Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Perfect Assassin ❯ Lost and Found ( Chapter 20 )
[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]
By: Sweet_Destiny 
The fic is about to hit the climax!!
Anime/Manga: Gundam Wing Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Mystery / Drama | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 07.29.2004 | Pages: 3 | Words: 4.6K | Visits: 264 | Status: Completed
The fic is about to hit the climax!!
Anime/Manga: Gundam Wing Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Mystery / Drama | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 07.29.2004 | Pages: 3 | Words: 4.6K | Visits: 264 | Status: Completed
PERFECT ASSASSIN
Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing or its characters in any way.
CHAPTER TWENTY: LOST AND FOUND
As he walked down the corridor, Heero suddenly realized that Vincent McCallister would have already left Relena or else Wufei wouldn't have had the chance to retrieve his recorder. He needed to take few minutes to settle his thoughts for he was thinking far too irrationally. Cursing himself for being foolhardy, he slowed his pace and decided to listen to the tape.
Clicking on the play button, it started with McCallister's voice, "Aren't we a little too young for the silent treatment? I noticed you were getting mighty close to that soldier. What did you tell him?"
There was a moment of silence before Relena's voice loomed over the device, "Get out. I don't have to say anything to you."
The man exploded, "Wrong answer!"
He heard the shuffling of feet and Relena's struggles. 'What was going on in there?' Heero wondered.
He knew he shouldn't have left her alone with him. Cursing again, his hands bunched into fists at his side as he continued walking to Relena's room. He began picking up his pace again. There was no way to ensure that Relena was unharmed after their exchange and Wufei didn't express any comments on her condition.
"… What was that? Speak up, Relena, or else this will be the last breath you take." McCallister again.
It finally dawned on him that the bastard was choking her! It was a miracle that nothing critical happened to her. He continued listening on…
"Noth… I told… him nothing!" He noticed that Relena strained her voice to say those words. So she lied to the man. She may have done that to protect her own self-interests but Heero highly doubted it. Relena wouldn't have said anything to compromise Heero's life. Suddenly, the Perfect Soldier felt like the lowest person on earth.
He long since denied his true feelings for her. Realizing what she had to endure for his sake was the final blow to his conscience. Too many images were rolling around in his mind and none of them were pleasant. He remembered too many incidents when he brushed her aside and regarded her outpour of emotion and concern for him as an irritating scratch. How could he deviate from that cold-hearted soldier to one who could truly express his emotions? It certainly wasn't as simple as applying his situation to an on-off switch. He was molded into his person through years of intense dehumanizing training. How was he going to get through this?
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Punching the button for the lower level in the elevator, Quatre and Sally were prepared to give Relena an 'antidote' for her problems. Under such psychological conditions, there really was not much chance of recovery unless the patient understands the extent of the illness. To put it bluntly, they needed Relena to truly understand her illness or lack thereof and if that didn't work, using a placebo would probably be their best bet. Sally carried a small needle not much larger than her ring finger as a precaution. Relena's mind may have already gone so far into psychosis that she truly believed she was dying and the placebo would simply work as a way to counter her thoughts; fighting mind games with more mind games.
"Do you think the placebo will work on her, Sally?" Quatre asked quietly.
"I'm confident it will. Placebos work in funny ways. You know how some patients complain of headaches when there's really nothing physically wrong with them?" She paused for effect. "Well, the doctors can't really prescribe anything for them aside from a placebo since there's no reason for patients to use unnecessary drugs into their system. The pills that the doctors prescribe could be nothing more than vitamin pills. Once the patient consumes these placebos, they are convinced that the drug mitigated their headaches."
Quatre thought this over for a moment and summarized, "So, it's pretty much all in the head or specifically in the patient's head."
"Exactly." The elevator doors opened and they were on their way to see their patient.
Walking down the passage, the Gundam pilot asked, "What's in the needle, then?"
Glancing down at it, she replied, "Sugar water. 100% safe for our Relena."
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Despite his stoic persona in front of the other Gundam Pilots, he was as unstable as they come. The entire situation made Heero nervous and he feared for her life. However, the Perfect Soldier would never reveal his true emotions to others. It was simply a sign of weakness he refused to demonstrate. Once the tape stopped playing and it clicked off on its own accord, he was certain that Vincent McCallister is the one behind the murders. He was simply the puppet master, Relena his puppet on tight strings without much breathing room. And now, Heero had the proof. He tucked the recorder safely into his jacket pocket and approached the door to her room.
Strange, the door was already open and he grew immediately alert. Retrieving his gun, he approached the doorway with caution but the moment he heard Quatre's voice, his tensed muscles suddenly relaxed. He walked in and merely nodded at the other two individuals in the room.
They both stood in front of the bed, blocking his view from Relena.
"What are you two doing here?" Heero asked.
"We came to help alleviate her condition." Quatre said by way of explanation. Heero nodded again. "But there's something wrong."
Heero was growing impatient. Something was more than wrong and he could tell from the look on their faces. "What is it?"
