A Gundam Wing (3)

[RyanEX2000]

Chapter 3

Fear of Remembrance



The tension between two practicing acrobats was so thick that it could easily
be sliced through with one of Cathy?s knives. Said woman was maneuvering
along the edge of one of the large trucks the circus used to transport the
tent between towns, (ignoring all but her own deep thoughts) clad in simple
blue jeans and red blouse. The circus was only two days away from Marseilles,
and Manager was ripping out his hair trying to think up some ?show-stopping?
act to impress the blue bloods of Romefeller. Both old and new to the staff
knew it was best for their health if they kept their distance from the fiery
superior. Unconsciously, Catherine?s eyes sought out her tall partner. She
found him in his usual spot: reclining at the lion cages with his back
pressed against the cold steel bars.

Has he lost family to the Gundams?

Her nose wrinkled in thought. Tapping her chin with a perfectly manicured
nail, she stood in the heat of the day pondering only the boy she?d come to
know so well.

HAD he lost his family to the Gundams?


It would explain the cold and dangerous feeling he'd exuded when talking to
Heero (not that she was eavesdropping). If so, then she could indeed
sympathize with him. Her first family had been lost in a mobile suit battle.
It was then the circus folk had found her, taken her in, and given her a new
home and family. She'd hoped that Trowa would have become the newest member
of her family...but he kept on fighting ...kept on being the loner...kept
on...FALLING.


With a startled squeal, she lost her balance and toppled over onto the
canvas. A flush covered her cheeks as she heard the sounds of laughter.
Trying to salvage what was left of her pride, she glared around at her
snickering friends, and with a contemptuous flick of her fiery hair, she
flounced off to her trailer.

*****

Heero watched from his perch above elephant pen as Catherine fumed off,
muttering the way?someone he used to know muttered?

?Of all the dishonorable?So rude?Men??

He leaned his head against a truck, thinking of who had said that. Who had
mentioned dishonor.

I don?t fight women and children.

It?s dishonorable.

Those who are weak are not worthy to fight me.

He sighed as the voices continued to ring throughout his head. He grasped
desperately to reality, finding that the scene before him would suffice for
now?He just had to make the voices stop.

?Great job, Cat! Is that your new show-stopping act??

?Go tell the manager, honey!?

?You looked good, though. Sexy tight backside you got there!?

?Nice set of stems, too!?


Denny and Roy (two of the circus clowns) called after her and gave small
chuckles as she flipped them the bird in response.

The voices stopped instantly and he felt a smirk creep swiftly along the
contours of his face.

Just as quickly, he stopped-- the stoic expression returning to his face.

Blinking, he felt a calloused hand massage the skin of his face.

Ever since that incident with the two crashers everything felt wrong. The
easy way he smiled and laughed?the conversations with the tamers and clowns
and other circus folk. It all felt alien to him. But he was acting on his
emotions, and for some reason, that felt important to him.

"Mr. Heero..."

A voice from outside his head jerked him out of thoughts, and he sat up
looking down through the bars of the cage into the green-blue eyes of one of
three small circus children.

What?s her name?

"Talia...right?" he asked.

She smiled and nodded her head, her shoulder length brown hair bobbing. A
small raggly pair appeared behind her. Two boys; obviously twins. They
mirrored each other perfectly, right down to movements. Had he worn glasses,
he would have wanted to check and clean them when eyeing the two. It was
impossible how they reflected one another.

"We saw what you did to those two guys...,"one started.

"....And we wanted to know if you could teach us those moves," the other
finished.

Heero glanced at them uneasily, mouth opening and shutting in an unusual
display of human behavior. His eyes sought some means of escape?some excuse
that would free him of these?children.

Think, Heero. Options?.

1) He had some candy.
2) There was a woman nearby?Surely she could handle the children
3) Wasn?t there something he should be getting back to?
4) Wasn?t there something THEY should be getting back to?
5) He could refuse, claim not to remember

Bingo.

