Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ It's All Been Done ❯ New York City ( Chapter 7 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

Warnings:
Being written by one evil authoress: evil cliffhanger, annoying name changes, evil Fate, annoying past lives, evil cursing, evil angst, and an extremely evil death fic. You know, the usual.


Chapter 7: New York City

"...but I'll see you next time!

...It's all been done...
It's all been done before..."


On Saturday, I said the whole week sucked, and it did. Face it, I didn't GET good days anymore. I used to think there was always a good for every bad... but as of Sunday, I wasn't so sure. My whole LIFE was cursed, and that'd take a hell of a lot of "goods" to make up for it....

But that's not important.


The next morning came too soon, and the sky was still as black as ravens' feathers when I woke up. My watch read 11:56PM, and it was almost time for my plan to begin... I stretched and immediately regretted the action as waves of pain ran through my neck and back.

Note to self: sleeping in alleys really, really, REALLY sucks, you fucking moron. Can't you learn from your mistakes?! Don't do it again, ever! I don't know, steal a bed next time or something...

I stifled a yawn, my mind waking itself up. When was I supposed to start? Who was I supposed to meet? Where was I supposed to meet him? I answered each question with a precise answer, my eyes never leaving my cheap, "borrowed" wrist watch. This was it. Everything depended on this day. This hour would make or break my plan, and there would be no more chances. If I were going to avoid dying later today, I had to break the chain here, and now. But if I didn't br-- no, I couldn't think like that... any little hesitation could throw me off and ruin my chances... anything that affected me slightly could completely ruin me. This time, I had to be detached, cool and calculating. NOTHING could be left up to luck.

The watched ticked 11:58. Close enough. I stood, fully awake and adrenaline rushing through my veins; my hearts was pounding in my chest as I took slow and precise steps closer toward the back door to the police station. I crept up silently, my back to the wall, and waited next to the entrance. I made no sound, and my black outfit blended in perfectly with the crisp night air.

A minute later, the creaking click of a key in lock switched, and the dark wooden door slid open. A tall figure in a deep gray trench coat held the door open as I swept past him silently; he stepped outside and shut the door behind him, but the lock did not click behind me.

Plan A in full motion. I swallowed, my bright eyes darting across the room. Nothing: no movement, not a sound. Perfect. I crept to the empty desk and grabbed a set of silvery keys off a rusty hook. The metal threatened to expose me with its chiming, but I deadened the noise in my palm, my knuckles turning white with pressure. I was not about to be caught. No way, not yet, not when I'm so close... I stalked further into the prison, my mind ticking off the turns. Soon I came to a long row of cells, the prisoners within sleeping. My sneakers slid across the floor without a squeak, and I made it to my destination. As quietly as possible, I slid a numbered key into the lock and turned it. Nothing. Another key, and turned it, nothing. Another, and I was rewarded with a small click. I held my position, not daring to move. That tiny sound could've woken anyone. I paused, waiting and listening. Silence. After another minute, I slowly slid the heavy metal gate open, and was met by two shady figures, fully awake and standing. I nodded for them to get out, and they did so silently; all three of us had spent most of our lives sneaking around, and we had all gotten very good at it.

I stepped out of the cell and pulled the door shut softly behind me. As it squeaked, I paused and waited. Once again, silence. I slid the door shut and locked it. I took the lead and the other two followed silently; they knew the plan, or their part of it, at least. I counted the turns and we finally came to the main section. I dared a tiny smile at the sight. Almost there... I wiped the keys off on my shirt, then gently placed them back onto their assigned hook. As I turned to leave, a door next to the large desk opened, and Une stepped out, in full uniform, pistol in hand. She pointed the gun at me and snarled, "Get ya hands up! Don't move!" My eyes widened and I took a few steps away from the key rack, shocked. "I said don't move! Get ya hands up!" My eyes locked with hers as I slowly began raising my hands. "Ya have the right ta remain silent. Anything ya say can an--"

Two joined fists barreled down on the back of Une's neck, and the woman fell to the floor unconscious. Hilda kicked away Une's gun with one booted foot and her quick blue eyes darted up to mine. "Well? What are you waiting for?!"