Quatre and Sally backed off a little so that Heero was able to view the bed. "She's not here."
The other three Gundam pilots were immediately informed by Heero to meet him in the Phoenix Conference Room on the 10th floor. When they arrived, Quatre and Sally were already seated in the far end of the glass table. Heero waited for the men to be seated before he claimed his seat. He briefed them on the current situation everything from Relena's condition, her disappearance, and the fact that they had themselves a viable suspect. He replayed the tape for the members in the room. Everyone's stress levels were at an all-time high.
"That prick! If I got my hands on him… Do you think McCallister took Relena?" Duo questioned as he chewed on the end of his pen. It was a terrible habit that he recently picked up and was finding a difficult time of breaking.
"It's a possibility but I don't see how unless he went back in there when I left." Wufei explained calmly. He, too, was shocked from what he heard on the tape. He was glad to hear that Relena was the mastermind behind it. Thinking back, he felt the wave of guilt for treating her so crudely and impulsively. Women! Ever the stubborn creatures they are.
"Under her current state, I'm afraid she may not have much time." Sally stressed. "We need to find her and administer the placebo or simply tell her that there's nothing critically wrong with her."
"The sooner the better." Quatre affirmed, showing more concern than necessary.
Still composed despite the churning feeling in his stomach, he turned to everyone in the room.
"Priority one, we must find McCallister. He's basking in his own light of invincibility. We know he's guilty and we have the advantage here; he doesn't know how much we know and frankly, gentlemen, we know a lot. Let's bring him in!"
"Priority two, Relena." His voice cracked slightly when he said her name. "Find McCallister and we'll find Relena. She needs to be treated and brought back to us."
They all nodded in agreement. Trowa volunteered to stay behind and compile more information on McCallister that they could use against him in court. There's no question that this will go on trial. Incriminating evidence against the villain was bound to pop up somewhere and it was only a matter of digging deep into the trenches of the enemy's camp.
Heero asked Sally Po how to properly administer the drug since she clearly wouldn't be accompanying them. Once his quick lesson in needle injections was finished, she handed the syringe to him. "Please be careful with it. I have no idea how fragile her mind is right now. This placebo may be the only shot she has. You must ensure that you carefully insert the needle into a vein and not anywhere else."
"Don't worry. I won't let anything happen to her…" again, he thought but didn't verbalize the final word.
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Relena treaded down the streets still wearing her blue gown from the infirmary. Her hair flew haphazardly around her face as the wind blew violently in the chilly night air. It was far past midnight and there wasn't much traffic or people in the streets for that matter. Walking in bare feet and having a deathlike complexion, the few drivers who went past her gave a double take on the strange young lady walking alone in the streets at such a late hour. However, none dared to intervene.
She was walking so slow that it didn't feel as if she was moving at all. Relena could feel her body growing weaker. From McCallister's most recent visit she had had it with him and his games. Coming to terms with reality, she neither cared for her future nor her life. There was only one thing on her mind now and that was to get even.
Not even realizing how long it took her to walk across town to reach McCallister's estate, she went up to his gates without hesitation. A camera was posted on the right-hand column holding the iron gate in place. Then a voice boomed over the camera, "State name and purpose of visit."
"Relena Darlian. I want to see Vincent McCallister, now."
After waiting a few beats, the gate creaked in protest as it slowly opened to let her in. Before walking through and meeting her fate, she leaned against the left column to calm her breathing and praying she had enough strength to do what she intended to do.
The moment she approached the ivory steps to the main entrance, Larson Quentin held the door open for her, grinning widely. "Good evening, Relena. This is certainly an unexpected visit. You're looking quite well." He joked once he saw her pale features and the strange clothing she had on or lack thereof. "Mr. McCallister is waiting for you in the study." She didn't even acknowledge his presence.
The study was lavished with imported furniture and artwork. It was immersed with opulence that the owner would be proud of. A single chandelier hung from the high-rise ceiling and was able to produce a sparkle to anything the light touched. Directly across the entrance into the room stood a fireplace burning vigorously. In the center of the room, a chaise longue was angled directly towards the floor-to-ceiling window on the left hand wall. McCallister sat calmly in his recliner by the fire, sipping a fine glass of richly imported red wine from France. To him, everything seemed copasetic.
"Well, well. And here I thought I'd never see you again, you show up in my estate. Glass of wine?" He was about to stand up to pour her a drink when she stopped him with her death glare.
"Hmm… or not. What are you doing up? You look like you're about to fall over. So, what can I do for you?" Ever the gentleman.
Relena walked closer to him, eyes never wavering from his. "You know what you can do for me? You can die."
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Heero presented all the factual evidence to Une and after answering some grueling questions did she finally grant him an arrest warrant from Preventer Judge Madison. Une also requested that he bring a dozen of the enforcement soldiers with him. They didn't have anything better to do anyway other than sleeping in.
Racing down the freeway, he led the pack of law enforcement officers in his charcoal black Mazda 6 vehicle. Seven unmarked Preventer vehicles trailed right behind him, Wufei and Duo were among them.
