

Chapter 3: Once more with feeling…
He woke up. And instantly regretted it. A headache crashed
down on his sinuses and left him in agony. He groaned. “Damn it.”, he
said. The hard, cold floor of the cell was uncomfortable and uneven, so he
slowly sat up. The others were still out cold. Heero sat against the wall
trying to get his bearings, as the world spun around him. Resting his head
against the cement wall, he tried to figure out what the hell went wrong this
time. Why it didn’t work. Everything was perfectly timed and went off without
a hitch. It had been three months since they had been captured. In three
months, he had found out, much to his disgust, that a person could plan 42
perfect escapes and still get caught. He was running out of ideas, and his
imagination could stretch only so far.
He closed his eyes and visualized everything. Their cell was at the back
of a narrow, dead end hallway. There were no doors, no air vents to escape
through. Straight ahead were two double doors. And here was the part that
didn’t fit. Every time they reached those damn doors, they blacked out.
Every single time. And then they’d wake up with headaches, in their cells.
This time was the 42nd time they tried to escape. They beat up the guards
who brought them food; and they blew a hole in the wall, in order to make
another exit, only to be showered with cement dust. So then they made a
run for the double doors. And ended up back in their cells. He was running
out of time. He had to get back. Relena was a big target right now; he
couldn’t protect her. She was in danger and he was here in a cell.
Duo stirred and let out a low moan. “Wait, no, don’t tell me. Just let
me take a wild guess. We’re back in the cell. Right?”, said Duo, groaning.
Heero didn’t even bother to answer him. “Mother of God on a stick, I’ve got
the biggest headache ever. What the hell did they do? Step on my head?
Geez.”, he said sitting up. “Stop complaining. You’re alive. We’re trying
again as soon as the others wake up.”, said Heero. “I’m alive? I’d rather be
dead! Aw, man! Come on, Heero. You may not feel anything, but I do! I’ve
got a giant headache, and I haven’t even had a drink!”, he said
whining. “Shut up, baka.”, intoned Heero automatically.
Wufei was the next one to wake up. As soon as he did, he let out a
growl of frustration, and thumped his fist on the ground in anger. “Cowards!
Weaklings! They won’t even face us and fight!”, he said. He then proceeded
to let out a steady stream of Chinese expletives. “Save your breath, we’re
going to need it. As soon as Trowa wakes up, we’re going to try again.”,
snapped Heero. “Again?!! Damn it Yuy! It’s no use! We’re stuck !”, yelled
Wufei. Trowa got up. “We’re going to try again and again! Until we drop!!!
I’m not giving up until I get out of here!!”, growled Heero. “They won’t
expect us to try so soon after we’ve just gotten up.”, said Trowa. “Here
goes number 43.”, sighed Duo. “Shut up, Maxwell.”, said Wufei.
Not a second later, four men burst out of their cell. “We’re going
to make it! We’re going to make it!!!”, thought Heero determined. They
sprinted down the length of the hallway, towards two double doors. Heero
reached out to open it. Suddenly, his limbs felt like lead, and his vision
grew foggy. “No!! Not again! I have to make it!! Rele..” He blacked out He
woke up.
********
It was a gray, drab day at the shuttleport. “It fits my mood
perfectly.”, thought Alejandra sourly, as she got out of her cab. The cabbie
got out and handed her her luggage. She paid him and after tipping him
generously, she headed towards the glass doors. With a swoosh, they
opened for her, and she was hit by a draft of stale, wet, warm air. “Oh,
great, just great.”, she thought staring at the lines and lines of people,
waiting to get their bags checked. Suddenly, out of the corner of her eye
she noticed a familiar figure. Instantly, her mouth went dry and she ducked
behind a pillar. “Thank God, he didn’t see me.”, she thought. A few feet
away from her, was Lt. Alton, a member of the Medinan group. He was the
man who had killed her grandparents and a cousin during her aunt’s
wedding. As easily as she could have killed him, she knew that he wasn’t
alone. And the last thing she wanted was a gunfight in a crowded airport.
They must be everywhere, she thought. All I have to do is get inside the
plane, without getting detected. Luckily, I’m not wearing anything too,
conspicuous. She quickly stepped in line and sighed in relief as a family of
six got in behind her. And so she waited, as the line crawled through
baggage check at a snail’s pace. Suddenly, an idea came to her. Taking
out her cell phone, she dialed a number.
Alton scanned the crowd impatiently. Where was she? He ground
his teeth in frustration. He had yet to receive any reports from his scouts.
Suddenly, his cell phone rang and he eagerly answered. “Hello!! Ohh…It’s
you.”, said Alton a tad disgusted. “Oh, it’s you? Is that all you have to say
to me? How about we have captured the Lioness, I think that that sounds
much better don’t you?”, said Antenor caustically. Antenor was a short,
stocky man and the bane of Alton’s existence. Unfortunately, the odious
worm was in charge of communications and Antenor could make life difficult
for him, if his anger was aroused. “I apologize for being short with you. I
was preoccupied. As we speak, my men are scouring the airport for her. We
will bring her in. They are the best we have, they will find her.”, Alton said
firmly. “I hope so for your sake. Medina won’t be happy if you turn up
empty-handed again with some air headed excuse.”, sneered Antenor. “I
would like to see you do better, Antenor.”, said Alton coldly. “Hmmm. Yes.
Oh, and Alton, a word of advice before I go…. try not to lose her.”, said
Antenor, hanging up. “Damn, his hide!!”, snapped Alton heatedly. He would
show him. Insignificant little worm. He would like nothing more than to wrap
his hands around his… RING!!! “What!”, said Alton. “Sir, we have spotted
the Lioness headed towards gateway number G-23.”, said a voice.
“Excellent work! Who is this?”, said Alton. “This is Terry Brooks, sir.”, said
the voice. “Excellent work! You will be promoted!”, said Alton. “Should we
attack?”, asked the voice. “No!! Not yet. We don’t want to give ourselves
away yet! Stand your ground and trail her until reinforcements arrive. Good
work, soldier.”, said Alton. “Thank you, sir.”, replied the voice. Smiling
broadly, Alejandra hung up. “ALL UNITS REPORT TO GATEWAY G-24!!! THIS
IS A CODE RED!! I REPEAT, THIS IS A CODE RED!!”, roared Alton, into his
walkie-talkie. For his pains, he received strange looks from people nearby.
Scowling, he ran to gate G-24.
Okay, Bed Time!!! *Snuggles pillow*
