Gepetto Chapter 4
Posted: Mon Mar 03, 2003 7:36 am
Gepetto Chapter 4
Eventual action and mystery solving but now lets start the romance...
Aku_ryo@hotmail.com
A/N – new thing you need to know from now on Japanese talking will be written normally, all other languages will be written in Italics. I won’t bother to italics thoughts only spoken words.
PS I dont own Gundam Wing - suprised - i thought not...
*************************************************************
As the steam continued to billow out of the gloomy machine, a shiver ran the length of the Preventers spine. He could feel the moisture in the air cooling down around him, causing the hair on his arms to prick up uncomfortably.
“I am only trying to look out for you!”
“What are you implying?”
“I’m not implying anything!”
He had always felt awkward witnessing their rows but this was more. Today his distaste towards their petty squabbles and arguments was stronger, and it was making him feel sick. Backing away silently from their side, he measured his steps evenly until finding the back wall. It was covered in condensation, idly he traced circles in the droplets with his fingertips.
“You need to pay more attention to what’s going on around you!”
As if on cue he turned his attention back to his surroundings. Shapes and patterns began to emerge from the dissipating steam. He admired the way they could flow so easily from one form to the next, ‘like the clouds’ he mused. They were graceful, their dance entrancing him, and those small signs he did not ordinarily ignore slipped past his notice.
Three bullets soared out of the fog, one grazing Sallys’ cheek before blowing up the main computer Heero had been working at only moments before. The next two skillfully knocked out the only sources of light in the room. Sally raced to the door, to signal the internal alarm system. She stopped halfway as the steam cleared enough for her to see exactly who it was that fired those shots. Standing before her on unsteady legs was a grim sight. Mesmerized by it she had to force her eyes to look away. The girl she saw was Eve, her Eve.
**********
Heero Yuy was not a patient man but he had his orders, and however foolish he thought they may be he followed them. “You may go in now.” A raven haired woman he knew only as Miss Melville escorted him to the Directors office and saw him in. “Preventer Night here as requested.”
**********
Weighing up her options, the girl known to all but herself as ‘Eve’ noticed the alarm device the woman before her was heading towards. Glaring at the audacious woman in reprimand she began, “I have some questions for you. You will answer me.”
Sally watched out of the corner of her eye as the girl weakly crossed the room, a deep crimson trail following her every move. ‘One arms dislocated, gash in leg, may be a punctured lung, the way she’s breathing…’ the doctor in her summed up the situation instantly, ‘…she can’t keep this up for long.’. She looked back discreetly to check on her partners. Sally knew from Wu-Fei’s barely comprehensible mumblings that he was fuming. ‘It’s the technique I taught him’ she mused and returned her gaze to the situation at hand.
Wu-Fei gritted his teeth to stop himself from shouting out something foolish. He was furious, 'how dare this girl we rescued turn on us!'. Counting backwards from 100 in Chinese, he could have sworn he felt his blood boiling in his veins.
With barely a movement ‘Eve’ motioned for the woman before her to back off a few steps before a slight movement towards the back of the room caught her eye.
Sally sensing an opportunity had arisen backed off as quickly as she could. ‘If she lets me get back to Wu-Fei then maybe….’
**********
“Am I to assume by your presence here that she has woken up?” Director Une raised one eyebrow inspecting the young man before her. His stance told her all she needed to know. ‘Stubborn boy still not happy on your assignment’ she thought before motioning for him to sit.
“Affirmative, it was Preventer Wood who discovered how to release her.” Heero knew she probably wouldn’t tell him but he needed to know. Sitting down rigidly he began, “Why did you ask me to inform you personally when she awoke?”
**********
Nadja could feel every ounce of energy draining away. The thick, sticky blood clung to her clothes and her hair, restricting her movement. The thumping inside her head, her own heartbeat, drumming away in her ears, made her feel drowsy. The sounds around her, so clear a moments ago, were becoming dull and hollow. Her eyes tried to refocus, ‘I saw something in the corner. Yes, it was in the corner.’ Her mind had become slow. She stared at the gun in shock for a moment, nearly losing her grip on it, before realizing its purpose. ‘To kill, to kill what? Footsteps. Whose footsteps?’ A voice inside her somewhere was screaming, telling her to focus, not forget, ‘you can’t let this happen, it will be the end of you!’ Forcing her mind to clear while regaining control of her senses felt a task worthy of Hercules.