Slowly approaching the estate, all cars switched off their headaches to prevent detection and they parked farther than necessary to ensure that the arrest would be made swiftly and quietly. Using only hand signals by way of communication, Heero informed two soldiers to stand guard by the gates and another six to watch the perimeter to ensure the enemy does not use a hidden escape route. Due to the sheer size of the estate, he ordered the rest of the enforcement officers to stay posted at the side entrances and doorways. There was no telling how McCallister would try to make his escape.
The three Gundam pilots walked directly to the main gate, unafraid, relentless. "State name and purpose of visit." Boomed the microphone.
"We came to see Relena Darlian." Heero stated bluntly.
"Being a little too direct, aren't we?" Duo muttered under his breath. "What if she's not even here? Baka!"
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Two gentle knocks were heard before Quentin walked in and whispered something in McCallister's ear. After the news was delivered, he nodded once and dismissed Quentin. "It appears we'll be having a party tonight. More guests." Vincent McCallister admitted casually before standing up to his full height of five foot nine and looking out the window.
Not understanding what he meant, she ignored him.
Returning his gaze to her, he spoke gently, "You want me dead? How unlike you, Relena. I'll give you this word of advice though. You can't touch me! There's absolutely nothing you can do."
Feeling drained, she didn't want to believe his words but she knew that he was speaking through experience and his words could have held an ounce of truth in them. "On second thought, I think I might want that drink." Relena claimed as she dragged her lifeless body over to the oak encrusted bar counter. Reaching for a glass herself, she noticed an ice pick sitting idle on the lower shelf: the perfect weapon. The handle was begging for her to reach it. Her vision slowly began fading and the ice pick seemed to split into two then four… then two. She tried reaching for it but missed. What was happening to her? Was she hallucinating? It didn't matter; she needed to finish this and soon before she collapsed.
The images of the pick suddenly molded back into one. Making a stronger attempt, she finally got a hold of the wooden handle and hid the weapon behind her back. There was no turning back now. Ever so swiftly, she charged him with his back turned.
Not realizing that her opponent had had military training in the past, he was able to detect her from behind and was able to easily dodge her attack. McCallister didn't find it surprising that she would attempt such an irrational act; she was at the end of her wits, after all. However, he was slightly shocked to see her attack head-on. It was unfortunate for her that she didn't realize he was an experienced combat fighter of five years. He stepped gently to the side and Relena found herself stabbing at nothing but air. Surprised, she almost tripped on the antiquated rug.
"You gotta be faster than that, if you want to kill me." He snickered as he turned to face the window once again, giving her another chance to strike with his back facing her. "I dare you to try again." His air of arrogance nearly suffocated her.
He thought she would try the same tactic. Little did he know that she, too, was trained in some form of combat from Heero Yuy before he resigned. Relena crouched down in stealth-like form and tripped him hard enough that he came crashing down onto the softly matted indigo rug. Lying completely flat on his back, Relena pinned him down and straddled on his stomach with the ice pick aimed directly for his jugular vein. Glaring profusely at the enemy she inched the needlepoint closer to his skin.
Panting much harder than she anticipated and sweating showers, she uttered, "How does it feel not being in control of the situation?"
McCallister was beyond shocked by the turn of events. He underestimated her. How was he going to overpower her? Thinking through hundreds of maneuvers to throw her, he wiggled gently from side to side to see how much room he had to work with.
Sensing his intent, she pushed the ice pick right to his neck. "Move again and this will pierce right through your neck." Relena threatened.
The Gundam Pilots, then, entered the room unannounced. It was the second time that month where Heero became baffled by the scene before him. They noticed Relena leaning on McCallister with some sort of weapon in her hands. He wasn't surprised to see Relena here. The moment Quatre and Sally admitted that she was missing he grew apprehensive. None of them had a clue as to whether she was taken or whether she left on her own accord but Heero knew under some subconscious level that she had her own hidden agenda.
"Relena, stop." Heero commanded. She ignored the newcomers in the room and Heero's plea.
Wufei came dragging in Larson Quentin with handcuffs neatly securing his hands behind his back. They were able to get the man to yield and all the other men posted in the estate. So far, everything was secured and the only thing left was arresting McCallister and getting the hell out of there.
It seemed almost as if she didn't realize there were others in the room. She was far too drawn in on her mission to kill McCallister.
"She's going to kill him!" Duo acknowledged as they all walked closer to the scene. Wufei stayed behind, keeping Quentin at bay.
Treading softly and slowly towards her, Heero knelt beside her and tried to have her eyes focus on him. His desperate attempts at reaching her proved to no avail.
"Relena, look at me." Heero said sympathetically. When she didn't comply, he spoke in a forced tone. "Relena, you don't have to do this. We already have an arrest warrant out for him."
Growing nervous from the situation, Duo also knelt down on her other side and agreed with Heero. "That's right, Princess. It's over. We can lock him away for a very long time. C'mon let's get out of here."
