Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Deceptions ❯ The Decision ( Chapter 4 )

Deceptions Part 4: The Decision

Disclaimer: I do not in any way own Gundam Wing.

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Heero ran through the streets of the colony, he heard men chasing him, and dared to glance behind him. Ten Preventors were following him, and all of them were armed. That's too many, he thought as he turned into a side alley, hoping to lose some of them. He was running out of options. The explosion at the base hadn't destroyed the garage where the cars were stored. He had destroyed the mobile suits, but hadn't even thought about the cars. He cursed his foolishness, and kept running.

In his head he calculated the time before they would send the cars after him. The answer was grim, he only had a couple more minutes before they would come, and when that happened, all the training in the world wouldn't help him. Who could outrun a car? Not him. He had to find a crowded area where cars couldn't follow. He turned his head, and saw that he was still being trailed. He had to find a crowded area, and then he had to get rid of the Preventors uniform that he was wearing.

He saw a bright colour out of the corner of his eye, and turned towards it, running down a small sidestreet. If he remembered correctly, that colour usually meant. . . a circus! He looked at the crowds of people that were milling around the huge tent and grinned, they'd never find him in there. Heero sprinted towards tent, and lost himself in the crowd. He ran towards the back of the tent, where the animals, and the performers trailers were.

He ran up to the first trailer, and stopped outside the door, listening for noises inside. None reached his ears, and Heero quickly calculated the odds of someone being in the trailer. He glanced at the tent, and heard the cheers coming from within. They were probably in the tent, Heero decided, and opened the door, ready to run if someone was in there.

The trailer was empty, and Heero walked in, closing the door behind him. It was pretty cramped, Heero realised as he looked around. There was only room for a bed, a small makeup table, and a chest of clothes. Heero walked over to the makeup table and looked at himself in the mirror. "You look like hell," he told himself as he slipped out of the uniform, and after a moment, he stood there in nothing but his green tank top, and spandex shorts. He stuffed the Preventors uniform under the bed, and was about to walk out, when the door opened.

"Heero!" Catherine exclaimed, surprised that someone was in her trailer. Heero grabbed her, and pulled her inside, ignoring her protests. After he shut the door, he turned to face her, and pulled out his gun. This made things more difficult, but she was a danger to the mission, and therefore, she had to be eliminated. "Heero, don't do this." Catherine pleaded. "Don't make me hurt you."

Heero snorted. She was worried about hurting him? What a fool, he thought as his finger tightened on the trigger. She's couldn't- Heero gasped. What the hell? He looked at his right shoulder, and smirked slightly. "You're a bigger fool than I thought you were." He said as he pulled the dagger from his shoulder. His gun still aimed at her head. Blood was flowing freely down his arm, but he ignored it. He had more important things to worry about. Like getting off this colony.

Catherine closed her eyes for a moment, and when she opened them, Heero wasn't in front of her anymore. He was behind her, with his arm was around her neck, and his gun against her head. "Any requests?" He whispered in her ear, and unconsciously tightened his hold on her.

"I have one," Catherine said quietly, and closed her eyes once more, tears running down her cheeks. "Please don't harm my brother. Please don't hurt Trowa." She closed her eyes, and waited for the end, but it didn't come. She heard someone enter the trailer, and her eyes fluttered open. "Trowa?" She said weakly as Heero held her close to him.

"Let her go," Trowa ordered. "Or I may have to hurt you." He took a step forward, but stopped when Catherine let out a whimper. Heero aimed the gun at Trowa, tightening his hold on Catherine. "Stop it!" Trowa said angrily. "You're choking her!

"That's the point," Heero said coldly. "You're going to hurt me? I don't think so. It seems that I'm the one with the power here. Let me get out of here, and neither of you will get hurt." Catherine clawed at Heero's arms, but he didn't loosen his hold at all.

"And if I refuse?" Trowa glared at Heero. "What will you do then?"

"I'll kill her," Heero's eyes narrowed, and he loosened his arm so Catherine could breathe. He grinned at Trowa before he began to choke her again. "And then I'll kill you." Catherine reached under the makeup table, her hands closing around a knife that was hidden there.

Trowa looked at her for a moment, and then he turned back to Heero. "Why are you doing this Heero?" He asked sadly. "Why did you kidnap Relena?" He gestured at his sister. "Why are you doing this to her?" He held up his hands in surrender, and backed into a corner, so Heero could pass him.

"Why?" Heero snarled. "Relena betrayed us, and she betrayed me. She deserves whatever happens to her! Don't you care about what she did to Duo?" He backed up until he was right in front of the door. "I have no quarrel with you two, you were just in my way, and . . ." He trailed off as Catherine's knife found his stomach. "You bitch." He said weakly, and hit her on the head with the butt of his gun before sprinting out the door.

Trowa ran forward, and cradled his sister in his arms. "Cathy?" He said quietly, his voice full of concern. "Cathy are you alright?" He lifted her, and gently lay her on the bed. "Please speak to me." His eyes filled with tears, but he refused to cry. He had to be strong, strong for her. He couldn't let her see how upset he was, it would only make the situation worse.

"Did you see it Trowa?" Catherine smiled, and reached for him, her hand trembling slightly. Her smile grew when he grabbed her hand and held it tight. "Did you see?" She beamed with pride. "I got him, I was really scared, but I still got him." She sighed, and closed her eyes. "I got him." She murmured before she fainted.

"Cathy?" Trowa said in a worried voice, but she didn't respond. He shook her gently, trying to wake her up. "Cathy!" He ran out of the trailer to get help, cursing Heero the entire time. "If she dies, I'll kill him!" Trowa promised himself, as he ran towards the tent. He ran up to the ringmaster, interrupting the show. He didn't care if he ruined the show, Catherine was hurt! As the ringmaster called the ambulance, Trowa ran back to her trailer. He burst through the door, grabbed her hand, and did something that he'd never done before. Trowa began to pray.