"ENOUGH" she shouted sharply, intending to stop the blonde womans attempt to reach the Asian man shoegazing by computer terminal she blew out earlier.
Wu-Fei raised his head at this, his previous anger rushing back in torrent waves. Sally stared at him, trying to give Wu-Fei her best disagreeable look, knowing all too well that he was about to go off. ‘Stupid man, wait a moment her injuries will soon stop her’. But alas, it was not to be.
“Why you ungrateful little girl, after all we’ve done for you…” Wu-Fei motioned to Sally, “this woman in particular, and this is how you repay us!” Wu-Fei didn’t see it coming, Sally didn’t see it coming, the taller man towards the back of the room did however. “Wu-Fei….” He tried to warn him and then it was over. Wu-Fei hissed through his teeth, grabbing his left shoulder as blood began to soak his shirt. He had been shot.
Sparing only a disdainful glance towards her ‘Eve’, Sally rushed to Wu-Fei’s side. Quickly peeling off her long time partners' blood soaked Preventers jacket, Sally began examining the fresh wound.
In her distraction, Preventer Water felt it before she heard anything, and this surprised her. The pressure from a gun being pushed against her head.
**********
Heero glared at the Director, daring her to answer him truthfully. He had his suspicions about the Director interest in this case, about his particular involvement in it. 'I could be more help if I knew what was going on, there must be a reason she is not telling me, what is it?'
Une smirked at Heero before replying. “It is related to another case, that will be all, thank you for your prompt information.” Yuy nodded, he hadn’t expected even that much information from her. ‘Perhaps with some digging’ he thought, as he walked the corridor towards the elevator. In the distance he could hear Miss Melville greeting Une's next appointment. "KMF, the Director is expecting you...". Turning back to the elevator doors, waiting for it to arrive, Preventer Night pondered yet again what he was doing on this assignment.
FLASHBACK~~~~~~~~~~~~
Director Une sighed heavily, “I will not argue with you, I know where your talents are best suited.”
“I would disagree”
“You are out of line!” Smoothing her hair back she took another sip of tea before continuing softly. “Each of you five pilots has a unique ability that has enhanced the Preventers tremendously. I gave careful thought to who would be best suited to this assignment and your name was top on my list.”
“I am wasting my time here.”
“You are with that kind of attitude. The data you decode is vital; perhaps you should look deeper into what you are doing before second guessing me. Use your head Yuy.”
END FLASHBACK~~~~~~~~~
Heero folded his arms across his chest, ‘use your head, where have I heard that before’. The bell signaling the elevator arrival chimed in time with Heeros resurfacing memory, ‘Colony X-18999 with Duo. Cheeky bastard...’ His eyes widened slightly, his brain signaling for him to flee or face torture, but it was too late. The elevator doors opened and out popped the god of death.
Heero held Duo’s gaze for a moment, waiting to see if fatherhood had changed him as Quatre said it had. Duos’ eyes hardened under the scrutiny, glazing over in an expression that matched Heeros' own. In a flurry of movement and muffled shouts Heero Yuy was on the floor. Duo Maxwell had rugby tackled him.
“Well, well, Preventer Night,” Duo reached out his hand as a peace offering, “Long time no see. How’s the wife and the kid, NO WAIT that’s me!” Duo usual grin resurfaced at his own cleverness, his eyes brightening to his normal violet sparkle.
Heero reached up purposefully and grabbed Duo's hand. Yanking him forward to ground level, Heero looked him squarely in the face and through clenched teeth replied “Hows the wife and the kid”, before allowing Duo to help him up.
**********
It was the gentleness of the touch that shocked Nadja, not the presence of it. She knew someone was there, keeping themselves hidden in the shadows. A hand came to rest on her own, not forcing but asking her to stop and put the gun down. For a moment all she felt was joy as she looked into his familiar eyes, then the pain took her.
‘Can it be, he looks so different’ a fuzzy memory came to the surface of her mind, replacing the face of the man in front of her.