Still, she pretended as if they weren't there. Or perhaps, she didn't realize that they were by her side. "You have caused me so much pain, Vincent." She whispered to her enemy. "I want you to suffer a much harsher fate." She inched the handle closer and the tip managed to cut into his skin and a small trail of fresh blood oozed out from the open wound. The air suddenly filled with the smell of blood and violence.
"Relena, if you kill him you'll shrink down to his level. IS THAT WHAT YOU WANT?" Heero nearly yelled, hoping she would listen to any shred of his words.
Tears were forming at the rim of her eyelids and one teardrop managed to escape the confines of her eye and snaked its way down her right cheek. "No… That's not what I want but my life is no longer worth living." Relena choked on her tears as she spoke. "I killed those men, Heero. Do you understand that? I 'killed' them and this man forced me to do it! I was gullible enough to fall for it but no longer. The dead will have their vengeance."
Using a softer approach, he placed a supporting hand on her arm and admitted, "Yes. But we have all killed. Everyone in this room has tainted their own hands with the blood of their victims. Why kill another? Keeping him alive will be a far greater punishment than death, don't you think?" The Perfect Soldier coaxed, praying that his words were sinking in.
"Yeah, that's right! Keep him alive so he can rot in prison for the next hundred years. You don't need to live with another death on your shoulders." Duo confirmed, glancing back and forth from Relena to Heero.
Her hands began shaking and the tears were falling freely now. Relena dropped the ice pick on the rug next to them and closed her eyes. "I'm so tired." She said by way of surrendering.
Duo released a giant sigh of relief but Heero still remained cautious. This ordeal was not yet over and done with. As if McCallister read Heero's unnerving thoughts, he pushed Relena off of him and reached for the very ice pick that she dropped and made a grab for her wrist. Using her as a hostage, it was his turn to aim the pick for her slim neck.
Heero and Duo both weren't quick enough to outmaneuver his scheme and they almost wanted to kill themselves for being so foolish.
Laughing ludicrously, McCallister held onto Relena's arm in a death grip. She had no way of moving out of his grasp. "Arrest warrant for me? You've got to be kidding. I've done nothing wrong. Relena's the killer! She's gone insane. She'll say anything to lay the blame on someone else." His utter attempts of getting out of his situation proved futile. They probably knew the truth after all.
Knowing he didn't stand much of a chance escaping, he pushed Relena towards the pilots, hoping to stir some confusion and make his escape. Heero managed to support her fall as they both toppled to the ground. Quickly glancing at Relena and noticing that she was okay, he ran after McCallister only three steps behind him.
The criminal raced for the window, crashing against the glass in desperate search for his freedom outside. Thousands of glass shards exploded and McCallister landed as smoothly as a gymnast on a tumbling mat in the newly plowed soil for the flowers that were to be planted. Duo stopped right before the window frame and looked on. McCallister then made his way across the parking lot and into one of his many cars. Preventer soldiers were stationed accordingly across the yard and immediately went after the target that flew himself out the window. Five armed soldiers raced after him and finally brought him down to his knees. Duo continued looking on, finally with a small smile on his face as he witnessed the arrest of the criminal himself as they read him his rights and dragged him over to their vehicle in a not-too-kindly manner.
Grinning, Duo announced, "Hey, they got him! So much for Mr. All High and Mighty."
However, the other members of the room were not as optimistic in his celebrations. Relena lay cradled in Heero's arms, seeming to have trouble breathing. Her skin tone paled even more than he'd last seen her and her eyes remained closed. She must have used the last of her strength to fight off that bastard McCallister. Heero kept his eyes on her, willing her to breathe. "Stay with me, Relena." He chanted.
Wufei, Duo, and Quentin looked on. The man in metal chains couldn't help but laugh at the situation. "Can you feel your body weakening, Relena? Do you feel it coursing through your veins?" He lied.
"Shut him up!" Heero commanded.
Wufei then dragged him outside roughly and gave both Heero and Duo a curt nod before leaving the room.
"Relena, there's nothing wrong with you. Open your eyes." Heero explained calmly as he used a hand to wipe her brow of perspiration. She didn't comply with his request. It didn't seem like she could hear him. Could she be too far into her psychosis to coherently understand her situation?
"You might need to use the needle." Duo suggested, kneeling beside a really concerned Perfect Soldier and a weak political leader. Heero merely nodded once and retrieved the syringe from his jacket pocket. "Remember what Sally said, go through the process with her so she knows she's being given an antidote."
Pulling off the lid, he pushed the syringe to ensure that there were no air bubbles in the needle and nudged her gently with his leg, "Relena, look. I have a needle that will help you get through this." She struggled to open her eyelids and noticed Heero holding exactly what he said in front of her to see. "This antidote will fight off the poison that Quentin administered on you. Do you understand?" Heero claimed although he wasn't sure whether it was true or not. Under careful deductions and after Quentin's outburst shortly before Wufei dragged him away, he believed that they played with her mind, forcing her to believe that she was dying of some ridiculous poison.
