Highbridge Chapter Six

[cherryflavored1R]

Ok, here's the deal guys: I had 8 chapters finished of this in MAY. I just realized TODAY.... in SEPTEMBER... that I had yet to post three chapters here... and I'm working on more once I can figure out were the heck I left off at. So confused...

If you haven't read any up to this point, chapters 1-5 are scattered around BI. You could also catch up (and even get ahead) if you follow this link: http://www.fanfiction.net/read.php?storyid=1056814 This is the story as it is on fanfiction.net, and it is my earliest version. The better, more edited versions are the ones appearing on BI, but ff.net helps in the fact that all of the chapters are together (for lazies like me!).

To all of the people that have reviewed, either here or at ff.net, I thank you sooo much. I have a spaz attack every time I get a good review (and I about died this one time when kmf reviewed Highbridge over at ff.net... seriously). So review more. Help me break my 100 degree temperature.

~~~~~


Highbridge

By Cherry Flavored

Chapter 6- A Duel in Action and a Plan in Motion

Disclaimer: Don?t own

~~~

Heero glanced at the ticking digital numbers on his watch- it was 8:39:28. After an uneventful night, he decided that he might as well get ready to go meet Yume a little early. He hadn?t sent an email to Relena yet, because? well, how could he plainly state that his exit was indefinite? Heero never procrastinated until now? something would come to him later? something to answer her question?

?Zero contact? forever??

~~~

Relena sat in front of the vidphone in her office talking to Quatre, confirming the progress they?ve made on their plan.

?I?ve mentioned to Noin that I had spoken with you, and that you had wished to meet with me,? Relena said.

Quatre nodded. ?Are you ready for what you have to do??

?Yeah, it?s not really that big of a deal?? Relena said, looking at the ground. ?I just don?t like lying.?

?You know what you must do, Miss Relena. It this could save the lives of quite a few people? not to mention Heero?s.? Quatre smiled reassuringly at Relena.

?I know,? Relena said. She lowered her head in thought, allowing herself to stare at the cherry wood of her desk and nothing else. ?Goodbye, Quatre.?

?Good luck, Ophelia,? Quatre said with a chuckle.

~~~

?Good evening, gentlemen!? Sarah Lai said with a very perky smile as she watched Yume and Heero stroll towards her.

?Hey Sarah!? Yume said, nervously matching her perkiness accidentally.

Heero glanced over at Yume, who was blushing as he looked at Sarah. He rolled his eyes. ?Where to?? he asked.

?Nice to see you, too, Adam,? Sarah said sarcastically. ?Where else? The Lai Auditorium, of course.?

?Ah,? Heero thought. ?Her father?s probably given a hefty sum of money to the school. That?s why she gets the run of this place.? He chuckled to himself. ?You lead the way??

They arrived at the destination after walking across the entire campus. Yume looked a bit flustered from the hike. Heero wasn?t fazed. The Lai Auditorium was smaller than their usual practice area, but the performance stage would serve as a sufficient arena to fight in.

?Be back in a second,? Sarah said as she disappeared behind the stage.

?You ready, champ?? Yume teased Heero.

?Hn.?

?Really?? Yume rolled his eyes.

Heero heard Sarah?s footsteps behind him quicken. ?Hey Adam, catch!? she said as she threw Heero a foil and a head cover. ?Ready when you are.?

Yume stood between them as they turned to face each other. He looked to his left to see that Heero was prepared. On his right, Sarah looked ready too.

?Alright,? Yume said with an important tone in his voice. ?On guard. You may begin.?

*chink* Sarah was the first to lunge in and took a very aggressive opening stance. Heero blocked her from coming in too close, though, and followed suit with an aggressive attack pattern. Yume backed away from the pair very quickly.

?She really wants to prove herself?? Heero thought. ?Or she could just be over confident.?

*swoosh* Heero pulled his foil away quickly and merely dodged her swing at him so he could bring his weapon in with a much more powerful thrust.

*clash*! Their swords crashed together, but Sarah lost her footing and stepped backwards. She didn?t let her face show her surprise, though. Heero was gaining the advantage, but Sarah looked really determined to pull back their equality. She pushed forward.

?Wow, you guys are great!? Yume said enthusiastically. He was circling around the intense bout when he heard a noise coming from outside the door. It sounded like? keys jingling?

?Oh no! Guys, stop for a second!? he said, rushing towards them and trying to avoid their weapons at the same time. ?Cease fire!?

Heero and Sarah both stopped. ?A janitor?s in the hall outside! We aren?t supposed to be in here!?

Sarah relaxed. ?Oh, is that all? Okay, Adam, you and Yume go out through the back door and I?ll talk with whoever it is. I meet you outside in a few minutes. We won?t get to finish our bout, though, Adam.?

Yume grabbed Heero?s arm and pulled him to the exit. ?Oh well, so sorry, now let?s go!? The two made it through the back door and into the outside gardens just in time.

?That was a close one. I really don?t like getting in trouble,? Yume said.

?Believe it or not, I kind of figured that.?

?Yeah well, you don?t seem like you?d care anyway?? Yume said, looking at Heero with a smirk. He sat down on the grass.

?You know what?? Heero began as he sat down as well, ?I guess I don?t really care about getting in trouble. I shouldn?t be afraid of some teacher?s weird ideas of discipline. I?ve seen worse.?

Yume looked at him with a puzzled expression. ?You know I?d ask you what you meant by that, but I wouldn?t get a response, would I??

Heero smirked. This kid catches on. ?It?s not likely.?