I hastily shook off my momentary shock. "Right." I muttered and ran, pushing through the heavy back door, the two gypsies in tow. Once we were off, the trench-coated figure locked the door behind us and walked solemnly home in the opposite direction. As for Une... well, who the hell cares?


I ran on as quickly as I could, through every alleyway I could find, never taking main streets. We couldn't afford to steal a car, and who really cared if the back roads were dangerous? What we left back there was much worse than any would-be mugger. I kept looking back to make sure Hilda and her mother were following. I was so paranoid they'd just disappear when my back was turned - and with good reason! Fate's always waiting for a chance to screw me over, and having my plan ruined after it had come so far already would royally suck, and I mean ROYALLY. Thankfully, the little brat, Marie, was nowhere in sight. "Hopefully lying in a gutter somewhere dead..." My brain added with a mental smirk.

Finally the three of us made it to what I declared a safe distance. My watch read 1:02AM. Ahead of schedule, that's good. We stopped in a small marked alley, one that'd be easy enough to find if you were looking for it, but hard to find if you were just randomly searching. The beaten old green street marker read "Sulataf Way." Huh. Wonder what poor sap THAT was named after...

The gypsies made a tent out of some shawls and an old beam that was lying in a nearby dumpster. I rested against one brick wall, my eyes closed and my head bent into my neck. For the next few hours, I was in a state of non-sleep: my eyes were closed and my mind was switched "off," but every now and then, I'd wake up, look around, then bow my head once more. You don't get any real rest doing that, so that's why it isn't technically sleep. (Trust me on this, I'm an expert when it comes to sleep.)

When the sky turned from black to an ashy gray, I began waking up. There's no wash of colors at dawn like there is a dusk: no bubble-gum-pinks or denim-blues, and no blood-purples or fire-reds. My God, how I hate sunsets...
Sunrises in the city are just... gray: mindless, lifeless, soulless gray. No passion in a sunrise, sure, but no pain, either. Just simple sulfur gray across the sky, fading into black at the edges. Soothing, numbing gray. Dawn I could take; but I don't know if I could watch another sunset without...

Clearing the thoughts, I stretched my sore muscles and sat down on the dirty ground, then pulled my knees to my chest. With my head buried and eyes closed, I was free to think about what really mattered: the plan. My mind started running through any possible interferences with my plan and how to fix them. So many little things could go wrong in the short span of a day... from sunrise to sunset so many things could turn on me. I sat there thinking until eventually the gypsies woke up and began to piss me off for no apparent reason. Have I mentioned lately that I love gypsies? Oh, yeah, love 'em to death.

Hilda's mother stepped out of the tent, her fiery eyes were flashing around like she was looking for someone. After a few seconds, those vibrant violet orbs rested on me. The woman smiled kindly, said something softly and approached me. I sat up quickly, then stood, my back instinctively pressing against the wall behind me. The woman stopped before me, spoke quickly with bright expressions, then began slipping the three golden bracelets off her wrists.

My eyes went wide. "HILDA!" I screamed then ran over to the tent, pulling the half asleep girl out.

"Dustyn, what's wrong with you?! Let me go! And it's HELENE."

I shoved her into her mother. "Keep 'er and those damn bracelets away from me! So 'elp me God, I will murder that woman if she even THINKS about givin' 'em ta me again!" The woman looked confused and slightly hurt. She spoke to me in that foreign language, then to her daughter, then stared blankly at me. "Tell 'er, Hilda! Tell 'er to---"

"Helene. My name is--" She corrected forcefully.

"Tell 'er!"

The young gypsy sighed and spoke softly to her mother in the fancy pattern of language. Funny, I didn't -hear- the word "damn" in it... It's times like that I wish I knew more foreign languages... er, ANY foreign languages...