With a shaky hand, she slowly raised her right hand to cup Heero's cheek above her limp form. She needed to feel that contact, to feel the skin of the man she loved so much. "It… it's too late, Heero." Relena managed to say through raspy breathing. "The poison has taken control … and…" Eyelids closed, her hand gently fell from Heero's face and dropped lifelessly to the rug.
"Relenaaaaaa!!!!!"
TBC...
Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing or its characters in any way.
CHAPTER TWENTY: LOST AND FOUND
As he walked down the corridor, Heero suddenly realized that Vincent McCallister would have already left Relena or else Wufei wouldn't have had the chance to retrieve his recorder. He needed to take few minutes to settle his thoughts for he was thinking far too irrationally. Cursing himself for being foolhardy, he slowed his pace and decided to listen to the tape.
Clicking on the play button, it started with McCallister's voice, "Aren't we a little too young for the silent treatment? I noticed you were getting mighty close to that soldier. What did you tell him?"
There was a moment of silence before Relena's voice loomed over the device, "Get out. I don't have to say anything to you."
The man exploded, "Wrong answer!"
He heard the shuffling of feet and Relena's struggles. 'What was going on in there?' Heero wondered.
He knew he shouldn't have left her alone with him. Cursing again, his hands bunched into fists at his side as he continued walking to Relena's room. He began picking up his pace again. There was no way to ensure that Relena was unharmed after their exchange and Wufei didn't express any comments on her condition.
"… What was that? Speak up, Relena, or else this will be the last breath you take." McCallister again.
It finally dawned on him that the bastard was choking her! It was a miracle that nothing critical happened to her. He continued listening on…
"Noth… I told… him nothing!" He noticed that Relena strained her voice to say those words. So she lied to the man. She may have done that to protect her own self-interests but Heero highly doubted it. Relena wouldn't have said anything to compromise Heero's life. Suddenly, the Perfect Soldier felt like the lowest person on earth.
He long since denied his true feelings for her. Realizing what she had to endure for his sake was the final blow to his conscience. Too many images were rolling around in his mind and none of them were pleasant. He remembered too many incidents when he brushed her aside and regarded her outpour of emotion and concern for him as an irritating scratch. How could he deviate from that cold-hearted soldier to one who could truly express his emotions? It certainly wasn't as simple as applying his situation to an on-off switch. He was molded into his person through years of intense dehumanizing training. How was he going to get through this?
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Punching the button for the lower level in the elevator, Quatre and Sally were prepared to give Relena an 'antidote' for her problems. Under such psychological conditions, there really was not much chance of recovery unless the patient understands the extent of the illness. To put it bluntly, they needed Relena to truly understand her illness or lack thereof and if that didn't work, using a placebo would probably be their best bet. Sally carried a small needle not much larger than her ring finger as a precaution. Relena's mind may have already gone so far into psychosis that she truly believed she was dying and the placebo would simply work as a way to counter her thoughts; fighting mind games with more mind games.
"Do you think the placebo will work on her, Sally?" Quatre asked quietly.
"I'm confident it will. Placebos work in funny ways. You know how some patients complain of headaches when there's really nothing physically wrong with them?" She paused for effect. "Well, the doctors can't really prescribe anything for them aside from a placebo since there's no reason for patients to use unnecessary drugs into their system. The pills that the doctors prescribe could be nothing more than vitamin pills. Once the patient consumes these placebos, they are convinced that the drug mitigated their headaches."
Quatre thought this over for a moment and summarized, "So, it's pretty much all in the head or specifically in the patient's head."
"Exactly." The elevator doors opened and they were on their way to see their patient.
Walking down the passage, the Gundam pilot asked, "What's in the needle, then?"
Glancing down at it, she replied, "Sugar water. 100% safe for our Relena."
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Despite his stoic persona in front of the other Gundam Pilots, he was as unstable as they come. The entire situation made Heero nervous and he feared for her life. However, the Perfect Soldier would never reveal his true emotions to others. It was simply a sign of weakness he refused to demonstrate. Once the tape stopped playing and it clicked off on its own accord, he was certain that Vincent McCallister is the one behind the murders. He was simply the puppet master, Relena his puppet on tight strings without much breathing room. And now, Heero had the proof. He tucked the recorder safely into his jacket pocket and approached the door to her room.
Strange, the door was already open and he grew immediately alert. Retrieving his gun, he approached the doorway with caution but the moment he heard Quatre's voice, his tensed muscles suddenly relaxed. He walked in and merely nodded at the other two individuals in the room.
They both stood in front of the bed, blocking his view from Relena.
"What are you two doing here?" Heero asked.
"We came to help alleviate her condition." Quatre said by way of explanation. Heero nodded again. "But there's something wrong."
Heero was growing impatient. Something was more than wrong and he could tell from the look on their faces. "What is it?"
Quatre and Sally backed off a little so that Heero was able to view the bed. "She's not here."
The other three Gundam pilots were immediately informed by Heero to meet him in the Phoenix Conference Room on the 10th floor. When they arrived, Quatre and Sally were already seated in the far end of the glass table. Heero waited for the men to be seated before he claimed his seat. He briefed them on the current situation everything from Relena's condition, her disappearance, and the fact that they had themselves a viable suspect. He replayed the tape for the members in the room. Everyone's stress levels were at an all-time high.
