Over The Top (1/3)

[AngelOfDeath]

This was going to be a really long one shot (and will be when I post it on ffnet much much later), but I felt like putting up the first part of it anyway.

Some concerns: Ok, I did a lot of research about the military in World War I and I know loads about it so that will be fine when it is relevent, but I skimped a little about, well, everything else in the era so I have to rely on my shakey knowledge of the 1920s until I am a good girl and do some more research tomorrow and the next day. So forgive inconsistencies with the era, please!

Disclaimer: Don't own Gundam Wing, never will, please don't sue me I have no money! That does for the rest of the story as well.


Part 1






The click of heels was not an entirely unusual noise in of itself, but to hear such a thing in the hallways of this particular building was usually worthy of some note. It meant someone was here to visit, and the strange vicarious glimmer of hope was both painful and pleasurable in turns. The possibility of visitation could cheer even some of the gloomiest and furthest gone among the patients. What a pity, Heero thought to himself, that this particular visitor had to come in vain.

Every week, for over a year now, dependable as time itself, she would come. Down the hall in her easy, measured steps she strode. After a year Heero could tell a lot about her by the way the steady click click echoed in his ear before ceasing three doors down from his and knocking on the door. That was futile too, but she knew it as well as he did, so no one needed to remind her. No, at first he had noted how hesitant her steps had been. The first month or two it was an uneven clatter, catching him off guard from his usual semi meditative state into full consciousness and rare curiosity. Slowly, as if she had been giving up over time her fears of this special ward and its inhabitants, her confidence had manifested by the quickened and newly evened pace.

At first Heero had not expected her to return. Most visitors only came a few times and then faded away, their loved ones often hardly noticing or suffering silently, depending on how aware they were. Yet three months later she was still coming, then 5. . . a special visit on Christmas, and months more passed. He could mark his weeks by her visits. He had thought about doing so.

A blond head, hair neatly bound into a bun, flashed by his vision through the small window of his room ? his cell. The rare glimpse was tantalizing. A rounded face, slim and firm in youth with blue eyes that focused on a point far ahead. It used to be a frown knit her brow and marred her pretty face, but now the only expression Heero was one of determination: mouth pursed, jaw set, arm clutching her purse to her side. What he would give to know her name, this mystery woman who exhibited such perfect devotion to her soldier.

It was too bad that today was the day he had to shatter his image of her forever. It had taken a long time, but suspicion was at a low ebb. The knife he had stolen, which had created a commotion among the staff as well as searches of the entire ward, was secreted from beneath the floorboard from where he had kept it hidden the past two months. The few tools he needed to pick such a simple lock as that which bound him to his room he was able to get without incident long ago. He had needed a way out, something he could count on.

That?s where the girl came in. His lady of the ever consistent visitation. Surely she had her own transportation here. The richness of her clothes gave her away, as did the haughty dignity of her bearing. Soon enough she would finish her prescribed two hours in the company of the boy down the hall, then she would be spending an unknown quantity of hours in Heero?s own presence. Although he was both excited and loath to finally meet her face to face he had a feeling he wouldn?t get to know her like he wanted to. Very few people took kindly to being hostages, he expected.

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As Relena clenched and released her jaw she felt her hair pull a little in its exceptionally tight bun. Such long hair was terribly unfashionable, even if her low waisted gown was the pink of trendy, or would have been if she hadn?t insisted on it covering every inch of her body. This was prompted out of no love of propriety, even though she was perfectly willing to let her father think that, but to avoid unwanted attention. When she had first been formally presented to society, it had been a festive enough occasion, despite the brewing troubles surrounding the war. Wilson seemed to have done it and kept the U.S. out of it. Then, shortly before her seventeenth year, America declared war on Germany.

There was no use in reliving the past. It was 1921, and the war had been over for years, but the war had not ended for some people. More importantly, it seemed as if it would never end for Quatre.

Even now, when she said his name in her mind, her heart tightened. The dear childhood friend who lay, shell shocked, unwilling to rejoin the society he used to delight in. For a while his mother had kept him home, but day in day out he had simply wandered the house with an empty look in his eyes that no one could bear. When his mother broke down in fits of crying when in his presence too long is when they took Quatre the only place they knew he could be taken care of. Perhaps a ward in a hospital was going too far, but his father?s money kept him in relative luxury.

People sneered at her for coming these days. They would look down their noses, even as many of her friends planned their weddings. The other girls warned her she was going to become an old maid. The less unkind and shallow of her set, like her dear friend Hilde (whose family had come under much suspicion during the war) were even telling her that it would be better to perhaps visit less. Her words as she placed her pale gloved hand on Relena?s own as she left from a visit still stung: "He?s not coming back, Lena."