The older woman nodded, then said something to me.

"What'd she say? Ya told 'er ta keep those fuckin' things away from me, right?"

Hilda rolled her eyes. "If you think I would say 'fucking' to my mother, even on your behalf, you're crazy."

I narrowed my eyes. "But ya told 'er, right?"

She sighed. "Yes, I told her. Jeez, chill out, Dustyn."

I laughed. "Chill out, she says. Chill out..." I trailed off. "Know what? YOU be the one destined ta die today, then let me tell YOU ta chill out."

Hilda spoke to her mother again, and the older woman nodded. The girl then grabbed my arm, said, "Come with me," and pulled me along behind her into the makeshift tent.

She sat down on a few blankets and gestured for me to sit as well, so I did. As soon as we were settled, I started the conversation, curious as to what Hilda wanted. "So what's the deal? I'm not gonna die, so no need ta tell me where it's gonna be." The girl shrugged, just sitting there. I raised an eyebrow. "I'm not goin' ta." I don't know if I was trying to reassure her or myself... but for my self-esteem's sake, let's say her.

The girl shrugged passively again and said, "You've said that before, and it hasn't been true yet." She looked poignantly at me.

"Yeah, yeah."

Hilda smiled and "introduced" herself. "Helene Mercese."

"Dustyn Maxwel."

"Dustyn." The girl looked sideways in contemplation, "Dust."

I glared at her. "'Been playin' mind games with Marie lately?"

She looked up at me with a shocked, guilty expression. "Wha-- what do you mean?"

My eyes challenging hers, I replied, "The thing with the dust. The little blind girl was playin' with the dust back in the west."

Hilda sighed in relief, "Oh, just that. Yeah, I did..." A moment's silence filled the air.

I glared suspiciously. I HATE when she does that, "Let's not tell Dustyn everything I know even though it may very well save his life" thing! I questioned sharply, "Why, what did ya---"

The girl began again, breaking me off, "My mother was just trying to be kind in giving you her bracelets. They're family heirlooms, you know, not cheap and pure gold. You didn't have to explode like that."

I answered sharply, "Those... -things- get me killed! Whadid ya want me ta do?"

She paused, "Well, you could've said 'no, thank you.' "

I started to speak, then stopped. Damn, she had a point... "Yeah, okay, sorry. But you don't know how I feel."

Glimmering blue eyes stared up at me. "Yes I do. You're superstitious!" She accused. "You think those three little bracelets are what get you killed and not the bullet through your chest."

I looked away angrily, not answering. My head started throbbing in remembrance. Damn, I hate memories. What I'd give for a brain wash like one of those James Bond episodes... well, AFTER I kicked Fate's ass with my plan, that is.

She rolled her eyes and rested her elbows on her knees. She sighed slightly, still smirking, answered, "You're such a hypocrite." and rested her cheeks on her hands. Those glittering eyes never left me.

I glared back at her. "Hypocrite?! And you're not? Ya rant on and on about Fate, then ya call ME superstitious! And ya think ya know everythin' an' ya still end up dyin', just like I do!"

She sat up with a start, "I never said that I know everything!"

"Ya sure act like it!" As she glared, I laughed lightly and leaned back onto my arms. "So since we're stuck with each other for a while, how 'bout answerin' some things for me..."

The girl questioned suspiciously, "What kinds of 'things' ?"

I kept up my intense glare despite my slovenly posture, "Oh, I don't know... the weather? What fashions are 'in' this season?" As she tossed me a sarcastic "very funny" glare, I added seriously, "Or how about a few things Marie said to me."

Hilda's expression went blank. She asked in a soft voice. "Marie? Marie who?"

"The girl playin' with the dust: ya just said ya know 'er, so don't even try ta deny it."

She sighed deeply and fell onto her back in a defeated manor, staring up at the tent above. "I'm going to have to tell you the whole story now, aren't I?"