?Come to think of it, do you know how much you?ve told me about yourself?? Yume asked rhetorically. ?Zero percent of your life story has been revealed. Why are you so? well, I don?t know? secretive??

?Yeah, Adam, tell us a story,? said Sarah, coming up from behind them. She kneeled down by them. ?You know that there are less dirty places to sit out here,? she said, pointing to a large gazebo sitting under a tree with benches all in it. ?It?s not like anyone can see us over there in the dark.?

So the group moved to the benches, Heero hoping that they would stop interrogating him.

No such prayer was answered. ?Why are you holding out on us, Adam? You got something to hide?? Sarah teased.

?Some stories should never be told,? Heero said.

Yume looked awestruck by Heero?s words, but Sarah scoffed. ?Great, that?s very profound.?

Heero smiled and slowly began to laugh. He had just made a startling connection. ?You?re just like a guy I knew, only female.?

?Come again?? Sarah asked. Both she and Yume were mildly frightened by Heero?s sudden change in disposition.

Heero ceased his laughter. ?This kid from America I used to know. You sound just like him. He was very sarcastic, but he always tried to make light out of things. Well, he was either doing that or trying to irritate people. I suspected it was intentional, because he was very good at it.?

?Wow, Adam, I?m impressed. You had friends?? Sarah laughed. Heero smiled at the comment, genuinely amused.

Yume?s eyes got very wide. ?Sarah! That?s?? Yume was about to say that her quip was mean, but he stopped himself when he realized he?d been thinking the same thing.

?Well, now that you put it that way, I did used to have people I could call friends? or something of the sort,? Heero said, shaking his head. Yume spoke up.

?You make it sound like you didn?t realize it.?

~~~

Relena walked into the house and took a deep breath.

?Noin?? she said uneasily. ?Are you here??

She heard a muffled call from the hall outside the entryway from Noin, indicating her presence. She appeared before Relena. ?Hey,? she said.

?Noin, I?m not feeling well at all?? Relena said, weakly placing a hand to the wall as she walked to keep herself from falling. ?I need to go lay down.?

?I should say so! Have you worked yourself into a fever again? You always do this!? Noin scolded. ?Get up stairs and lay down.?

Relena did as she was told, going to her room and getting into bed. She sighed. ?Forgive me, Noin,? she whispered.

Almost on cue, Noin walked in.

Relena looked up at her. ?Noin, what appointments did I have today? I suppose I?ll have to cancel?? she looked away wistfully.

Noin put her fingers to her mouth in thought. ?I don?t remember anything in particular? Wait, you were supposed to meet with Quatre, weren?t you??

?Yeah?? Relena got an idea. ?Noin, could you go get me the laptop with the vidphone on it? I think it?s downstairs??

?Sure thing. Are you going to call Quatre?? she asked as she headed for the door.

?Yes, what?s wrong??

Noin looked at her sheepishly. ?Well, Relena, you?re sick, and you?re not exactly in formal dress?? she said, noting Relena?s pajamas.

Relena just smiled. ?Noin, since when do old friends worry about things like that? I?d rather talk to him in this state than break an appointment with no announcement.?

?Ever the senator?? Noin laughed as she left the room, shutting the door behind her.

~~~

Heero had escaped Yume and Sarah?s questions for the night and made it up to his room, but not without leaving the pair a lot more queries to think about.

?How more obvious could I get?? Heero said to himself angrily. ?The whole purpose of this mission was to bury Heero Yuy forever!?

Heero sighed loudly and collapsed onto his bed. He stared at the white, boring ceilings, attempting to bring himself away from the thought that suddenly plagued his mind.

?This mission can NOT turn out to be futile? That would defeat the purpose of leaving? my true duty??

Heero fell asleep right there, in his clothes and everything, thinking about everything he would rather be doing?

~~~

?Miss Relena, are you sure you?ll be alright?? Quatre asked with concern. His face was flashing from the vidphone Relena had propped in her lap. Noin stood by watching the conversation.

?Oh yes, Quatre, don?t worry about it. I just need to rest,? she stated warmly.

Quatre fell into a look of thought. ?Well, you could always come to the Cairo Estates. You?d be secluded, because I was just about to head to the house in Florence to attend to some business I have there. You could get some rest.?

Relena looked up at Noin for a reaction. Noin smiled. ?You know, Relena, that doesn?t sound like a bad idea. Plus, you could talk to Quatre about whatever it was he wanted to speak with you about?? Noin winked.

Relena was put off by the last gesture, but nodded to Quatre. ?Thank you for your kind offer. I would be more than pleased to come.?

~End of 6

Okay, that was six, folks! *waits patiently for politely written bad reviews*

I?m never going to abandon this story, but know this: it?s going to be a long ride?

I?m just getting started!

-Cherry

[Eden]

Ahh! I think that I understand what's going to happen! Relena and Quatra are going all out to make sure that Relena's absence is covered, eh?

I don't know if I've ever reviewed this fic of yours Cherry, but just to let you know, I have been reading it. I really like the way you've built it up from just a "Heero getting a new identity" thing into this complicated plot that makes me rack my brains with ideas as to why certain things are happening. Tre cool.

Don't give up on this one! I'll stick along for the ride!

~Eden

[cherryflavored1R]

Thank you so much for your review, Eden. I really appreaciate you taking the time to read my fic! I've been reviewing my notes and working on new chapters, but I might just post one of my reserve chapters tomorrow or Weds.

And yes, you are getting the concept of what's going on. I hope I can keep my story interesting enough...

Thanks again for the review!

-Cherry