FLASHBACK~~~~~~~~~~~~
“Get in there’s no time to argue, I’ll be alright I promise…”
Forcing a weak smile, Nadja nodded her compliance.
“It’s only temporary, until we can get some help”
END FLASHBACK~~~~~~~~~
‘And yet the same’ the memory melted away, any small and minor differences smoothing away along with it. Looking at the tall mans hand resting on her own, she saw the shaking before realizing it belonged to her. ‘When did my hand start shaking? I... don't know! Perhaps it has been for some time’.
Releasing a nervous breath she hadn’t realized she was holding Nadja gasped for air. Her fingers felt frozen and the room was spinning. No longer able to keep her grip she dropped the heavy weapon. Swallowing hard Nadja narrowed her eyes at the man before her. Her hesitant fingers slowly reached up, intent on touching his face.
‘I must…, can this be real?’ Her hypnotic daze momentarily stopped as he blocked her hand.
For weeks upon months the usually sensible Preventer had avoided looking in on her form, somewhere inside of him the placid expression on her face despite such horrifying injuries made him feel sick. Now she was standing before him, inches away. Blocking her hand from touching him, he tried to retreat back.
Feeling her eyes study him, desperate to seek out an answer, the quiet Preventer inwardly composed himself. ‘Is this real?’ Fighting to overcome his anxiety, he locked his gaze with hers and seeing no more than his own fears reflected back at him, he sunk his hand down to his side realizing how foolish of him it was to be nervous. Nadja began to explore his features, seeking her answers there. A light touch against his cheek, fingers whispered delicately across his brow, and then pausing before gently brushing over his lips. The sensations left the man stunned. All of his senses were being overwhelmed with a peculiar sensation of… ‘What is this?’
Nadja ignored the building pain shooting up her side. She ignored the dizziness, the cold chill that plagued her, and the muscle spasms that made her dull left arm quake. It was the ache inside her chest she felt most keenly. It was him, it was true and all would be alright now. ‘I am safe here.’ A small smile crept up Nadjas features as relief and a new calm engulfed her. Touching his lips with her fingertips she let out a long sigh. “Leo”. The word effortlessly escaped her lips as if it were the most precious thing known to man. Feeling herself begin to sink into oblivion she cried out for him, “Angel” before unconsciousness took her.
All he could do was replay the moment over and over again. He couldn’t hear their voices, Sally’s urgent demand or Wu-Fei heckling her back. He could only hear her voice, and then it was gone.
*SMACK*
Sally gasped as Wu-Fei stuck their partner across the face. He paled, turning almost white, Wu-Fei’s handprint blazing red across his features. “Did you hear… did you hear ...” The young mans' mind repeated the moment that froze him in time “Leo”. ‘What did it mean? Was she attacked by Leo troops? Did they do this?’
“We all heard Barton now let her go.” Wu-Fei commanded in a hiss through his teeth. “Before she bleeds to death you fool!”
Trowa looked down, his eyes widened in surprise as he took in the small still form in his arms, he hadn’t even realized. Suddenly her body quaked. Becoming rigid, it threw itself onto the floor. Sally raced over throwing herself down next to her. Checking to confirm her suspicions, her hand was burned by the immense heat radiating off of ‘Eve’s’ forehead. “She’s burning up! We need to cool her down fast, Wu-Fei get ice, the machine, as much as you can…NOW!’ Wu-Fei raced off instantly leaving Sally with a bewildered Trowa. “You need to help me…” Trowa nodded his compliance, “Clear my table and help me lift her, I still need to stop the blood loss”.
Standing over the small girl at the table Trowa tried to support her neck and cushion her head with his hands, her skin was on fire and he knew if Wu-Fei didn’t hurry back she could easily die right here.
*************************************************************
WOW this has been a HARD chapter to write, I know it jumps around a bit, I hope everyone can follow it... Well I hope this satisifies your romance quota for a little while, the next chapter will be MUCH less mushy...
A big thank you to all who have been reading Gepetto and a special THANK YOU for Gold-chan!!!! ARIGATO!!!
Please continue to read and REVIEW!! I promise to write you in if you do review... 