"Yes he is!" Her voice was low but adamant. Not even Hilde could sway her, even if she did feel a keen in her heart as her friend drew back her hands sharply, tears hiding behind her black lashes.

The nurse let her in. Quatre, as he almost always was, had been stationed in a rolling chair. In his robe, with a blanket over his knees to ward off the last of the frost this spring morning, he seemed catatonic as he contemplated the brown earth outside. The blond hair was neatly combed and trimmed, the cheeks flushed with good health, but the eyes held a fearsome emptiness. With a swallow, Relena met him as best as she could.

"Hello, Quatre, it?s Saturday again. My my, I do think you got a new haircut. Handsome as always I see. Don?t you have a hello for your old friend Miss Relena?" His eyes tracked her as she sat next to him, otherwise she would think he wasn?t even alive. The monologue continued. "Your father and mother are very well. One of your sisters is getting married. I don?t remember which one, as there are a terrible lot of them. . . your dad is absolutely furious about the costs. He swore to me that I should secretly encourage the younger ones to elope so that he doesn?t have to go through with it again. Can you imagine! What a scandal that would be! Of course I know he was joking."

Her false gaiety was getting more natural. Sometimes she could even fool herself into pretending that this was all some great game and Quatre was just pretending to keep a straight face as she talked to him. Tears began to burn, but she never let them fall. She hadn?t cried once since he came back. There was no reason to cry; he was healthy in body and still with them. Why must others mourn him as if he were already dead?

"Hilde has been acting very mysteriously as of late. I think she has been favoring one of her suitors. Mr. Maxwell is terribly handsome, I must admit, but there are other more wealthy men who want her and it would be to her benefit to make an advantageous match. It?s a good thing her beauty and fiery spirit are enough to erase the taint that tarnished the Sheibacker family name not so long ago. You weren?t here when it was really bad, but I almost hit that nasty witch Anna Westlake for snubbing her at a garden party. What nerve, all of those spoiled brats. . . but I shouldn?t get all worked up. You know how I feel about such shallow and spiteful behavior." She was running off at the mouth. It was all she could do. This was almost worse than talking to oneself.

Quatre blinked, and his eyes flickered back to the earth below where a garden would spring up once the season advanced a few more weeks. The thaw had set in not too long ago. He seemed more responsive when there were flowers, and Relena would be happy when they came. Taking a deep breath, she continued what other regarded as a fruitless waste of time and effort. She would bring Quatre back. If it took decades, she would do it. The rest of them be damned.

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Once the orderly checked his door, Heero picked the lock. Trying to turn the knob, he found it moved smoothly and silently enough to his liking. A clear ?thank you? reached his ear from down the hall. Ah, the clockwork woman, affection burst in his heart for the perfection of her timing and how it made his mission so very easy. They couldn?t hold him here much longer. When he got out and reported to his commanding officer, he knew that once again the world would be right.

Cutting his palm and squeezing just a little, he let blood ooze out just enough to make this convincing. How wonderful for him that she wore a white dress today. As she was about to cross his little window, Heero threw back the door, confronting her startled face.

"Good afternoon." He said politely.

"Good afternoon." Her programmed response shot back, as she look at him with no little confusion. It became a cry of fear as he grabbed her, quick with the reflexes he had never given the chance to grow dull. The struggles she afforded were stronger than he had expected but nothing compared to his own strength. He made sure to brandish the knife in her field of vision before grabbing her throat and sliding the blade next to it. She almost went limp in shock and fright.

Up until now everyone in the hallway had been paralyzed, unsure of what had just gone on. One particularly astute nurse ran off to find security. Orderlies began advancing as they too realized what had just happened.

"No one moves," Heero growled. "Or I?ll kill you." He pretended to sweep the knife over her soft neck and she trembled. He squeezed his hand and blood seeped through his fingers. Not hers naturally, but they couldn?t tell the difference.

"Don?t be stupid, Mr. Yuy. You don?t want to do this." A doctor from the edge of the hall was slowly walking towards him now that the orderlies had stopped at his threat.

"Stop! Or she dies!" The doctor halted. Everyone was tense, expectant, and only Heero knew what came next. "Come with me, Miss. We?re going for a little drive."

It was lucky for him that all the crazy people were kept away from the main hospital because trying to escape down multiple floors and through many wards would have been much more difficult. He wouldn?t say impossible, for nothing was impossible for him, but it would have taken much more planning and preparation. This was somewhat messy, but it was getting him out and that?s what mattered.

