Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing or any of the name or places affiliated with that series.
AN : Well, It seems I finally got another chapter done, and with only two months delay this time; I seem to be picking up the pace again. At first I was thinking that I might cut the fic short here but, in the end, I decided that I would include certain events I had certain hesitations about.
Just a fair warning though, there is something akin to a lemon, or lemonesqe in nature in this chapter. Very sour mind you, and downright painful to write but it?s here none the less. It?s really more, a squirt of lemon juice to add that tart flavor to the water. It?s also a bit angst as well. Do enjoy though.
The Beehive
Chapter 12: Relena Hits Rock Bottom
DATE: February 21, 203 AC
LOCATION: The Beehive Facility
~*~*~ TIME: Unknown ~*~*~
It didn?t take long for Tyler to assemble the needed equipment to regenerate Heero?s arm. Before long he returned with a number of bizarre instruments, what looked like some type of a personal operating table for his arm and bottles full of a silver fluid.
?I?ll need you to step away from the patient?, Tyler instructed.
Relena took another look at the fallen warrior. Tyler had seared the wound shut to stop the bleeding but the nearly detached half of his arm looked dead.
Tyler?s cyborg eyes narrowed on the limb, piercing deep beneath the surface of the pale flesh. With a kind of detached pride he stated, ?It seems I did more damage then I initially thought at first. That limb will have to amputated before it?s rebuilt.?
As Tyler fit a metal ring around Heero?s upper arm Relena turned her crystal blue eyes away, for fear of seeing any more blood. ?Shouldn?t you sterilize the environment first??
?The bees will eliminate any foreign bodies they find, so there?s little chance of infection?; he answered.
?I see?, her voice drifted off as she tried to think of something else to say, ?Those bees are very useful, aren?t they??
His answer was mechanical and plain, ?Yes.?
Relena?s ears caught a short hissing sound coming from Tyler?s direction, ?What was that??
?Heero?s arm.?
The smell of burnt flesh made its way to Relena?s nostrils in conformation. ?He?s alright, isn?t he??
?Yes, he will be?, replied the increasingly impatient cyborg. ?Did you want to keep the arm as a souvenir??
The thought unsettled Relena?s stomach, making her feel as though she were ready to vomit. She managed to restrain herself and for about a minute there was no dialogue between them, only the clicks and clanks of busy machinery. Afraid to look back and risking a passing glimpse of something she probably didn?t want to see, Relena focused on her shoe. Just looking at it, no one would have thought that there was anything significant about the shoe at all. It still had some mud caked on it from when she and Heero almost drown, but it still seemed pearly white with rounded toes. The only thing the least bit peculiar about it was that the soles were slightly thicker then normal shoes - and one would still be left with the impression that its only purpose was to make her appear taller - it seemed bizarre that there had been weapons hidden in them.
Partially blaming the shoes for the current predicament, she looked away and noticed that Heero?s jacket was in a wrinkled heap on the floor, not far from her. She held it to her breast while gently rubbing the fine material with her soft creamy hand. Since Heero had removed the jacket in order to hide the knives, it had been spared from any damage or bloodstains.
?I should have stopped him? she chided herself. Salty tears began to secrete from her eyes and slip down her cheek. The moist trail left in their wake slightly stung as they dried. ?It?s all my fault?, she whimpered while augmenting her grip on the jacket.
?I?m done?, Tyler announced, relatively emotionless. He gestured towards a long metal tube-like instrument engulfing the entire length of where Heero?s arm should have been. Attached to the device were several capsules and, what appeared to be, IVs. ?The bees will reconstruct his arm from the remains of the previous one?, he explained, ?but make sure that neither of you try to remove the bio-construction chamber until I tell you so. If the chamber is removed before the bees are removed from his body he might endure any number of slow deaths and painful deaths.?
The caramel blond girl?s eyes took note of and fixated on a sight that she had rarely seen until a few days prior ? Heero with no shirt on. She was too depressed to take any enjoyment out of it though. She just crawled over beside him and pulled his jacket over his mighty chest like a blanket.
As she straitened the jacket over Heero?s tight torso she came across peculiar bulge in one of the internal pockets. She reached in and procuring a small, velvety box. It took a few more seconds for her to fully comprehend what it was and the implications ? Heero was planning to get engaged.