AKU AKU 
Aku_ryo@hotmail.com
Eventual action and mystery solving but now lets start the romance...
Aku_ryo@hotmail.com
A/N – new thing you need to know from now on Japanese talking will be written normally, all other languages will be written in Italics. I won’t bother to italics thoughts only spoken words.
PS I dont own Gundam Wing - suprised - i thought not...
*************************************************************
As the steam continued to billow out of the gloomy machine, a shiver ran the length of the Preventers spine. He could feel the moisture in the air cooling down around him, causing the hair on his arms to prick up uncomfortably.
“I am only trying to look out for you!”
“What are you implying?”
“I’m not implying anything!”
He had always felt awkward witnessing their rows but this was more. Today his distaste towards their petty squabbles and arguments was stronger, and it was making him feel sick. Backing away silently from their side, he measured his steps evenly until finding the back wall. It was covered in condensation, idly he traced circles in the droplets with his fingertips.
“You need to pay more attention to what’s going on around you!”
As if on cue he turned his attention back to his surroundings. Shapes and patterns began to emerge from the dissipating steam. He admired the way they could flow so easily from one form to the next, ‘like the clouds’ he mused. They were graceful, their dance entrancing him, and those small signs he did not ordinarily ignore slipped past his notice.
Three bullets soared out of the fog, one grazing Sallys’ cheek before blowing up the main computer Heero had been working at only moments before. The next two skillfully knocked out the only sources of light in the room. Sally raced to the door, to signal the internal alarm system. She stopped halfway as the steam cleared enough for her to see exactly who it was that fired those shots. Standing before her on unsteady legs was a grim sight. Mesmerized by it she had to force her eyes to look away. The girl she saw was Eve, her Eve.
**********
Heero Yuy was not a patient man but he had his orders, and however foolish he thought they may be he followed them. “You may go in now.” A raven haired woman he knew only as Miss Melville escorted him to the Directors office and saw him in. “Preventer Night here as requested.”
**********
Weighing up her options, the girl known to all but herself as ‘Eve’ noticed the alarm device the woman before her was heading towards. Glaring at the audacious woman in reprimand she began, “I have some questions for you. You will answer me.”
Sally watched out of the corner of her eye as the girl weakly crossed the room, a deep crimson trail following her every move. ‘One arms dislocated, gash in leg, may be a punctured lung, the way she’s breathing…’ the doctor in her summed up the situation instantly, ‘…she can’t keep this up for long.’. She looked back discreetly to check on her partners. Sally knew from Wu-Fei’s barely comprehensible mumblings that he was fuming. ‘It’s the technique I taught him’ she mused and returned her gaze to the situation at hand.
Wu-Fei gritted his teeth to stop himself from shouting out something foolish. He was furious, 'how dare this girl we rescued turn on us!'. Counting backwards from 100 in Chinese, he could have sworn he felt his blood boiling in his veins.
With barely a movement ‘Eve’ motioned for the woman before her to back off a few steps before a slight movement towards the back of the room caught her eye.
Sally sensing an opportunity had arisen backed off as quickly as she could. ‘If she lets me get back to Wu-Fei then maybe….’
**********
“Am I to assume by your presence here that she has woken up?” Director Une raised one eyebrow inspecting the young man before her. His stance told her all she needed to know. ‘Stubborn boy still not happy on your assignment’ she thought before motioning for him to sit.
“Affirmative, it was Preventer Wood who discovered how to release her.” Heero knew she probably wouldn’t tell him but he needed to know. Sitting down rigidly he began, “Why did you ask me to inform you personally when she awoke?”
**********
Nadja could feel every ounce of energy draining away. The thick, sticky blood clung to her clothes and her hair, restricting her movement. The thumping inside her head, her own heartbeat, drumming away in her ears, made her feel drowsy. The sounds around her, so clear a moments ago, were becoming dull and hollow. Her eyes tried to refocus, ‘I saw something in the corner. Yes, it was in the corner.’ Her mind had become slow. She stared at the gun in shock for a moment, nearly losing her grip on it, before realizing its purpose. ‘To kill, to kill what? Footsteps. Whose footsteps?’ A voice inside her somewhere was screaming, telling her to focus, not forget, ‘you can’t let this happen, it will be the end of you!’ Forcing her mind to clear while regaining control of her senses felt a task worthy of Hercules.