"That prick! If I got my hands on him… Do you think McCallister took Relena?" Duo questioned as he chewed on the end of his pen. It was a terrible habit that he recently picked up and was finding a difficult time of breaking.
"It's a possibility but I don't see how unless he went back in there when I left." Wufei explained calmly. He, too, was shocked from what he heard on the tape. He was glad to hear that Relena was the mastermind behind it. Thinking back, he felt the wave of guilt for treating her so crudely and impulsively. Women! Ever the stubborn creatures they are.
"Under her current state, I'm afraid she may not have much time." Sally stressed. "We need to find her and administer the placebo or simply tell her that there's nothing critically wrong with her."
"The sooner the better." Quatre affirmed, showing more concern than necessary.
Still composed despite the churning feeling in his stomach, he turned to everyone in the room.
"Priority one, we must find McCallister. He's basking in his own light of invincibility. We know he's guilty and we have the advantage here; he doesn't know how much we know and frankly, gentlemen, we know a lot. Let's bring him in!"
"Priority two, Relena." His voice cracked slightly when he said her name. "Find McCallister and we'll find Relena. She needs to be treated and brought back to us."
They all nodded in agreement. Trowa volunteered to stay behind and compile more information on McCallister that they could use against him in court. There's no question that this will go on trial. Incriminating evidence against the villain was bound to pop up somewhere and it was only a matter of digging deep into the trenches of the enemy's camp.
Heero asked Sally Po how to properly administer the drug since she clearly wouldn't be accompanying them. Once his quick lesson in needle injections was finished, she handed the syringe to him. "Please be careful with it. I have no idea how fragile her mind is right now. This placebo may be the only shot she has. You must ensure that you carefully insert the needle into a vein and not anywhere else."
"Don't worry. I won't let anything happen to her…" again, he thought but didn't verbalize the final word.
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Relena treaded down the streets still wearing her blue gown from the infirmary. Her hair flew haphazardly around her face as the wind blew violently in the chilly night air. It was far past midnight and there wasn't much traffic or people in the streets for that matter. Walking in bare feet and having a deathlike complexion, the few drivers who went past her gave a double take on the strange young lady walking alone in the streets at such a late hour. However, none dared to intervene.
She was walking so slow that it didn't feel as if she was moving at all. Relena could feel her body growing weaker. From McCallister's most recent visit she had had it with him and his games. Coming to terms with reality, she neither cared for her future nor her life. There was only one thing on her mind now and that was to get even.
Not even realizing how long it took her to walk across town to reach McCallister's estate, she went up to his gates without hesitation. A camera was posted on the right-hand column holding the iron gate in place. Then a voice boomed over the camera, "State name and purpose of visit."
"Relena Darlian. I want to see Vincent McCallister, now."
After waiting a few beats, the gate creaked in protest as it slowly opened to let her in. Before walking through and meeting her fate, she leaned against the left column to calm her breathing and praying she had enough strength to do what she intended to do.
The moment she approached the ivory steps to the main entrance, Larson Quentin held the door open for her, grinning widely. "Good evening, Relena. This is certainly an unexpected visit. You're looking quite well." He joked once he saw her pale features and the strange clothing she had on or lack thereof. "Mr. McCallister is waiting for you in the study." She didn't even acknowledge his presence.
The study was lavished with imported furniture and artwork. It was immersed with opulence that the owner would be proud of. A single chandelier hung from the high-rise ceiling and was able to produce a sparkle to anything the light touched. Directly across the entrance into the room stood a fireplace burning vigorously. In the center of the room, a chaise longue was angled directly towards the floor-to-ceiling window on the left hand wall. McCallister sat calmly in his recliner by the fire, sipping a fine glass of richly imported red wine from France. To him, everything seemed copasetic.
"Well, well. And here I thought I'd never see you again, you show up in my estate. Glass of wine?" He was about to stand up to pour her a drink when she stopped him with her death glare.
"Hmm… or not. What are you doing up? You look like you're about to fall over. So, what can I do for you?" Ever the gentleman.
Relena walked closer to him, eyes never wavering from his. "You know what you can do for me? You can die."
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Heero presented all the factual evidence to Une and after answering some grueling questions did she finally grant him an arrest warrant from Preventer Judge Madison. Une also requested that he bring a dozen of the enforcement soldiers with him. They didn't have anything better to do anyway other than sleeping in.
Racing down the freeway, he led the pack of law enforcement officers in his charcoal black Mazda 6 vehicle. Seven unmarked Preventer vehicles trailed right behind him, Wufei and Duo were among them.
Slowly approaching the estate, all cars switched off their headaches to prevent detection and they parked farther than necessary to ensure that the arrest would be made swiftly and quietly. Using only hand signals by way of communication, Heero informed two soldiers to stand guard by the gates and another six to watch the perimeter to ensure the enemy does not use a hidden escape route. Due to the sheer size of the estate, he ordered the rest of the enforcement officers to stay posted at the side entrances and doorways. There was no telling how McCallister would try to make his escape.