It was as though someone had taken a sledgehammer to Relena?s chest as she realized that he would never love her the way she wanted him to. Her light sobbing had transformed into a violent tempest of tears. Her mind raced to try and find another explanation: that he might have been holding it for a friend, or that he found it on the street; none of them could explain his behavior though. It wouldn?t have even been as devastating if she had at least known he was seeing someone, she thought she had at least been entitled to know that much. How could he have been so insensitive?
Relena had been so consumed with shock and grief that she had hardly noticed that Tyler was still looming over her until he cleared his throat. She looked up into his smirking face, slightly disgusted with how he gleaned pleasure from her emotional turmoil, and broke down; ?Who is she?? Relena asked, with more then a tinge of resentment.
?I thought you didn?t approve of my mind reading ability.? The smirk stayed strong; the irony was far too perfect.
?I don?t care anymore!?, she shrieked, ?If you know just tell me!?
?Fine, I?ll give you a hint?, the self-made cyborg continued his smile. ?First off, you know her personally.?
The comment was another sack in Relena?s gut, now she felt betrayed and she scanned through all of the women she knew, trying to deduce who it might be.
?She has blond hair?, Tyler continued, ?actually more of a light brown color; fair skinned; she?s a bit short; she can be slow at times??, Tyler paused and became somber, ??but on the whole, she?s a kind and beautiful woman? I guess Heero is a lucky man.?
This did little to change Relena?s mental state; she still tossed around several possibilities ? the most notable being a certain member of the security staff at the Presidential Residents ? while lamenting.
Of all the crimes that Tyler had committed, and all of the things he had done to Relena, so far, it seemed odd to him that he already regretted this one so much. As illogical as it was, the pathetic sobs of this woman touched him. Still, he couldn?t seem to find it in himself to tell her that she was the one he was referring to. ?If it?s any consolation?, he finally spoke up, ?you?ll be unconscious in less then a minute.?
She looked up with a questioning horror as her eyes still spilling tears.
Two mechanical hands clamped down on her shoulders while a third, carrying some type of needle, drew nearer. ?It?s time you hold up your end of the bargain?, he explained, ?You don?t want to be awake when I put this thing in you.?
Too worn to struggle or argue, she simply went limp and accepted the inevitable. The prick was only momentary and the cold fluid was only a small discomfort. It was a small price to pay for the peaceful nothingness that overtook her mind. There was no more Heero, no more pain, no more famished lust, loneliness or unanswered love.
LOCATION: Preventer?s Base Camp Hospital
~*~*~ TIME: 9:43 AM ~*~*~
?So Quatre, I hear you totally tweaked out at the mission briefing?, Duo addressed his now bedridden comrade.
?I?m not sure what happened?, Quatre massaged his scalp with his hand trying to think of a way to describe his experience. ?It?s like, when the people I care about are hurt, I can sometimes feel it. Normally, I don?t notice it but, this????
?Can you tell fortunes??, Duo smirked at his at his attempted joke.
The humor was lost on Quatre though, ?Duo, this is no laughing matter. Heero and Relena are both in a lot of pain, it?s never felt this strong before.?
Duo pondered this for a moment. He wanted to believe his old friend, or perhaps he wanted to not believe him, he wasn?t sure. However, in the end he decided that Quatre is just worrying too much. ?You know what I think?, Duo looked back at his friend, ?I think you just need some rest pal. I?m sure Heero and Relena are going to be alright?
?Ahg!?, Quatre grunted, ?that?s what Sally and the doctors said but??
Trying to defuse the situation Duo smiled as best he could, ?We don?t think you?re crazy or anything, we just think that this whole thing has been very stressful? for all of us?, he offered. ?And you know, out of all of us, you?re the one closest to both Heero and Relena, so...?
?I??, the blond Arab thought to argue but decided against it, ??I guess you?ve got a point there. And it?s not like doom saying will do us any good anyhow.?
?Yeah, that?s right so just relax, lie back down on the hospital bed and get some rest?
It was somewhat comforting watching Quatre take his advise but at the same time he missed the external pessimism. All of the gundam pilots had recognized that Quatre seemed to have a sixth sense about things, but when facing a situation this dire, the last thing that Duo or anyone else needed was Quatre telling them how the two people who needed saving are in pain. However, Duo was now facing the dilemma himself ? without Quatre to be abnormally pessimistic the only person left around Duo to worry was Duo.