"ENOUGH" she shouted sharply, intending to stop the blonde womans attempt to reach the Asian man shoegazing by computer terminal she blew out earlier.
Wu-Fei raised his head at this, his previous anger rushing back in torrent waves. Sally stared at him, trying to give Wu-Fei her best disagreeable look, knowing all too well that he was about to go off. ‘Stupid man, wait a moment her injuries will soon stop her’. But alas, it was not to be.
“Why you ungrateful little girl, after all we’ve done for you…” Wu-Fei motioned to Sally, “this woman in particular, and this is how you repay us!” Wu-Fei didn’t see it coming, Sally didn’t see it coming, the taller man towards the back of the room did however. “Wu-Fei….” He tried to warn him and then it was over. Wu-Fei hissed through his teeth, grabbing his left shoulder as blood began to soak his shirt. He had been shot.
Sparing only a disdainful glance towards her ‘Eve’, Sally rushed to Wu-Fei’s side. Quickly peeling off her long time partners' blood soaked Preventers jacket, Sally began examining the fresh wound.
In her distraction, Preventer Water felt it before she heard anything, and this surprised her. The pressure from a gun being pushed against her head.
**********
Heero glared at the Director, daring her to answer him truthfully. He had his suspicions about the Director interest in this case, about his particular involvement in it. 'I could be more help if I knew what was going on, there must be a reason she is not telling me, what is it?'
Une smirked at Heero before replying. “It is related to another case, that will be all, thank you for your prompt information.” Yuy nodded, he hadn’t expected even that much information from her. ‘Perhaps with some digging’ he thought, as he walked the corridor towards the elevator. In the distance he could hear Miss Melville greeting Une's next appointment. "KMF, the Director is expecting you...". Turning back to the elevator doors, waiting for it to arrive, Preventer Night pondered yet again what he was doing on this assignment.
FLASHBACK~~~~~~~~~~~~
Director Une sighed heavily, “I will not argue with you, I know where your talents are best suited.”
“I would disagree”
“You are out of line!” Smoothing her hair back she took another sip of tea before continuing softly. “Each of you five pilots has a unique ability that has enhanced the Preventers tremendously. I gave careful thought to who would be best suited to this assignment and your name was top on my list.”
“I am wasting my time here.”
“You are with that kind of attitude. The data you decode is vital; perhaps you should look deeper into what you are doing before second guessing me. Use your head Yuy.”
END FLASHBACK~~~~~~~~~
Heero folded his arms across his chest, ‘use your head, where have I heard that before’. The bell signaling the elevator arrival chimed in time with Heeros resurfacing memory, ‘Colony X-18999 with Duo. Cheeky bastard...’ His eyes widened slightly, his brain signaling for him to flee or face torture, but it was too late. The elevator doors opened and out popped the god of death.
Heero held Duo’s gaze for a moment, waiting to see if fatherhood had changed him as Quatre said it had. Duos’ eyes hardened under the scrutiny, glazing over in an expression that matched Heeros' own. In a flurry of movement and muffled shouts Heero Yuy was on the floor. Duo Maxwell had rugby tackled him.
“Well, well, Preventer Night,” Duo reached out his hand as a peace offering, “Long time no see. How’s the wife and the kid, NO WAIT that’s me!” Duo usual grin resurfaced at his own cleverness, his eyes brightening to his normal violet sparkle.
Heero reached up purposefully and grabbed Duo's hand. Yanking him forward to ground level, Heero looked him squarely in the face and through clenched teeth replied “Hows the wife and the kid”, before allowing Duo to help him up.
**********
It was the gentleness of the touch that shocked Nadja, not the presence of it. She knew someone was there, keeping themselves hidden in the shadows. A hand came to rest on her own, not forcing but asking her to stop and put the gun down. For a moment all she felt was joy as she looked into his familiar eyes, then the pain took her.
‘Can it be, he looks so different’ a fuzzy memory came to the surface of her mind, replacing the face of the man in front of her.
