Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Masquerade ❯ Chapter Seventeen ( Chapter 17 )

Chapter Seventeen

Treize Kushrenada ran his finger around the rim of his wineglass thoughtfully. That girl, he couldn't get her out of his mind! Something about her… He took a sip of his wine, staring at the blank communicator screen thoughtfully.

"Private Jennet!" He said in his silky voice. The soldier ran and stood at attention by his commander's chair.

"Yes sir?"

"I would like you to play the images we have of a certain Sage Bennington."

"Yes sir! Right away…" The soldier turned on the screen and pressed a couple of buttons, exiting the room. The images flashed across the screen. Sage's profile, Sage's body shot. Treize smiled to himself. She was beautiful… The computer scrolled through the files to find one of her at the masquerade, a picture the security cameras had taken as she had dashed up the stairs, long hair flying behind her. At the top of the stairs, her mask flew off, and his breath caught as she flicked her vibrant eyes towards the camera. Then that boy. Treize could see by the way she was drawn to him that she loved him beyond words, and the boy likewise.

"Private!"

"Yes sir!"

"Pull up data on the blondie over there."

"Yes sir!" The images flashed on screen. So-Quatre Raberba Winner. His father had been very important and rich, and this young one was now the head commander of his father's estate. Too bad. He would have to be terminated. Treize smiled quietly to himself, flicking back to the photos of Sage. She was as good as his.

Miles away in her own bed Sage woke. It was early morning, too early to go to breakfast and too late to do anything worth doing. She sat up and stretched. Dusty yawned slightly and hopped down from the bed, heading to the kitchen for his breakfast. Sage slipped into her clothes and shoes, then walked outside. It was chilly. She shivered and walked briskly out of the base and into the city, touching her thigh and hip holsters to make sure they were there and loaded. They were.

She walked inside of a bar next to Duo's coffee shop. It was quiet, and nobody looked at her as she seated herself on a stool and ordered a drink. The bartender raised an eyebrow at her and brought it, mixing it in her full sight. Sage sighed and sipped at it, looking about the bar. A small group of men was whispering in the corner, and someone tapped her on the shoulder. She whirled about, not seeing one of the men pass by and toss a bit of powder in her drink. Sage turned back and took a sip.

Then everything began to blur, and Sages last words were curses as she faded into unconsciousness.

Sage woke up on a bed in a dark red room. She was wearing a red satin dress, and her hand reached instinctively for her guns. Gone.

"Dammit!" She sat up and looked about. A gauzy red canopy, shielding her sight of the room, draped all around the bed. She swung it to the side and stood. Feeling helpless, she looked to the nearest heavy object and went to stand by it, ready to hit or throw. She tried the door-locked. Windows? Shut from the outside. Trapped again.

"Geez! Am I getting good at this or what?" She heard someone chuckle in the chair behind her. She spun about to face the smirking eyes of Treize Kushrenada. Sage backed away a couple of steps, scared now. This was the enemy she was dealing with here. They could kill her at anytime…

"So glad you could make it, my dear…" He stood and swept his cape back off of his shoulders, eyes piercing hers.

My dear? Caught off guard, Sage didn't move for a minute. Treize stepped forward and took her wrists in his hand, not letting her get away.

"Of course-You know why I have brought you here…" Sage's eyes flickered quizzically as she tried to break his grip. He pulled her up and kissed her. Sage jerked back and slapped him hard on his right cheek, backing up against the wall. Treize just smiled at her patiently, as a snake does to its prey when it tries to evade it.

"My dear Sage-I always get what I want-and you are no exception." He stepped towards her again, blocking her path. Sage was cornered now, with no way out. She closed her eyes and turned her head away, hands clenched into fists as he took her wrists again with one hand and turned her face up to his. His eyes almost seemed to mock her, and anger swelled in her. As she tried to get away, he tightened his grip, and Sage faltered with the pain shooting through her arms. He let her go and took her by the waist, bringing their faces close. Sage looked away, eyes closed again.