?Oh Heero; what have you and that girl gotten yourself into this time?
LOCATION: The Beehive Facility
~*~*~ TIME: Unknown ~*~*~
Consciousness, or something like it, began to creep into Heero?s mind. At first it didn?t seem as though there was anything unusual about his situation ? he had no readily available memories to compare to. However, with time it became more and more obvious to him that there was something holding down his arm, which wasn?t normal. Soon after, the realization that he had no shirt on, followed by the discovery that his jacket was draped over him like a blanket. His situation still didn?t make any sense though, in that he couldn?t seem to remember exactly how it happened. Then, as the device began to beep, it struck him like lightning. His first instinct was to try and sit up, but the strange device on his arm prevented him from doing that. When he reached over to try and free his arm, pain shot up his spine and through his entire body. It felt as though nails, heated to three hundred degrees had some how lodged themselves in every crevice of his body. The agony was short lived, however, and subsided as soon as it had started, leaving only an eerie numb sensation.
?I wouldn?t recommend that?, an all too familial patronizing voice advised him, ?It?s not quite done yet.?
?err?? Heero attempted to rise but was stopped short as the blaring pain devoured his senses again.
?I installed a device in your back?, explained the bionic man as he stared down at his captive, ?with a mere thought I can cause your brain to register the sharpest pain imaginable. It?s also designed, so that if it no longer registers that I?m alive, it kills you. But of course, I could also activate that feature manually if I wanted or needed to.?
Heero glared back that his captor. The monotone confidence in his voice goaded the Japanese man?s free limbs into striking position but he was forced to refrain. He scanned his surroundings - taking note of anything that could possibly be used to his advantage. Seeing that he hadn?t been moved and that there was nothing useable in the vicinity his mind moved to a much more pressing matter, ?What did you do to Relena??
?I installed the same device in her?, he plainly replied, ?She had woken up before you and wanted to cry in the restroom. Actually she wanted to check for scars too, but mostly she just wanted to be alone. My work is flawless though?, he stated with something akin to pride, ?I left nothing that should be visibly noticeable.?
The two men exchanged glares until a high-pitched beeping sound came from the device around Heero?s arm.
?It?s done?, stated Tyler.
The tube opened with a click and Heero?s arm was free. He looked at it with awe, as though it were made from a precious metal. After clenching and unclenching his fist, still unsure of whether it were real, he rose to his feet and looked around for his shirt. He found the blood stained, tattered fabric lying in a heap only a few feet away. After deciding that the remains of the shirt were no longer useful to him he buttoned his jacket around his unclothed chest. He looked back at Tyler with another of his death glares before dashing off to the catwalk to try and find Relena.
He ran down the catwalk to the restroom, calling out Relena?s name but receiving no answered besides from his echo. He was nearly ready to turn back and demand that Tyler confess what he did when he made visual conformation, right where he was told, the bathroom ? huddled in the same corner she had been before.
Suspecting that she had been crying again (doubtlessly blaming herself), he began to prepare some comforting words. However as he drew nearer, he became aware that Relena?s shirt, jacket and bra were on the floor, leaving her completely topless.
?Heero??, she shakily called out.
His widened blue eyes fixate on the two soft bulges of her chest. They seemed very peculiar; the way they simply protruded from her body seemed somewhat more natural when contained in fabric. Even more peculiar was how much more pleasant they were released from her clothing. A fantasy of groping those two soft lobes began to occupy Heero?s mind and he became acutely aware of the fact that his own shirt was missing.
?I found the ring?, the blond girl in the corner stated. Her face seemed deadpan, but the tone of her voice suggested that she was hiding some sort of sadness.
Immediately Heero felt around in his pocket, he had almost completely forgotten about blasted, spur of the moment plan of his. Unable to find it he looked up to see the opened black box resting on Relena?s palm. It seemed odd to him how apathetic she seemed, he would have thought she?d have been more excited. It seemed like a mixed blessing though; on one hand, he had been thinking that he shouldn?t have even thought about it, let alone bought a ring and now he had been cornered into it; on the other, he didn?t have to worry about it any more. It also didn?t seem like it would be horrible to be married to Relena, as long as she was all right with it. He had virtually lived with her for the past five years anyway and as long as it made her happy any calculated inconvenience on his part seemed worth it. Furthermore, from his view of things he could certainly get used to the perks.