"Think about this," the girl spoke, breathless from being forced to run beside him. "There is nothing to be gained from hurting me. If you need help, I can help you, but I cannot condone such actions. There must be another wa--"

"Quiet." It was harshly spoken but effective. She stopped talking. As they paused at the steps leading outside, Heero looked around. "Where?s your car?" She pointed and he pulled her after him. Men from security burst out after them, right behind, but not fast enough to catch the two young people in front of them, one swift from terror and the other from elation.

"Miss Peacecraft!" An elderly man in a chauffeur?s costume stepped out to meet the two of them. Heero threw one punch and the old man crumpled to the ground. Finally, Relena snapped out of whatever stupor she had been in up until now as Heero pushed her into the car so hard she practically flew into the passenger seat.

"I HATE YOU! YOU KILLED HIM! Pagan! Can you hear me? Oh please get up Pagan!" She kicked and hit at Heero who seemed to be able to block her attacks with effortless ease even as he found the ignition. His familiarity with the car was remarkable considering how long it had been since he had been in a vehicle, especially a civilian one, and as they drove through the security men, those same men were forced to dive out of the way.

The fuming and nearly crying woman sitting next to him, covered in his blood, suddenly commanded more of his attention. There was no use stopping until they got out of town. Once they were safely away from the authorities then he would let her go, but at the moment she did not look likely to listen to reason. Best to wait until she calmed down.

Relena touched her throat as she finally registered that it was wet for some reason. Looking down she saw that there were drops of blood on her chest, and her fingers came away crimson as she rubbed them across her flesh. Alarm bloomed in her anew, replacing some of the furious anger.

"I?m dying! Look at all this blood! How could you do such a thing? And to a poor old man." Her topics were getting confused, he noted. The tears she began to shed were strangely unsettling to Heero. This was not part of the mission, but he should have expected such a response. This was a great deal of stress for her after all, though he would never be so weak in a crisis. He had to stop her crying somehow.

"Miss Peacecraft," He had finally heard her name from the old man. At least that had been useful. It was regrettable that he had been so old. "He?s not dead. He?s collapsed next to a hospital even if he had been seriously injured, and that?s my blood not yours." He held up the hand that even now still bled a little. Relena looked a little shocked at the sight of all the blood on both of them.

The police would be too slow to react. He would be out into the country in another twenty minutes too deep to be found. However, there were problems. He needed a map of the surrounding area and some new clothes. To obtain such things meant that he needed to both have time to stop and to have money. Time to stop he would gain in time, but money was a bit of an issue. As he steered with one hand he used his other hand to search around the car for anything that might hold some cash. Once a startled Relena had noted that the hands were not coming for her, she felt indignant.

"What are you doing? You already kidnapped me and stole my car, what?s left?" She was cross, but at least she wasn?t crying anymore. Remarkably resilient, he would say, given the circumstances. Heero chose not to respond. Relena simply got more irritated as he fiddled with the seats and alarmingly only kept partial attention to the road. They were going so fast too!

"I?d like it if you would maintain your attention ahead of us, unless this is some sort of suicide mission, in which case I insist you let me go and continue on by yourself."

Why did she have to talk so much? Wasn?t she supposed to be mute in fear and awe of him?

"I need money." There, maybe she had something. She still clutched her purse after all.

"I don?t have much on me. Pagan had most of it, which you might have gotten if you hadn?t almost killed him. You?re not very good at this, I think." Relena was excessively riled or else she would have had more consideration for her words. Yet, the young woman had never been confronted by people who didn?t do her bidding before and as much as she tried not to be spoiled, some learned behaviors were very pervasive.

"Give me what you have." Relena fumed as she dug into her purse for the few coins she kept for tipping or, as was more often the case, giving to beggars (a habit her mother had often discouraged, but that she persisted in). It was indeed very little. Heero glanced over at her, his intense eyes causing her to widen her own. "Can you get more?"

"Keep your attention on the road!" He looked over and she felt relieved to be released from his gaze. "If we stop at a bank I can easily get more, and then you can let me go." Always back to that. Couldn?t she think of something else? Better yet, couldn?t she simply think rather than open her mouth?

The houses had been thinning out for the past thirty minutes. Soon they would be out in the country proper. Relena had gotten silent when it became apparent that any entreaties she threw at him were at best ignored and at worse earning her a glance. The extreme dark blue of his eyes coupled with a wildness behind them made her much more fearful than when he stoically maintained a breakneck speed down the increasingly bumpy country road.