I smiled and nodded. "Yup." I affirmed, then quickly added, "And don't lie or leave anythin' out this time."

From her place on the blankets she sighed, "So where do I start?"

"Try the beginnin'." I decided to point the beginning TO her, getting the questions I wanted answered before she could sneak out of it. "Ya said this isn't a game," I inquired softly, "but it is, isn't it? I'm a pawn, she said."

Hilda hesitantly nodded, the shook her head once. "Well... it started out that way, at least." She swallowed deeply and sighed. "It goes back a long way, Dust, even further back that you think." She a sat up slowly, and her eyes met mine. "There were a lot of years in man's history before the Romans took over, you know."

My own eyes widened slightly. "How far back?"

"... as far back as I can remember." She looked at one of the tent's thin walls and spoke softly. "I cast the curse on myself, originally. We with magic know that you never practice on someone else, it's inhumane. You either try a spell on an animal, or yourself." Hilda paused. "So I did. I saw that I was going to die, and just like you, I thought I could change it, Dustyn, I really did." She refused to meet my eyes.

"So I tried." Her voice cracked a little, "I tried a lot. After years passed and so many lives of losing went by, I couldn't take it anymore. I admitted that Fate had won." Her eyes moved from the wall to the ceiling and she continued. "But it didn't last. I mean, the -spell- did, and that was the problem. Something I did that first time made it so that I see my lives - all of them, every day of every life. The curse I cast on you wasn't nearly so strong, and heavily diluted with practice. ...I would never damn you the way I accidentally damned myself. Why do you think I put a limitation on how long your curse will last?"

She looked at me, then finding it hard to keep up the stare, stared past me and into the wall of the tent behind me. "More lives went by after I gave up, and I-- I began to question myself. I thought-- I thought, maybe only -I- couldn't beat Fate... that, maybe-- maybe -I- was too weak. And maybe someone else could..." She looked at me, abruptly breaking her sentence. "And then I met you. I saw you die at a public execution two days before I would." She sighed. "I couldn't test my theory on someone that was going to live longer than I would, or I'd never find out if it worked. I needed someone that would die before me, but who I thought could still win..." Hilda paused, then looked down at her hands. "So I pulled you to my tent one life a long, long time ago and offered you the chance to live, if you could earn it. ...But you couldn't. Just like I had, you tried and failed every time. Eventually, the curse wore off... but-- but I found something else out about Fate, the hard way.

"Fate can be altered, but not completely changed. The road may be different, but the destination will always be the same. From that life on you ALWAYS ended up in my tent, begging for a chance to change the death we both knew was coming." She laughed quietly and looked back up to me. "You -did- change fate, Dustyn, even if it's not in the way you planned. Before you tried to hold on to one of your lives, we never even met each other, but afterwards," she shrugged lightly, "Now we can't get rid of each other."

I looked away and spat sarcastically. "Yeah, some great change."

She continued quietly. "I tried, Dust. I did. I tried to pull you out of the loop. I didn't want you stuck like I was. One life I never brought you to this tent at all, but you 'got lost' and wandered your way to me. Another time I wouldn't allow my parents to pitch a tent, and we slept out in the rain and the cold for a week. Then you showed up in the spot where our stuff was laid out." She paused, the added with intensity, "One life I just slapped you clear across the cheek, then just kept hitting you until I thought you'd never want to see me again! But, like always, the next life you were back with no memory of anything of the sort, not even a bruise. You're stuck in this just as much as I am, now, and-- and I'm sorry for it, Dustyn."

I kept my glazed over look into the distance. "So she was right. I'm a pawn..." I turned on her and glared. "And you! Ya the other chess player!" I laughed bitterly. "She who moves me about the board." I scoffed. "I'm not even in control! No, you don't understand! It was supposed ta be me against Fate! The final showdown! The all or nothing! ..and I'm a fuckin' pawn?!" I sighed. "Great. Just, just wonder-fucking-full."