?Why..? Why didn?t you tell me??, she asked.
?I wasn?t sure if I should?, answered the somewhat puzzled bodyguard, ?There are a lot of complicated obstacles. I thought I explained myself earlier.?
Upon hearing Heero?s comment Relena became angry, ?No, obviously you didn?t!?
?You wanted me to be more? emotional. I thought you would be happy?
?Happy!?, Relena could hardly believe what she was hearing, ?How dense are you! I don?t want this!? She snapped the box shut and tossed it to the side.
The words had a strange effect on Heero, it seemed to hit him most heavily under his rib cage and caused something intangible to lodge itself in his throat, forcing him to swallow air. With no other purpose then to make a noise, he simply said, ?I see?? He would have thought it odd to feel hurt by this rejection; it actually took a load off of his mind, yet that?s how he felt, nonetheless.
He walked across the room toward his charge and picked up her white jacket on the way. As he finally drew near, she rose to her feet, giving him a full view of the fair skin and gentle curves of her naked torso. He froze, paralyzed by the sight of her gently curved hips and those two delightfully rounded pillows.
?This is what I am to you, aren?t I??
Heero took another gulp of air and fished through the swimming desires in his brain for something intelligent to say. He began to wrap her jacket around her nakedness when she brushed her soft fingers down the crest of his tight chest.
?Do you want this Heero??, she narrowed her eyes seductively, ?You?d like that wouldn?t you??, she pressed herself against his body and grinded her hips to his own.
Heero dropped the jacket, letting it slide down Relena?s back to the floor. Something seemed amiss; this erratic behavior seemed somewhat out of character but the prospect of releasing his pent up sexual tension was fast taking hold of his better judgment. ?R?Relena??
She pressed her lips to his and undid the buttons on his jacket revealing his abs.
?Relena??, Heero struggled to maintain control, ?If you don?t stop now??
She did not yield; she would not yield. Her entire life had shattered, leaving her only a few broken shards with which to salvage. If someone else had Heero?s love, she would take his body, no matter the cost.
He was at his limit, weakened from stress and exhaustion he succumbed to his base instincts and was overrun a by a feverish passion. Though overall he found himself happy about the arrangement, a small part of him was aghast to realize that only a few years ago she was his best friend and now he lusted for her body. In the beginning, he never imagined that her soft, supple body could have felt so right pinned beneath him. The moment he penetrated his old friend?s surface he knew that they could never look at her the same way again.
Joined at the hips, they writhed and moaned in angry love. Heero was like a sword cutting deep into Relena?s body and soul, sending her to both Heaven and Hell with each gratifying thrust.
When his warm fluids were finally pumped into her lower hollow, he collapsed on top of her chest. When the pleasure subsided, it dawned on Relena that she had done something awful. The damage was done and she lay dying from her emotional wounds, trapped beneath Heero?s satisfied body as he caught his breath. Did he even care that he just cheated on his fianc?e with her? Could he even comprehend the guilt and turmoil she felt. If she were covered in human waste instead, she would have felt cleaner; this filth she was in now would never wash off her soul.
Heero gently nipped at her collarbone but she seemed strangely unresponsive; she simply lay under him with her eyes closed tight, ?Relena..??
The words slipped out of her mouth, shakily and cold, ?I hate you.?
The room seemed to freeze and Heero simply stared at her wide eyed and shocked, ?What..??
?Get off of me?, she demanded; her voice was too cold to sound angry.
Heero complied, withdrawing and rolling off lifelessly; her sharp mood swing had caught him completely off guard. ?I don?t understand?, he sounded like wounded puppy, ?wasn?t I..??
?Oh, you were good?, she angrily answered as she sat up; ?you were good at fucking me; turning me into a heart-breaking whore. You did a very good job.? And with that she burst into tears and stormed out of the room.
With some faltering, her lover chased after, ?What are you talking about!?, he demanded.