"I d-d-don?t th-think this was b-b-built for cars-s-s." Relena dared to speak again. Soon they would get to another town. Another town meant police, meant rescue. Surely her father could have arranged a search and rescue team. This crazy man would be brought to justice. Trees surrounded them, making everything slightly darker than it should have been. The inside of the car was getting cold, Relena shivered. After shivering a while longer, a robe was thrown at her, landing in her lap.

She looked over at Heero, trying to discern what he was thinking, but he didn?t appear to pay her any mind. Yet, he obviously was observing her closely as her shivers had not been that pronounced. The anger, sadness, and fear at being abducted were all still there but now a vivid curiosity about her captor assaulted her. Best to start small.

"What?s your name?" He was silent. "I asked what your name was. I?m pretty sure you aren?t deaf. Didn?t that guy call you Mr. Huey back there?"

"Yuy." He cursed in his head. The response had been automatic to correct her. It wasn?t his intention for her to know his name.

"Well, Mr. Yuy, I?m Miss Relena Peacecraft. I can?t say it?s a pleasure to meet you, but seeing as we are trapped in this car together until you deign to stop or until we run out of gas, it would please me if you would tell me why you kidnapped me."

The thought of the car running out of gas had been plaguing him for a while. He figured he could get to the next town at first, but now he wasn?t so sure. The hospital had been further into the city than he remembered. The growth of the city had been fairly extensive since he had been brought there.

"I?m just going to keep asking, until you tell me. Unless you?d like me to inquire about more personal things. . ." This woman was going to be the death of him.

"You were there. I needed a car. I could predict your movements." Silence again.

"Hm." Relena thought out loud. "If you could predict my movements then that means you?ve been watching me. For how long I wonder?" He didn?t like where this was going. He didn?t want to talk about how long he?d been watching her, or thinking about her. Relena. It was a unique name.

Useless thoughts Yuy, useless thoughts, he chided. Relena was almost more distraction than she was worth already. Maybe he should just let her off here in the woods. For some reason as soon as he thought it his hands had tightened on the steering wheel and his foot had pushed down harder on the gas. No, he wasn?t going to let her off alone in the woods. The town would be soon. She would be a reasonable hostage if he handled things correctly. Speaking of hands, his was throbbing madly, and still bleeding if the continued slickness of the wheel was anything to judge by. This was bad.

"Do you have a handkerchief?" Relena nodded. Heero held out his bleeding hand. "Tie it around my hand tightly." Her brow furrowed.

"And why should I?"

"Would you rather I take both hands off the wheel to do it myself?"

Relena took out her handkerchief. She was sad to see it ruined. It was so nicely monogrammed and embroidered with a little dove on it. A set of these were one of many Christmas gifts from her brother Milliardo. New Hope sprang into her heart as she thought of her brother. He had connections to the army, and as only military personnel were kept in that ward, maybe Milliardo could pull some strings and get more than just the local law after them. There was nothing to worry about.

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___________________________

So. . . s'ok?

[Kanya Barton]

Yes! It's totally okay! This is great! I'm totally fascinated by the era of WW1 and WW2...I read about the time between...but it didn't really strike me as something that I liked... Well, this is really good! I really like it so far! I can't wait for you to put up the next one!
Peace out!

[Lara Winner]

Heero's a basket case!

This was a great start for what seems like it will be a very fun and interesting story. So will this be a case of stockhold love? I certainly hope so!

[Kiyoko]

Wow, great beginning! I'm hooked! Of course Heero has to threaten to kill Relena, then kidnap her. It wouldn't be a proper story if he didn't! I love their interactions! It so real. Anyway, I hope you post the next part soon! Keep up the good work.

[Nikouru]

Great beginning! I'm very interested in this unique AU story! I love
the way you portrayed the characters... keeping them to their original
character personality, but tying it in with this story! Can't wait to see
what happens so... post the next chapter soon, please?

[RDP]

Very intriguing beginning, Angel of Death! :razz:

I like the way you put in lots of detail and feeling, so that the reader can actually picture what is happening.

Also, you kept everyone in character (it was smart and considerate of Heero to cut himself instead of Relena, but he is just a meanie for hurting Pagan :x ), yet made the chapter exciting and action-filled.

I am glad Relena never gave up on Quatre. Perhaps one day he will be fine again?

Please write more! This is a wonderful fic!

[Beck]

Well this is certainly different. A mentally challenged Heero and man oh man, I feel so bad for Quatre, I'm hoping that eventually he'll pull himself out of it but I'm sure its going to take something to happen in order for that to work.

[Elyn Yuy]

Heero, may I recomend a therapist?

Who's his commander? Miliardo?

Please continue!

Elyn Yuy