After a few minutes of tense silence, I glared defiantly back at the gypsy and laughed. "No. I don't buy it. It's a real nice story ya got, but this time's diff'rent. This time I'm not gonna--"

"Every time is different, Dustyn."

"--die. This time I've gotta--"

She nodded. "You always do... And that's why I initially thought--"

"-- plan that'll work!"

"--you could win, but you can't!"

"But you can't!" The words echoed in my head. My smile flickered and a bit of horror fell into my expression, I began shaking my head rapidly. "No, not this time. NO! Watch me! Watch me, damn it! Watch me win! I-- I'll win! I'm gonna win and-- and ya can't stop me! Ya CAN'T! ...No one can..."

She muttered quietly, "I have no reason to stop you, Dustyn. I WANT you to win. Fate -can- be altered..." Hilda sighed. "But I just don't know how much you can change in only one life." After a moment, she held out her hand expectantly.

I looked up with betrayal clear in my eyes. "What do ya want now? Haven't ya taken enough from me yet?"

"I need your cross."

I shook my head. "I don't have any cross..."

Hilda frowned, eyeing the silver that poked out of the corners of my collar. "What's that then?"

I followed her gaze. "Oh, that? It's just an old chain my mother gave me..." I took off the filthy metal necklace and handed it to her.

The girl took it and stared at it for a minute. She then held up the small silver chain and asked, "This is just a chain... what happened to your cross, Dustyn?"

I glared at her. "What're ya talkin' 'bout? I told ya, I never had a cross."

She frowned. "You did. Think about it. Not your past, your past -lives-, remember them. You had it then."

I thought for a minute, then vaguely remembered her asking what my cross meant. "... I did ha--"

While I was thinking this over, Hilda performed her task of relaying the future using my worn chain, and once again looked into my eyes, waiting for me to ask what she saw.

I took my necklace from her outstretched hand and as I refastened the clasp, I asked, "So what did ya see?"

Straight faced, the girl spoke strongly, "You're going to die tonight."

"No, I won't."

She looked up from where her eyes had rested on her hands, but said nothing.

"I won't!" After a moment, I sighed. "Where did it say?"

She shrugged. "You're going to die in the Police Headquarters."

I frowned in disbelief. "Not out here I won't. We're a half-hour's walk from there, at least. Pro'lly more."

"You should know by now: anything is possible when Fate's involved." Hilda shook her head. "I'm sorry Dustyn. This time, Fate has determined that you will die tonight, in the police station, by a warrior's hand. You don't decide these things."

I sighed as my mind ran through the possibilities. "Now, it's possible that that's where Fate thinks I was supposed ta die if I hadn't altered it the way I had by takin' yous guys out 'ere, but now that I have and I'm not gonna die at all, ya still seein' that 'cause that's what Fate wants, even though it's not really gonna happen--"

She shook her dark head, "Dan..."

Ignoring her, I rambled on, "...because I'm not going to die, Fate or not, I've got it all planned, it's all set out and my plan is flawless, perfect, and NOTHING is interfering with the pl--"

"So by now everyone's heard all the rumor's about the Big Apple's 'favorite' future commissioner Milliard Pececref..."

"...plan." I silenced abruptly at the sound of a radio. Someone in the apartment next to where our alley was had an alarm-clock radio that had just gone off, full blast. The radio talk-show's announcers babbled on about the latest political gossip.

"Sure, who hasn't?" He laughed, "but there's so many goin' 'round lately that they're hard to keep track of!"

Light laughter. "Yeah, but I'm talkin' 'bout the one on everyone's mind right now: -was- he or -wasn't- he involved with those escaped prisoners last night?"

"Well, the facts sure point to 'yes' right about now, that's for sure."

"Oh yeah, what with no alibi AND a policeman's exclusive eye-witness testimony..."

"Police PERSON, Ted. Police PERSON." The two radio voices laughed.