The three Gundam pilots walked directly to the main gate, unafraid, relentless. "State name and purpose of visit." Boomed the microphone.
"We came to see Relena Darlian." Heero stated bluntly.
"Being a little too direct, aren't we?" Duo muttered under his breath. "What if she's not even here? Baka!"
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Two gentle knocks were heard before Quentin walked in and whispered something in McCallister's ear. After the news was delivered, he nodded once and dismissed Quentin. "It appears we'll be having a party tonight. More guests." Vincent McCallister admitted casually before standing up to his full height of five foot nine and looking out the window.
Not understanding what he meant, she ignored him.
Returning his gaze to her, he spoke gently, "You want me dead? How unlike you, Relena. I'll give you this word of advice though. You can't touch me! There's absolutely nothing you can do."
Feeling drained, she didn't want to believe his words but she knew that he was speaking through experience and his words could have held an ounce of truth in them. "On second thought, I think I might want that drink." Relena claimed as she dragged her lifeless body over to the oak encrusted bar counter. Reaching for a glass herself, she noticed an ice pick sitting idle on the lower shelf: the perfect weapon. The handle was begging for her to reach it. Her vision slowly began fading and the ice pick seemed to split into two then four… then two. She tried reaching for it but missed. What was happening to her? Was she hallucinating? It didn't matter; she needed to finish this and soon before she collapsed.
The images of the pick suddenly molded back into one. Making a stronger attempt, she finally got a hold of the wooden handle and hid the weapon behind her back. There was no turning back now. Ever so swiftly, she charged him with his back turned.
Not realizing that her opponent had had military training in the past, he was able to detect her from behind and was able to easily dodge her attack. McCallister didn't find it surprising that she would attempt such an irrational act; she was at the end of her wits, after all. However, he was slightly shocked to see her attack head-on. It was unfortunate for her that she didn't realize he was an experienced combat fighter of five years. He stepped gently to the side and Relena found herself stabbing at nothing but air. Surprised, she almost tripped on the antiquated rug.
"You gotta be faster than that, if you want to kill me." He snickered as he turned to face the window once again, giving her another chance to strike with his back facing her. "I dare you to try again." His air of arrogance nearly suffocated her.
He thought she would try the same tactic. Little did he know that she, too, was trained in some form of combat from Heero Yuy before he resigned. Relena crouched down in stealth-like form and tripped him hard enough that he came crashing down onto the softly matted indigo rug. Lying completely flat on his back, Relena pinned him down and straddled on his stomach with the ice pick aimed directly for his jugular vein. Glaring profusely at the enemy she inched the needlepoint closer to his skin.
Panting much harder than she anticipated and sweating showers, she uttered, "How does it feel not being in control of the situation?"
McCallister was beyond shocked by the turn of events. He underestimated her. How was he going to overpower her? Thinking through hundreds of maneuvers to throw her, he wiggled gently from side to side to see how much room he had to work with.
Sensing his intent, she pushed the ice pick right to his neck. "Move again and this will pierce right through your neck." Relena threatened.
The Gundam Pilots, then, entered the room unannounced. It was the second time that month where Heero became baffled by the scene before him. They noticed Relena leaning on McCallister with some sort of weapon in her hands. He wasn't surprised to see Relena here. The moment Quatre and Sally admitted that she was missing he grew apprehensive. None of them had a clue as to whether she was taken or whether she left on her own accord but Heero knew under some subconscious level that she had her own hidden agenda.
"Relena, stop." Heero commanded. She ignored the newcomers in the room and Heero's plea.
Wufei came dragging in Larson Quentin with handcuffs neatly securing his hands behind his back. They were able to get the man to yield and all the other men posted in the estate. So far, everything was secured and the only thing left was arresting McCallister and getting the hell out of there.
It seemed almost as if she didn't realize there were others in the room. She was far too drawn in on her mission to kill McCallister.
"She's going to kill him!" Duo acknowledged as they all walked closer to the scene. Wufei stayed behind, keeping Quentin at bay.
Treading softly and slowly towards her, Heero knelt beside her and tried to have her eyes focus on him. His desperate attempts at reaching her proved to no avail.
"Relena, look at me." Heero said sympathetically. When she didn't comply, he spoke in a forced tone. "Relena, you don't have to do this. We already have an arrest warrant out for him."
Growing nervous from the situation, Duo also knelt down on her other side and agreed with Heero. "That's right, Princess. It's over. We can lock him away for a very long time. C'mon let's get out of here."
Still, she pretended as if they weren't there. Or perhaps, she didn't realize that they were by her side. "You have caused me so much pain, Vincent." She whispered to her enemy. "I want you to suffer a much harsher fate." She inched the handle closer and the tip managed to cut into his skin and a small trail of fresh blood oozed out from the open wound. The air suddenly filled with the smell of blood and violence.
