Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Masquerade ❯ Chapter Six ( Chapter 6 )

Chapter Six

The day of the ball rolled around, and Sage was nervous to a point. The morning before, she was found on the tennis court, slamming balls into the wall.

"Good God! You're leaving dents!" Sage had narrowly missed Duo.

"Oh-sorry." She paused a moment, then picked up another ball and slammed it into the wall with a powerful forehand.

"You seem tense. Anything wrong?" He raised an eyebrow.

"No-nothing at all.(Ball slams into wall, leaving dent.) I'm just fine…(Another ball slams into the wall.)" Sage sighed. "Ok-It's my first mission tonight. I'm just a tad nervous."

"Who's coming with you?"

"Quatre…"

"Quatre??" Duo looked envious.

"Yes.."

"Why? I mean, he's a great guy and all, but when it comes to fighting…" Duo shrugged.

Now it was Sage's turn to raise an eyebrow. "Be nice…"

Then it was time! Sage glanced at her watch. "Show time! Wish me luck!"

"Good luck!" Came the somewhat muted reply.

Relena was waiting for her. She helped her put her hair up, and tied a lovely emerald green mask on for her.

"You look beautiful!" Sage smiled.

"Thanks…" Sage started on her way downstairs to Quatre. As she stepped down she could hear chairs scraping as people turned around to look at her, and an excited whisper ran through the bunch. Quatre looked like he couldn't believe his luck. Duo yelled from his chair:

"DAMN!! You look hot!" He was silenced by Heero, who pinched him.

Quatre bowed and offered his arm to her. Sage curtsied and accepted, and they walked to the waiting limo. She blushed just the tiniest bit as she remembered how Anita and Bradley were connected, and a smile reached her lips. Quatre looked at her.

"You look beautiful.." He said softly, and it meant more to her coming from him than anyone else.

"Thank you.." She was really blushing now, and she hoped he couldn't see. When they arrived at the mansion, they walked in arm in arm, Sage looked around. It was a beautiful house, but the ballroom was the best part about it. She squeezed Quatre's hand lightly, and he squeezed back.

"Don't worry." He said softly. "There's not much we can do until midnight, and even then we must be casual about it. Enjoy the party.."

"Ah.. Bradley Michaels!" Treize approached them. Quatre lowered his voice slightly.

"Thank you for the invitation, Anita and I greatly appreciate it." Quatre smiled pleasantly.

Treize shifted his glance to Sage. "Lovely thing, isn't she?" He smiled from under his mask at Sage, who smiled back slightly.

"Thank you, sir." Sage curtsied gracefully.

"Enjoy the party.." Treize waved at the band, which began to play a waltz.

Quatre bowed and offered a hand to Sage. "May I have this dance?"

Sage grinned and nodded, curtsying and putting her hand in his. He took her gently by the waist, and she sighed softly. They danced the entire waltz, and Sage was passed off to many partners, finally returning to Quatre. She was breathless.

"That was wonderful!" She sat on a chair to catch her breath.

Quatre took her hand as Treize approached. Sage looked adoringly into Quatre's eyes, and she didn't find it hard to do. Weapons of war, Weapons of war she repeated over and over to herself.

Treize smiled and asked Sage. "May I have this dance?" Sage looked to Quatre, who nodded.

Treize was a very good dancer, and Sage felt light on her feet. "You dance divinely," he whispered into her ear as the song finished. Sage smiled and curtsied. "Thank you for the dance, sir. `Twas lovely."

Sage stepped back to Quatre, who checked his wristwatch.

"Almost time. Get ready…" He was pulled away by a group of men who wanted his opinion on the war. Sage looked after him, and turned to get a glass of punch. She listened into their conversation.

"What do you think of Mr. Treize's battle plans, Bradley?" Asked one man.

"They are cunning! Indeed, the Alliance won't know what hit them." Quatre winked at Sage. It went back and forth for a while until the first man looked at the clock.

"It's almost time to unmask!" The man took of his mask and waited expectantly for Quatre to do the same.

Sage's eyes widened. Neither of them had expected this. She slowly moved towards the foot of the stairs, and went up them. Above the party, in the shadows, she took off her mask and let it flutter to the floor. Quatre appeared beside her, still wearing his.

"I managed to persuade them that I had to use the restroom…" He looked around.

Sage grabbed his sleeve and pointed up ahead. "Look! Sentries... They must know someone from the base is here, namely us."

Suddenly Sage couldn't speak. A hand muffled her sounds of frustration. She pinched Quatre, who looked back to see Sage being held at gunpoint by an Oz soldier.

"Aha! Now we've got you!" The soldier sneered at Quatre.

Quatre took a step. "Let her go. I have backup."

"Ah-ah-ah!! One move and the girl is history… Come quietly and maybe we won't harm you. Or, you could just leave-but the girl will stay." Quatre took a step back.

Sage whimpered through the soldier's hand, and her eyes were telling him to go. But he held out his wrists, and he was handcuffed. Both were led into a prison cell, roughly shoved inside, and locked in.

"Dammit!" Sage cursed under her breath. She turned and looked at Quatre, who was examining the lock on their cell door.

"It's not a complicated one. I can pick it." Sage nodded.

Quatre pulled her to her feet, and Sage had to quickly support herself on a wall.

"OW!!!!" Sage gingerly lifted up her right leg. "My ankle!"

"You must have twisted it when they tossed you in. Sit down a moment…" Sage did, and Quatre tore a strip of cloth from a blanket in the cell and wrapped her ankle tightly.

"Better?" he asked.

"Better…" She replied, wincing as he finished the wrap.

Quatre stood. "Do you have a hairpin?" Sage handed him one. He knelt down by the lock, and Sage saw him flick his wrist once or twice. The next thing she knew, he was rolling the door open slowly.

"Cool!" Sage whispered.

"Hold on to me… I'm not sure you can walk on that ankle."

Sage stood defiantly. "Yes I can!" She set her face, holding back a wince, and they started off. Sage stumbled hard a couple of times, but always found her feet.

"Jesus… You could get lost in here…" Sage stopped and rested her ankle a moment.

Quatre said nothing, but looked around them, then pointed to a door.

"Are you sure?" Quatre nodded silently. He motioned for her to stay back, then peered through the keyhole. He stood and nodded again, and Sage moved after him out the door. They picked up a slow jog (for Sage's sake) after they left, and ran straight into the cover of darkness.

"Well-we didn't get the battle plans." Quatre frowned.

"Ah-ah-ah!" Sage held up the leaflets like a hand of cards and waved them at him.

"You little sneak!" He hugged her tight and whirled her around.

Sage grinned and wrinkled her nose. " `Tweren't nothing…"

Quatre looked at her for a long time before saying softly. "You did a good job back there." He took her by the hand and led the way through the forest. Sage leaped after him, her heart as light as a bird's. Glorious... Just glorious…