"Oh, of course, Roger, police PERSON's testimony. Well, what with all of that evidence, -plus- the fact that there was no forced entry whatsoever on either of the Headquarters' entrances or the jail ce--" The radio clicked off and its owner muttered curses.


My blood froze solid. My heart stopped. I couldn't breathe. This wasn't happening... no, no NO! It couldn't be, it couldn't! My plan, my beautiful plan, my carefully devised plan...

"Dust?" Hilda hesitantly asked.

I shook my head over and over again. "I'm not gonna die tonight. I'm -not- gonna die tonight. I'm not gonna die tonight..."

"You can't run fro--" Hilda paused, and sighed heavily. "Good luck."

Slowly, I sighed out a light, "Yeah." I gathered myself together and stood tall, prepared to leave. "And I'll need it now that I have ta change my plan...."

She raised an eyebrow, "Change your plan?"

"Don't get me wrong, I'm still fightin' Fate. Nothin's stoppin' that, no matter WHAT. It's too late ta turn back, anyway. But," I sighed, "I have ta go back now. I can't just let ya dad take the wrap for somthin' he actually didn't do this time..." I sighed lightly, shaking my head. "When did I get so damn nice... ya know what? I blame you and that curse, I bet there was something in the water ya--"

As I continued with my light rambling, trying to keep my sanity through jokes, Hilda added softly, "Generosity is not something to damn, Dustyn. It's your selfishness that damns you."

My head shot up, "What did ya say?" She looked at me innocently. I glared in suspicion. "What do ya know now? Damn it, there's something ya not tellin' me! There's ALWAYS something that ya--"

"You've had more than one chance to prove that Fate can be changed. This life, or the past ones, you've still died on this day. Everything you've done in your past five lives has been in vain if you don't win now. Best of luck, Dustyn, but choose your path wisely: there will be no 'next time.' "

My demeanor grim, I answered, "I'll remember that, Hilda. But I still have ta go back."

The girl replied sharply, "It's your decision, and you're perpetually stubborn. I can't change that."

My heart was beating faster. Why was I going to go back? What kind of idiot was I?! This was my one chance! And I was losing it! I couldn't believe it... I shook my head and stared at the floor. "I can't lose when I'm this close, I won't."

Hesitantly, Hilda said. "I won't do the curse this time. You won't remember next time whether I do or don't anyway; that's how it works."

I nodded, then walked the short distance to the edge of the tent, pushing back the flaps that made the entrance. I turned back once and called over my shoulder. "You and ya mother stay here. No excuses, got it?" She nodded and I nodded in affirmation. "See ya 'round, Hilda."

She shrugged, her glistening eyes avoiding mine at all costs. "I'll see you next time, Dus." And I heard her mutter as I left, "even though you won't remember me."

When I stepped out of the tent, the sun was high in the sky, burning down on me. Sighing, I walked glumly out of the alley, dragging my heels. My eyes scanned the streets and parking lots quickly, and soon I found my target. A dull gray car that looked more like a heap of metal than a vehicle was parked in a nearby lot. The thing was an old model: the easiest kind to hot-wire. And it looked like crap, too! I bet I could get PAID to steal something so decrepit, just so the owner'd get rid of the thing. Perfect. I wandered over to the car as unobtrusively as possible, then, when I was sure no one was around, I stepped up to the door of the car.

There are three places you can hot-wire a car: under the body, taking off a piece of plastic next to the steering wheel, or under the hood from the inside: above the gas and brake pedals. While the first is the easiest, it's also the most dangerous. Trust me, to be laying under a car, trying to hot-wire it when the owner comes back and starts the engine? Not a pretty picture. Instant road kill, if you're having an unlucky day.

So, choice "c" it was. I unpinned a safety pin that just happened to be on one knee of my jeans, and after a few tricks, the lock clicked, and I was in the car. I slid down the driver's seat and sat on the floor of the car, finding the right wires. I slipped a pocket knife out and was just about to slit the first wire's plastic coating...

...when next to me, the driver-side car door opened.