Starman chapter 8

[wsprs]

Relena snapped her head up for the third time. It was raining now, and the combined sound of the windshield wipers thumping and the rain splashing against the windows wasn?t helping her drowsiness. Her companion seemed occupied with the wet drops, and enthralled with the back and forth swiping of the wipers. His head followed their movements as though he were a cat hunting a bouncing string. She would be amused if not for her situation. She was tired; tired of being scared, tired of being hungry, and tired of being awake. Annoyed, she failed to notice a street light change from green to yellow in time to slow down. Instead, she pressed her foot to the gas petal, bit her lip, and roared through the intersection. A minute passed before she let out her breath and relaxed, pleased and smiling softly despite herself.
You need to get out more if you find rebellious pleasure in speeding through a yellow light.

She rolled her eyes to stop her inner voice, but was unsurprised to find that her tension had lessened and she was less tired. Feeling better, she reached for the radio knob and turned it on.

??And for those of you who reported a flying saucer in the Old Wisconsin territory late last night, you can put away your antennae hair accessories and welcome signs. It was a meteor, people! So no little green men, no laser guns, and certainly no encounters of the third kind. Just a piece of rock falling from our friendly sky. But for our believers out there, give us a call---?

Relena hastily turned the switch to the off position. Her hands had begun trembling, and she was fidgeting tremendously.
Get a hold of yourself! Calm down. Be calm. Just? keep driving. Don?t panic. Calm.. calm.. Damn it!
Her mouth opened before she could control herself.
?They are talking about you, aren?t they??
Nervous, she attempted to keep focus on the mountain road, but her eyes kept flicking to the silent man beside her. She was growing more anxious with every second of hushed stillness, and was nearly jumping in her seat. She shifted her grip on the wheel, and looked towards her passenger once again, eyes wide and full of unshed tears. In a voice strained with exhaustion and apprehension, she forced all of her fears in a rush of release.
?What are you doing here? What do you want from me? Where are you taking me? Why do you look like Heero?!??
Choking back a sob, she looked to her passenger, silently begging for answers. When none came,
She, in near hysteria, slammed her foot on the gas, and gripped the steering wheel with white knuckles. As the car gained speed, she whipped around sharp curves and turns in the narrow road. The situation suddenly hit her, and she began to laugh.
Some small part of me always wanted Heero to abduct me?

Abruptly, her laughter stopped, and she slammed both feet on the breaks with all her weight. The car squealed as it spun in an arc, but was able to stop in a flourish of tire smoke and burning rubber. There before them was a small supply truck, behind which appeared extensive burn marks from breaking tires.
Before she realized, Relena threw open the driver side door and flung herself out of the car.
?Please! Help me! I?ve been kidnapped! I?m Relena Peacecraft! Please! Contact the Preventors!! He has a gun!?

The driver of the truck stepped out of the vehicle, and Relena lost her balance with her surprise and fell to the ground.

?You alright, miss??

Trowa inclined his head at Relena, but his stare pierced the air beyond her to the man stepping out of the mustang. Relena, on her knees from overwhelming panic, sucked air into her starving lungs. Trowa on the other hand reeled back in dizzied astonishment, his one visible eye becoming three times its normal size. Staggering back a single step, his eyes sought Relena?s as she looked up from her place on the ground. When their eyes met, she felt a jolt go through her with the force of the question burning in his eyes, desperate for an answer. Receiving only, to him, something that appeared a reflection of his own confusion and shock, Trowa looked up into the waiting eyes of Heero?s look-alike, and barked a halt.
?Heero! ? or whoever you are?What is your business with this woman??
The alien merely cocked his head in curiosity, and awkwardly strode toward the wary woman on the ground.
?Greet-ingz.?
Trowa blinked in surprise ? if this wasn?t Heero, he sounded as much as he looked like Heero!
But Heero?s dead! Isn?t he?
Shaking his head to dislodge his bewilderment, he withdrew a gun from his belt and pointed it at the advancing person, his hand shaking.
?I advise you to cease your movement or I will fire.?
I will shoot you. I don?t care if you are Heero or if you aren?t?
Trowa?s mind was realing, but he noticed when the other man dropped his gaze to the gun, he immediately stiffened. It was apparent instantly that the being recognized the gun for what it was, and was considering his next action.
So he recognizes firearms - normal. Why doesn?t he recognize me?
Trowa furrowed his eyebrows and closed his eyes a moment, battling with himself. He trembled once, and drew his mouth in a tight line. He heard the click of his gun as it was cocked, and with that sound, his mind snapped. When he opened his eyes, he was composed, and hard as stone, but as his eyes found the target, he was amazed to find that his split second hesitation had given the ? stranger ? time enough to glow. Or rather, something enclosed in one of his hands was glowing. Oddly, his own hand began to be a discomfort, and suddenly, his attention tore to the appendage holding his gun aloft.
?Yeeooowch!?
He hurled the fire-hot gun away, glowing red with heat, and cradled his burning hand. Stunned, he looked up again, and found that the Heero-man?s hand was still glowing, and was gesturing towards something not far behind the supply truck. Trowa was flung against his truck when reverberation from a tree behind him suddenly and violently burst into flames. Relena shouted in surprise, and started yelling for Trowa as she was picked up by her arm and hauled towards, then dragged inside the mustang after the alien. Shortly after the driver?s door was pulled shut, the sap inside the tree exploded and Trowa was thrown to the ground. As forest debris rained down on him, he picked himself up and looked up to see the mustang speeding away. Reflected through the grime on the driver?s side mirror, he caught a glimpse of Relena?s terror filled eyes as they searched the mirrored glass, desperately seeking a sign that he was safe. She was afraid, but she smiled when she saw that he was all right.