"Relena, if you kill him you'll shrink down to his level. IS THAT WHAT YOU WANT?" Heero nearly yelled, hoping she would listen to any shred of his words.
Tears were forming at the rim of her eyelids and one teardrop managed to escape the confines of her eye and snaked its way down her right cheek. "No… That's not what I want but my life is no longer worth living." Relena choked on her tears as she spoke. "I killed those men, Heero. Do you understand that? I 'killed' them and this man forced me to do it! I was gullible enough to fall for it but no longer. The dead will have their vengeance."
Using a softer approach, he placed a supporting hand on her arm and admitted, "Yes. But we have all killed. Everyone in this room has tainted their own hands with the blood of their victims. Why kill another? Keeping him alive will be a far greater punishment than death, don't you think?" The Perfect Soldier coaxed, praying that his words were sinking in.
"Yeah, that's right! Keep him alive so he can rot in prison for the next hundred years. You don't need to live with another death on your shoulders." Duo confirmed, glancing back and forth from Relena to Heero.
Her hands began shaking and the tears were falling freely now. Relena dropped the ice pick on the rug next to them and closed her eyes. "I'm so tired." She said by way of surrendering.
Duo released a giant sigh of relief but Heero still remained cautious. This ordeal was not yet over and done with. As if McCallister read Heero's unnerving thoughts, he pushed Relena off of him and reached for the very ice pick that she dropped and made a grab for her wrist. Using her as a hostage, it was his turn to aim the pick for her slim neck.
Heero and Duo both weren't quick enough to outmaneuver his scheme and they almost wanted to kill themselves for being so foolish.
Laughing ludicrously, McCallister held onto Relena's arm in a death grip. She had no way of moving out of his grasp. "Arrest warrant for me? You've got to be kidding. I've done nothing wrong. Relena's the killer! She's gone insane. She'll say anything to lay the blame on someone else." His utter attempts of getting out of his situation proved futile. They probably knew the truth after all.
Knowing he didn't stand much of a chance escaping, he pushed Relena towards the pilots, hoping to stir some confusion and make his escape. Heero managed to support her fall as they both toppled to the ground. Quickly glancing at Relena and noticing that she was okay, he ran after McCallister only three steps behind him.
The criminal raced for the window, crashing against the glass in desperate search for his freedom outside. Thousands of glass shards exploded and McCallister landed as smoothly as a gymnast on a tumbling mat in the newly plowed soil for the flowers that were to be planted. Duo stopped right before the window frame and looked on. McCallister then made his way across the parking lot and into one of his many cars. Preventer soldiers were stationed accordingly across the yard and immediately went after the target that flew himself out the window. Five armed soldiers raced after him and finally brought him down to his knees. Duo continued looking on, finally with a small smile on his face as he witnessed the arrest of the criminal himself as they read him his rights and dragged him over to their vehicle in a not-too-kindly manner.
Grinning, Duo announced, "Hey, they got him! So much for Mr. All High and Mighty."
However, the other members of the room were not as optimistic in his celebrations. Relena lay cradled in Heero's arms, seeming to have trouble breathing. Her skin tone paled even more than he'd last seen her and her eyes remained closed. She must have used the last of her strength to fight off that bastard McCallister. Heero kept his eyes on her, willing her to breathe. "Stay with me, Relena." He chanted.
Wufei, Duo, and Quentin looked on. The man in metal chains couldn't help but laugh at the situation. "Can you feel your body weakening, Relena? Do you feel it coursing through your veins?" He lied.
"Shut him up!" Heero commanded.
Wufei then dragged him outside roughly and gave both Heero and Duo a curt nod before leaving the room.
"Relena, there's nothing wrong with you. Open your eyes." Heero explained calmly as he used a hand to wipe her brow of perspiration. She didn't comply with his request. It didn't seem like she could hear him. Could she be too far into her psychosis to coherently understand her situation?
"You might need to use the needle." Duo suggested, kneeling beside a really concerned Perfect Soldier and a weak political leader. Heero merely nodded once and retrieved the syringe from his jacket pocket. "Remember what Sally said, go through the process with her so she knows she's being given an antidote."
Pulling off the lid, he pushed the syringe to ensure that there were no air bubbles in the needle and nudged her gently with his leg, "Relena, look. I have a needle that will help you get through this." She struggled to open her eyelids and noticed Heero holding exactly what he said in front of her to see. "This antidote will fight off the poison that Quentin administered on you. Do you understand?" Heero claimed although he wasn't sure whether it was true or not. Under careful deductions and after Quentin's outburst shortly before Wufei dragged him away, he believed that they played with her mind, forcing her to believe that she was dying of some ridiculous poison.
With a shaky hand, she slowly raised her right hand to cup Heero's cheek above her limp form. She needed to feel that contact, to feel the skin of the man she loved so much. "It… it's too late, Heero." Relena managed to say through raspy breathing. "The poison has taken control … and…" Eyelids closed, her hand gently fell from Heero's face and dropped lifelessly to the rug.
"Relenaaaaaa!!!!!"
TBC...