"Don't be difficult-we can do this the easy way, or the hard way. You choose, my dear." Sage recoiled back, pressing against the wall. He pulled her close again, one hand rubbing her back gently. She felt an awful urge to pull away, but she had better get through this alive. He gently slid one of her dress straps down her shoulder. Sage drew the line. She jerked away and slapped him twice, one on each cheek. He closed his eyes in an irritated manner, tenderly touching his face.

"My, you are difficult. Does this Quatre have problems like this with you?" He advanced on her again. She looked up and him and back up against one of the posters of the bed.

"Stop! Please.. stop.." She turned away and he roughly turned her face up to his again and kissed her. Sage was unable to get away. When they broke apart, he was holding her wrists, and her eyes were full of tears and scared half to death.

"Just leave me alone! Please…" She was nearly crying now, and Treize let her go. She leaned on the wall, face in her hands. He looked at her sadly a moment, then reached out and stroked her face with one hand. Surprised by the gentle caress, she looked up at him through a curtain of honey coloured hair.

"Are you afraid of me?" He brushed the hair out of her eyes. She bit her lip defiantly.

"No. No-I am not." But in her eyes he could see she was lying, although her shoulders were square and her fists clenched. She was trying so hard to be brave. He smiled softly, sadly, then turned and walked away a few steps, looking out of her window. Sage straightened and watched him, but did not follow.

"The war brings much sorrow to the world. I once knew a certain Lady-who died valiantly fighting for her side. You remind me of her…" He flicked a glance back at Sage, who tensed. "But I forget that you are still a child…" Sage frowned and stamped a foot defiantly.

"I am not!" Treize looked at her sadly.

"You are but seventeen, am I correct? I am twenty four-a seven year age gap." Sage's eyes widened. She took a step back.

"You're not going to go on with your original purpose, are you?" She looked scared again. He moved up and took her by the waist, looking into her eyes.

"Do you want me to?" Sage shook her head quickly, no, she wanted to go home. But she wasn't about to say that. He smiled and brushed the hair out of her eyes again, then let her go. Sage didn't move, no expression came to her eyes. Treize turned and walked out the door, a `Pleasant Dreams' wafting its way back to Sage's ears. Then the door closed and she was alone.

"Give her the run of the base."

"But Mr. Treize-"

"Did you hear me? I said the run of the base."

Those were the words Sage awoke to. She sat up and blinked the sleep from her eyes, trying to remember where she was. Then it hit her. Captive, again.

She sat up and swung her legs off the side of the bed, angrily ripping the draperies to the side. She grabbed her shorts and shirt, and put them on, neatly folding the dress and putting it on a chair. The run of the base, huh? She pulled her knee socks up. This would take pondering.

She slipped out of the open door and into the hallway. Officials brushed past her with nervous looks, and she glared at them. Breakfast was waiting for her in the dining room, which she stumbled into by accident. No one else was there. Sage sighed and sat, poking at her food. It might be poisoned, it might not. You never know. She stood without eating anything. Ah yes, escape.

Sage couldn't find the front door or anything resembling it-so she tried the windows. Any room she wanted to go into was free to her, Treize had said. Good. She could find out some information for the base and then escape. They would never miss her until later.

Later that night, as Sage slipped into bed, she flipped through the information she had gathered. Plenty of it, enough to make The Dr. happy and to discourage questions about her disappearance. Tonight was the night she would make her getaway. When she was absolutely sure everyone was asleep or away from her room, she pulled out a small glasscutter from her sneaker lining and neatly sliced the glass out of her window. Without a sound, she laid it gently on the ground and slipped out onto the roof.

The night was breezy and warm, perfect. Sage slipped out of her sneakers and flitted from rooftop to rooftop, finally landing on the ground with a slight rustle of leaves. Slipping back into her shoes, she trotted to the garage where she cranked up a small stealth jet, strapping herself in. It almost seemed too easy, too quiet. She nervously turned around to look back at the enemy base and caught a light on in Treize's office. She gasped and ducked low, and he came to the window and looked straight at her, eyes piercing through. She backed the jet out and took off, in a cold sweat. Would he send someone after her? This jet didn't have any weapons, and he probably knew that.

Sage flicked on the turbo boosters and set the locale for the base. She would be there in no time.