After all, everyone in the circus knew his story. It would be all too easy to
claim forgetfulness...



Upon looking at the youthful, hopeful expression of the children, he felt a
pang in his chest. It rose and fell, and rose again in the pit of his
stomach, fluttering as if it was a ?a butterfly. He took a second to scan the
sensation, and after a minute of self-delving, he realized?Pride. He felt
truly proud for the first time. It might not be a good thing, being proud of
beating up two drunks, but it felt good nonetheless.

He walked to a mat that slumped lifelessly on a truck, and promptly punched
it.

The lesson had begun.

Trowa watched it all in hiding.

?For a man with no past, my friend, you have a hell of a future.?

******



"You have any idea what's goin' on?"

The words were on the lips of everyone at the usual meeting place beside the
trailers. A slew of phrases and rambles filled the air as the men and women
joined to hear their boss?s orders.

Catherine sat in her usual spot over the edge of one the trailers. Her legs
dangled to and fro, and reminded her of her carefree days as a child.

Maybe Trowa had had days like that. Maybe Trowa had happier memories than she
had.

Trowa sat beneath her, and she looked around searching for the missing member
of their trio. She found him sitting on the far edge of the circle with a
group of children around him. She recognized Talia and the twin boys Mathew
and Mark. The others were sitting a bit out of the light. He locked eyes with
her and gave a small smile and nod. She winked at him as Manager walked into
the circle.

"Okay everyone. Quiet down."

Waiting not so patiently as the residual chatter died down, he spoke as he
finally got the quiet he wanted.

"We'll be arriving in Marseilles tomorrow, and we'll be expected to perform
at Romefeller Grand Palace two days later. We need something new. Something
spectacular. Something that'll burn into their memories," he shouted, adding
a spark to a small lighter he had.


Ohh. Ahh.

A LIGHTER.

Is he leading a pep rally? Are we to all scream and act excited?

Catherine popped her gum and slumped into an unrecognizable heap after
rolling her eyes enough so that China could see.

There was complete silence as everyone (even the raging hormonal
Catherine ?I?m a teen? Bloom) absorbed what he said. She understood his
excitedness. He rarely ever shouted that way unless he was performing. Then
again, it wasn't everyday that their group performed before the elite of the
Elite.

"Now," Manager continued, "does anyone have anything...any act that could
make an impression upon them?"

There was chatter all around as everyone put forward some of the most
outrageous acts ever heard--ranging from the dangerous high wire cycle, to
the lions' pen bungee jumping. All of them Manager vetoed until...

"Excuse me..."

A voice that possessed no volume but strength beyond his years halted all
other noise. Even the animals around them grew still.

"Trowa,? Manager eyed him warily, ?do you have something to add?"

He tilted his head, and the fire caught his face and eyes, devilishly
manipulating his features.

The children involuntarily shivered.

"I have an idea that might work.?

Cathy shuddered.

He puts the wind to shame when he speaks.

"Really? What is it? Can you give me any details?" Manager questioned. The
fire crackled slowly?the only indicant that Trowa was not some god of
ultimate silence.

"I cannot say. You will have to trust me.?

Manager blinked and stuttered some demand, but Trowa quietly plowed through
his boss?s wishes.

"I will need absolute secrecy and quiet."

The staff griped and complained. Finding backbones in numbers. Numerous
languages were heard, and Catherine found herself focused soley on the man
below her.

He was so calm.

So desolate.

A showstopper?

What do you have up your sleeve, Trowa?

Trowa smiled, and Manager recoiled, surprised at the expressions the boy was
suddenly showing.

Manager lowered his eyes, so there was no mistake in the seriousness of the
convorsation.

?A show-stopping event? One to die for??

An ever-so-slight smirk sought Trowa?s lips.

"I couldn't have put it better myself."

