held out a beckoning hand and then fell in step beside her as she moved
towards the stairway. They walked down to the sitting room and, once again,
Sabriel hesitated before moving fully into the lavishly furnished room.
Duo and Quatre looked up from the lap-top they were leaning over and
gave the young woman a cheerful "Good morning."
She nodded.
Heero moved to stand before Duo as Quatre moved next to Sabriel,
offering her some coffee.
"Find anything?" Heero questioned softly, his eyes on the conversing
woman and blond young man.
"Not a thing. Sabriel's record is squeaky-clean." Duo said, his
cheerful voice just as quiet. "Mrs. Darlian couldn't have chosen a better
body-guard...aside from you." Duo smirked at Heero, but the perfect
soldier gave no acknowledgment towards the comment. Duo sobered.
"Did she say where she was?"
Heero snorted.
"Says she was out looking for Dorthy."
Duo's brows rose.
"Was she lying...I mean,...could you tell...?"
Heero shook his head.
"I don't know...call me crazy, but...I don't believe Sabriel is
capable of lying."
Duo clapped Heero on the back before muttering.
"You're crazy."
Both young men's gazes were then caught by another body moving into
the sitting room. Heero cast a glance at Duo, question in his eyes at the
braided pilot's cocky grin.
"Watch Quatre." Was all the braided wonder let out.
Heero's speculative gaze moved to the blond boy and he blinked at the
wide smile Quatre showed Catherine.
"Good morning, Cat." Quatre said, his every body movement betraying
his pleasure at the mahogany haired beauty's appearance.
"'Morning, Quatre." She said happily, her violet-blue eyes twinkling.
"I think Catherine's back to her 'high-hopes' self." Duo observed
sagely.
Heero couldn't help the smile that twitched his lips upward. Duo was so
damn mouthy...
"Shut-up, Duo." Was all he replied, then he moved to stand with the other
three.
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N'Brekk stared stonily at the struggling Dorthy Catalonia. She was angrily
cussing up a storm while trying to break the ropes tying her to her tent
pole. N'Brekk wasn't sure whether or not he should attempt to go near
enough to cut her loose, or just let her wear herself out first.
"She's going to bring down the whole tent." An amused voice spoke
behind him. N'Brekk turned to smile at Shadow.
"I don't think I want to risk going too close."
A funny look flickered over Shadow's face and then the dark skinned man
moved toward the vicious young woman.
"Hold still and I'll free you." Shadow commanded.
Dorthy immediately calmed and stood, heavily breathing. N'Brekk took
a step closer, wanting to protect his leader if the young woman tried to
hurt him. He couldn't help but admire the way the silver haired nymph look,
her chest heaving in furry, her hair falling around her shoulders and down
her back in a corn-silk-colored river. Her large, light-blue eyes slightly
hooded and narrowed on Shadow's ever closer form.
Shadow slipped, calmly and surely behind Dorthy's body and he cut the
ropes binding her hands in one easy movement. The young woman remained
still, realizing that both Shadow and N'Brekk would cut her down without
hesitation if she posed a threat.
"I'm surprised at you, Dorthy." The dark-skinned man said
mockingly. "I thought you were going to bolt as soon as I freed you."
Dorthy turned to frown at the man and then her eyes widened. She
blinked rapidly before a smiled curved her full lips.
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Mary Paradis