She had nothing left, nothing left at all. She had lost her freedom, her ideal and just now her virginity to a man who belonged to another ? a man she thought she knew. It had been too much; she couldn?t go on.
Stark naked, she leaned over the railing of the catwalk and looked down; all she had to do was lean a bit more and it would be over, she could finally rest forever. She shifter her weight, a tear dripped from her nose and caught a distant sparkle as it fell down into the darkness. Her balance was lost and her soft belly pivoted on the fulcrum of the cold hard steel. It would only be a moment longer before she joined her tear in a freefall but as her body began to tilt over the edge, a strong hand caught her and wrapped around her waist.
?What?s the matter with you!? Heero yelled as he pulled the struggling Relena back from the brink.
She kicked and flailed wildly, trying to get lose. ?Let me go!?
?No! I won?t!? Heero asserted while he took hold of her arm and began dragging her away from the edge. Despite her struggling Heero finally manage pin her down, which considering their state of undress might have seemed very erotic had Relena not just attempted suicide and had they not just had sex anyway.
After a few moments, she resigned to the fact that Heero was a lot stronger then her and stopped thrashing. ?Who is it??, she asked in a tear-filled voice, ?who did you cheat on??
Heero?s face went from being cross and concerned to being cross and confused, ?What??
?Don?t play games with me!? Relena screeched, ?who is she??
?Relena?, Heero struggled to maintain a civil voice, so as not to agitate the woman pinned beneath him any more, ?you?re not making any sense.?
?I know there?s someone else, I found the ring, who was it for!??
?YOU!?, a very aggravated Heero Yuy snapped.
Relena froze, wide-eyed and bewildered; she had been prepared nearly any answer but that one. Her mind busied itself trying to make sense at this seemingly nonsensical answer.
Exhausted, mentally from emotional turmoil and physically from injury and exertion, Heero head found itself resting on Relena?s breast. ?The ring was for you?, he repeated as a tear slid down his nose.
Relena, unconsciously placed her hand around his shoulder blade, while she pondered everything that had just happened in a new light.
LOCATION: Darter Corporation Desert Lab (above the Beehive Facility)
~*~*~ TIME: 11:12 PM ~*~*~
?I haven?t spotted anyone yet?; Trowa?s voice sounded through WuFei?s earpiece.
?That?s unusual?, Sally?s voice replied, ?Green Leader, this is Blue Leader, do you copy??
?I hear you, Blue Leader?, replied WuFie. It seemed stupid to him to use these code names but he complied anyway.
?Have you seen any guard?s your end??
WuFei, looked up at Bert, one of the preventers in his team. Despite the absence of light, and the camouflage that they all wore, the night-vision goggles let him see Bert?s headshake as plane as day.
?Negative?, WuFie answered back into his mouthpiece, ?we have not detected another living being, neither inside nor outside the building. I?m starting to think that they may only have a handful of men in total.?
?Or, they might be setting a trap?, Sally replied. ?Is everything still alright at your end Red??
Trowa?s answer was short and to the point, ?Nothing at all to report.?
?Alright?, Sally took a moment to gather her thoughts, ?Green Team, you move into the main building first. Report any possible hostilities, as soon as they?re encountered. If you encounter any problems withdraw immediately. Red team, you move into the appendix warehouse and search it for any signs of personnel, hostages or weapons. If either team needs backup Blue team will be ready to enter either building. Everyone, use extreme caution, understood?
?Roger?, Trowa answered first.
?I heard you?, WuFei followed.
It might have seemed frightful, had anyone been around to witness it. Five men, clad in camouflage, with all of their faces covered by ski masks, save what the night-vision goggles concealed, stalked across the blacktop carrying large automatic rifles and various instruments of war and subterfuge. They kept low to the ground, hiding behind any available cover, mostly employee?s cars.
When they reached the building and still detected no other presence, WuFei also worried that they might be walking into a trap. Don, another member of Green Team, placed a small-computerized device on the door while the other four members backed up against the wall on either side. A few moments passed and Don finally reported, ?it should be safe?.
WuFei nodded, giving permission for him to proceed.
Don warily placed his hand on the handle and pressed on the release button. Surprisingly, the door opened with no resistance. Don peered into the empty hallway on the other side, his weapon raised but without a target.