Hours later, he had managed to rewire the com unit in his truck to find an adequate signal despite the surrounding mountain peaks, and contacted Preventor Headquarters.
?I assure you. The man I saw was Heero.?
?That?s not possible, man. You know as well as I do that Heero?s gone. The explosion must have knocked you silly. You say you saw him glowing? Now, does that sound right to you? Of course, if a man were to glow, it would be Heero. But you know what I mean.?
Trowa rolled his eyes.
?I?m coming in. I wasn?t privy to your flying saucer escapade this morning, and it appears since that time, I am the last one to have seen Relena. It might be that the two are related. I?d like to review the information regarding this morning?s incident near the cottage, and I?m sure you?d like to hear the details of the commencement here. Perhaps we can help each other write a single report, and thus give ourselves more time to track and recover Relena.?
?Man, Trowa. I don?t know if I should be impressed that you?ve said so much at once or that you?re trying to get out of writing a report! ?Perhaps we can help each other.? He says. Yeah! Help each other out of Une?s anal-retentive demands for reports on everything from how we wipe our asses to what color accessories the newest ?Minister Barbie has! ?Bout time you finally saw it my way!?
Trowa was about to disconnect the transmission when Zechs came on.
?Trowa. You saw my sister??
His body snapped to attention from habit, though he knew the other man couldn?t see him.
?Yes. She appeared to be well, apart from the obvious stress of her situation.?
A relieved breath could be heard from the other end, and Trowa?s mouth tightened in consideration.
?She?ll be alright, Zechs. She?s a smart woman, and Heer- she?s been schooled on survival in precisely these circumstances.?
There was a moment of silence.
?Thank you, Trowa. Because you were there, our investigation will proceed with accelerated ??
There was an odd pause.
?May I ask.. What were you doing there, anyway??
Trowa grinned, as much as Trowa can, feeling slightly embarrassed.
?It was a coincidence. The circus is in town, and because I was here, I thought I would re-supply Relena with groceries and toiletries. I had a feeling her stay at the cabin would extend the weekend she scheduled.?
He didn?t say that the circus was there at his ?suggestion,? for the next few weeks, and that he had planned it that way so he and Cathrine could check up and visit the forlorn Minister. If he was going to mention it, he was cut off by Duo?s obnoxious laughter that could be heard along with a muffled ?And she needed an entire supply truck to fit her!?? then a thump, and a grunt. Presumably Zech?s elbow had found a sheath in Duo?s gut.
?Good man. Rendezvous at Center Alpha 9.76 by Delta Code 12, area 1, as soon as you can. We will brief you when you arrive. Out.?
There was an audible click of a signal being cut followed by dead air space. Trowa hung the com in its place, and slumped half on the floor of the truck, and half bracing his weight against the open door. He hung his head, and sighed deeply.
Who are you? What do you want with Relena?
He looked to the sky, searching the clouds for answers.
And why couldn?t I save her?

[kawaiiemogirl]

Sweet Trowa's in it now. I wonder what happened to the real Heero.

[ice princess]

Okay, I can't make my weary eyes stay open any longer (2 am, must be up and out by 8 am for work) but I just have to comment.

This. Fic. Is. Amazing.

Amazing.

Brilliant.

Revolutionary.

Inconceivable, except you've thought of it. Granted, I have multiple chapters to look forward to, but what I've read so far is one of the most brilliant plotlines I've ever stumbled across. First, the real Heero in the video is the most in character I think I've ever read him. The dialogue was painfully believeable, and the rich yet precise imagery of the filmed scenes as well as, oh hell, EVERYTHING does nothing short of blow me away. THEN, you throw in this utterly amazing story of an alien who actually *did* receive the transmissions and time capsules sent out by the 20th century's space obsessed American government. What an idea. What a...there's no word...what a *brilliant* idea. So he wants to go to Arizona, huh?

I know Area 51 and Roswell are in Nevada...so what could he want with Arizona? Perhaps I read it wrong or my memory didn't file that piece of story correctly? Regardless, his destination is interesting...wait, didn't Duo say there was an address of some guy who developed the time capsule on the disk? Does the alien think he's going to meet him?

I just can't get over this plot and these wild character interactions. And GEEZ, I'm sorry, but the way you've developed the characters is stunningly perfect. Just perfect. Really, there's nothing else I can say to describe this story. Just...wow.

And granted I'll find this out when I read more, but does our Trowa have a little crush on Relena or is he just looking out for a friend? Maybe you could move a sequel into the "Alternative" forum? No? Humor me, please!

Okay, enough rambling, must go to bed. But be sure that sometime during this crazy work week I WILL find time to finish this mind-blowing series. You've just created something beyond words. I...I'm really, really impressed and in awe.

~ice princess