FLASHBACK~~~~~~~~~~~~
“Get in there’s no time to argue, I’ll be alright I promise…”
Forcing a weak smile, Nadja nodded her compliance.
“It’s only temporary, until we can get some help”
END FLASHBACK~~~~~~~~~
‘And yet the same’ the memory melted away, any small and minor differences smoothing away along with it. Looking at the tall mans hand resting on her own, she saw the shaking before realizing it belonged to her. ‘When did my hand start shaking? I... don't know! Perhaps it has been for some time’.
Releasing a nervous breath she hadn’t realized she was holding Nadja gasped for air. Her fingers felt frozen and the room was spinning. No longer able to keep her grip she dropped the heavy weapon. Swallowing hard Nadja narrowed her eyes at the man before her. Her hesitant fingers slowly reached up, intent on touching his face.
‘I must…, can this be real?’ Her hypnotic daze momentarily stopped as he blocked her hand.
For weeks upon months the usually sensible Preventer had avoided looking in on her form, somewhere inside of him the placid expression on her face despite such horrifying injuries made him feel sick. Now she was standing before him, inches away. Blocking her hand from touching him, he tried to retreat back.
Feeling her eyes study him, desperate to seek out an answer, the quiet Preventer inwardly composed himself. ‘Is this real?’ Fighting to overcome his anxiety, he locked his gaze with hers and seeing no more than his own fears reflected back at him, he sunk his hand down to his side realizing how foolish of him it was to be nervous. Nadja began to explore his features, seeking her answers there. A light touch against his cheek, fingers whispered delicately across his brow, and then pausing before gently brushing over his lips. The sensations left the man stunned. All of his senses were being overwhelmed with a peculiar sensation of… ‘What is this?’
Nadja ignored the building pain shooting up her side. She ignored the dizziness, the cold chill that plagued her, and the muscle spasms that made her dull left arm quake. It was the ache inside her chest she felt most keenly. It was him, it was true and all would be alright now. ‘I am safe here.’ A small smile crept up Nadjas features as relief and a new calm engulfed her. Touching his lips with her fingertips she let out a long sigh. “Leo”. The word effortlessly escaped her lips as if it were the most precious thing known to man. Feeling herself begin to sink into oblivion she cried out for him, “Angel” before unconsciousness took her.
All he could do was replay the moment over and over again. He couldn’t hear their voices, Sally’s urgent demand or Wu-Fei heckling her back. He could only hear her voice, and then it was gone.
*SMACK*
Sally gasped as Wu-Fei stuck their partner across the face. He paled, turning almost white, Wu-Fei’s handprint blazing red across his features. “Did you hear… did you hear ...” The young mans' mind repeated the moment that froze him in time “Leo”. ‘What did it mean? Was she attacked by Leo troops? Did they do this?’
“We all heard Barton now let her go.” Wu-Fei commanded in a hiss through his teeth. “Before she bleeds to death you fool!”
Trowa looked down, his eyes widened in surprise as he took in the small still form in his arms, he hadn’t even realized. Suddenly her body quaked. Becoming rigid, it threw itself onto the floor. Sally raced over throwing herself down next to her. Checking to confirm her suspicions, her hand was burned by the immense heat radiating off of ‘Eve’s’ forehead. “She’s burning up! We need to cool her down fast, Wu-Fei get ice, the machine, as much as you can…NOW!’ Wu-Fei raced off instantly leaving Sally with a bewildered Trowa. “You need to help me…” Trowa nodded his compliance, “Clear my table and help me lift her, I still need to stop the blood loss”.
Standing over the small girl at the table Trowa tried to support her neck and cushion her head with his hands, her skin was on fire and he knew if Wu-Fei didn’t hurry back she could easily die right here.
*************************************************************
WOW this has been a HARD chapter to write, I know it jumps around a bit, I hope everyone can follow it... Well I hope this satisifies your romance quota for a little while, the next chapter will be MUCH less mushy...
A big thank you to all who have been reading Gepetto and a special THANK YOU for Gold-chan!!!! ARIGATO!!!
Please continue to read and REVIEW!! I promise to write you in if you do review... AKU AKU Aku_ryo@hotmail.com