As WuFei inched closer a mechanical hand shot out from above the doorframe and pinned Don to the blacktop.
While the other three operatives jumped back in shock, WuFei drew his trusted saber and attempted to cut into the arm with little effect.
?This is Green Two?, Bert spoke into his mouthpiece, ?we have encountered an unexpected automated system and we have one man down!?
?Stand back!?, WuFie instructed as he raised his rifle and took aim. A yellow strobe light emanated from the barrel of his gun, accompanied by a thunderous pitter-patter of combustions. The high-speed metal fragments tore through the makings of the mechanical arm, inciting more to jump out of the hallway from hidden crevices.
Bert, Harry and George opened fire into the hallway aimlessly, warding off the advancements of the other arms or other traps.
WuFei struggled to remove the remaining part of the first hand from Don?s chest. Realizing that the mission was already a failure he helped Don to his feet and took his arm around his shoulder for support. ?Move out!?, WuFei ordered.
The three-gunman halted their barrage and all was quiet. As they hastily began to fall back to the open desert Sally came in on WuFei?s earpiece, ?Green Team, what?s your status??
?They know we?re here?, WuFei reported, ?We were attacked by some type of mechanical hand when we tried to enter the??
The Blacktop just ahead of him cracked and swelled up as a giant humanoid form emerged from underneath the surface. There was no decorative or original feature about it. It was about eleven feet tall, with a round body and a head with a single optic sensor. At the end of each arm were three claw-like fingers.
Immediately, the three other preventers opened fire. The lumbering machine simply shrugged it off though and advanced towards their position.
?Blue Leader! We need backup now!? shouted WuFei.
He placed Don in the care of George and dashed into the robot?s field of vision. ?Get Don out of here!? he ordered as he pulled out his pistol and opened fire. It would have been a futile effort if he had intended to hurt it, but he succeeded in drawing its attention.
A heavy fist shattered the pavement, nearly missing WuFei as he leaped to the side and rolled. He jumped back to his feet as the gargantuan hand picked itself up and attempted another strike, this time trying to swipe at him. However, the machine was far too clumsy to catch WuFei unaware and he simply dodged the crude attack with a back flip.
The Chinese preventer and the robot stared each other down for a moment and then WuFei?s night vision went white. He immediately tore the ski mask and goggles of his head, just in time to narrowly escape a sucker punch.
With the grace of a drunken primate, the martial arts master nearly stumbled off balance. He finally observed that the bright light that rendered his night vision useless had in fact emanated from the machine, just in time for it to be turned off. It was an obvious trap, aimed at luring WuFei into replacing the goggles just so he could be blinded again. It would be difficult but he would have to carry on with only a crescent moon and the stars to give light.
The enormous shadowy blob seemed to be chambering another punch but it was difficult to distinguish its exact path. WuFei instead, leaped onto the roof of a nearby car, behind him and seemingly dodged the incoming deathblow. He then nimbly skipped from one car hood to the other, hoping to put some distance between him and the machine.
The sound of creaking metal echoed through the open spaces of the parking lot and was soon accompanied by the silhouette of a car being lifted up against the moon.
WuFei braced himself for any manner of assault. His eyes, which were becoming more adjusted to the dark, darted from one side to the other looking for the best way to escape, should the car be chucked in his direction. Depending on, its speed and trajectory, there seemed to be very few safe places he could get to. All was still for that moment, as WuFei waited for the Robot to make its move.
A loud hissing fireball interrupted the stillness and cut a path through the darkness to the center chest of the robot - exploding on impact. The blinding bright combustion, diverted WuFei?s eyes, and made him realize it was a rocket.
The sound of something heavy, falling to the ground, momentarily preceded the sound of a car being smashed by impact. He could only assume that the blow had knocked the robot off its feet, and the car had landed on top of it.
Taken back by his stroke of luck, WuFei looked behind him to note an obscure figure, brandishing a rocket launcher on top of nearby a sand dune.
Sally?s orders came quickly and sharply over the his earpiece, ?WuFei! Get out of there!?
WuFei needed no more coercion. He fled to the desert with his comrades. This mission was a failure but they would worry about that later. The important thing was that all units made it out alive.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
AN: I know what you?re thinking: ?You?re sick Tumbleweed!?
My response: ?You bet.?