*****


As they prepared to move out, Catherine stood beside Manager, counting off
equipment as it was loaded onto the freighter. She almost lost tally as an
unaccounted trailer moved up. As the window was lowered, she saw Trowa
sitting quite comfortably in the driver?s seat.

"What's this?" she asked him.

"I rented it from in town," he said, jerking his thumb back. "It carries what
I need for the final act."

"Well okay," her eyes lost a hint of her natural glow.

Final act? Odd word choice.

"Park it next to Maria's old gypsy wagon."

He nodded at her, no trace of an emotion as the truck moved. It groaned under
the weight as he moved it up the ramp and into place. Finished, he leapt down
nimbly to the metal floor. As he rose so did the hairs on the back of his
neck. Whirling around in a crouch, he came face to face with Heero. Though
the newcomer?s face stayed expressionless, his blue eyes reflected surprise
at Trowa's sudden movement.

"Catherine sent me," he said, holding out a key tied to a paper slip. He
casually slipped his free hand inside his jean pocket, and waited for Trowa
to take the key.

"Turns out this is one of Romefeller's personal freighters," he
continued. "We've all been assigned rooms?personal rooms."

Trowa plucked the key from Heero's fingers, glancing at it with a snort of
disgust.

Typical way of flaunting their wealth and power.

It was akin to physiological warfare. However, he wouldn't allow it to
distract him from his goal. He moved past Heero-- not noticing the icy gleam
that momentarily shone in Heero?s eyes. His free hand slowly moved almost of
its own accord, a stolen dagger from Catherine?s room coming to life in his
hand..

*****

The quietness of the night echoed into the vastness of the river, as no wave
or ripple threatened to break the peace. Not even the small laps against the
boat made a sound. Heero pushed aside the thought of an omen, and blamed the
serenity on the small river. He looked over at the ship that was matching
speed with them. Or rather?a small yacht--similar to the ones he'd seen
during the day ,but this on was operated by men in blue uniforms he
recognized as belonging to the elite OZ military force. A sudden banging
noise startled him. Whirling around he could see no one, but a part of him
was demanding he go investigate. He was about to comply when a voice drifted
across the water to him.

"Miss Relena..."

Relena?

Heero?s eyes widened. He knew that name. He strained his eyes searching out
the origin of the voice. There.

Two women were standing near the bow of the ship. The taller one had a full
figure that was hidden beneath a formal blue cloak and an old fashioned army
uniform. She had her hair cut in a short attractive style that was similar to
Trowa's. Yet it somehow seemed to flatter. Yet all this was pushed back into
his mind as he focused on the other: the childlike emperess. Her hair was
long and auburn colored, flowing freely from the wind that flew from the
river, and caught bits of moonlight as they refused to fall on the water, but
on her. Her face had a regal, proud look that was emphasized by the white
suit she wore.

Angelic.

It was the face that captivated him, for it was the same one he'd seen in his
memories. The same one he'd been sketching all this time.

Who was she?

*****

Down below in the ship's hold, two shadowy figures approached the trailer
Trowa had driven. They swiftly squirmed under the tarp. Hidden beneath it,
two pairs of eyes beheld the dormant HeavyArms with shock and awe.


TBC
____________________________

Another night another chapter.
Again I don't own GW and neither does MBF,though she may claim differently.

[Morrighan]

Must see more!!!!! I'm dying for more!!

When is Heero gonna get to actually see Relena again??? C'mon this is supposed to be 1xR...right??

[RyanEX2000]

Glad to see that someone likes it Morrighan.Although it will be difficult to continue with MBF(sniff)...leaving as she is.I'll have to try harder I guess.....

[Eden]

Holy man! This has practicly been to the bottom of the list! Thank goodness I decided to go looking to see if their was something that I missed in my rather selective viewing, . . .

Loved this part, along with the ones before. Can't wait to see what happens next! Will Heero go and try to confrount his mystery woman, or will she find him in some strange way? Oh I can hardly wait for you to continue this!

~Eden