* * * * *

Wufei was surprised. He had expected to see some familiar faces here, but the last person he expected to meet in the hospital was Trowa. But here he was standing in the clinical white hallway, looking incredibly melancholy. Wufei walked up to him. "Why are you here?" He asked softly.

"Heero attacked my sister," Trowa replied without looking at Wufei. "He was looking for a place to hide I guess, and she walked in on him. He grabbed her, and used her as a hostage, so I wouldn't stop him from leaving . . . He knows me too well. He knew that I wouldn't risk hurting her. "

"And…" Wufei prompted gently. "Catherine wouldn't get hurt from that. What did she do to make him angry? Stab him with one of her knives?" He had meant it as a joke, and was shocked when Trowa nodded slightly, holding up two fingers. "She stabbed him twice, and she survived?"

"She may not," Trowa said sadly. "Heero hit her with his gun, and cracked her skull. The doctors say that there may be brain damage, but we won't know until she wakes up. If she wakes up." He hung his head in resignation

"Don't give up hope that easily," Wufei chided his friend. "It's weak to give up so easily. If you give up, you're letting him win." Trowa nodded, and turned to look at Wufei for the first time. "And we can't let that bastard win."

"You look like hell," Trowa stated simply, and it was true. His friend had burns all over his arms. "What happened?" Wufei didn't answer, and began to walk away, Trowa falling into step beside him. They walked through the winding corridors, until they came to the intensive care rooms. Wufei gestured at the window, and Trowa stepped up, and looked inside. What he saw made him sick to his stomach. "No," he whispered. "Sally . . . What happened?"

"Heero bombed the Preventors Base." Wufei said angrily. "He set a large amount of explosives outside my office, and he knew that she would get hurt." He punched the wall. "He wanted her to get hurt!" He looked through the window. "First degree burns, all over her body. She tried to protect her head, and her arms are burned the worst."

"If she was in your office, then she's lucky to have survived." Trowa observed. "It's amazing that she did actually."

"She wasn't in my office." Wufei said, smiling sadly. "I told her to stay, but she didn't listen to me. She never does, you know."

"I know," Trowa said, and a ghost of a smile graced his lips. "If I remember correctly, Sally never listens to anyone unless she wants to."

"Stupid woman," Wufei said fondly. "I've never been so glad, that someone disobeyed my orders. If she hadn't, I would have lost her." His smile faded, and his hands clenched into fists. "Yuy has a lot to answer for."

"Yes he does," A voice came from behind them. They both spun around to face the intruder. "He killed my sister." His face was tear-stained, and haggard. "She was visiting a friend at the Base, and she was caught in the explosion."

"Quatre?" Trowa said softly. "Are you going to be alright?" He reached out to touch his friend's shoulder, but Quatre flinched away, and collapsed into a hospital chair, burying his face in his hands.

"How could I be alright?" Quatre asked miserably. "She's dead! Iria's dead!

* * * * *

Heero walked with difficulty through the streets of L1. He had made it back easily enough by stowing away in a cargo hold of a shuttle. But now that he made it, he was having trouble getting around. The two stab wounds that Trowa's sister had "gifted" him with hadn't stopped bleeding yet, and his shirt was soaked with blood. I have to make it back, he thought grimly. I can't be captured by the enemy.

He limped down a deserted alley, glancing behind him as he walked. This was no good. He was leaving a trail of blood, and if he wasn't careful, he would betray the location of the doctors. He froze as he heard someone chuckle behind him. He turned around slowly, getting into a defensive crouch. A man stood behind him, an evil grin on his face. "Where ya goin' boy?" He asked, a knife appearing in his hand. "You shouldn't be alone in this part of town." He gestured towards Heero's stomach. "Especially if you're hurt."

Heero ignored his words, silently sizing up his opponent. He was tall, and he was obviously strong, but he didn't seem to be that intelligent. Heero sneered inwardly, this man was way too cocky. He was about to find out that the odds were uneven, but not in his favour. Heero smiled as the man rushed him. This was almost too easy. He dodged the thug effortlessly, and hammered him in the stomach with his knee. The man fell down, gasping for breath, and Heero kicked the knife out of his hand. The man scrambled up, and lunged at Heero again, only to impale himself on the knife that Heero had kicked out of his hand. "How could I lose to a hurt kid?" The man asked himself weakly, and died.

Heero knelt over the man, and checked for a pulse. When he found none, he cut off the man's shirt, and ripped it into strips. Then Heero pulled off his own top, and used the man's shirt for bandages. Now he didn't have to worry about leaving a trail. The new bandages would hold until he reached the doctors. He looked at the man he had just killed, and took his wallet and watch so it would look like a mugging, and then he walked out of the alley.

He walked through the winding streets for hours, trying to find his way back. Heero was confused. He shouldn't have any problem finding his way to the lab. He swayed slightly, and glanced down at his wounds. The new bandages were now soaked in blood. Was he having trouble finding his way back because of blood loss? He couldn't die yet, he still had to report back.

Heero shook his head in an attempt to clear it. Where was he? He looked to his right, and saw a familiar figure walking towards him. He stumbled forward reaching for the figure, and grabbing its coat. "You have to help me," he ordered. The figure was silent. "Help me or I'll kill you." Heero threatened, and was shocked when the figure laughed.

"I'm not afraid of you," the figure laughed. "I made you what you are, and I will never be afraid of something I've created. Not even a killer like you."

"Doctor J?" Heero said slowly. "I - I have to report…" He trailed off as the street began to spin, and nearly fell over. "Mission successful . . ." He was gasping for breath now. "The Preventor Base has been levelled. 05 was there, and was most likely injured by the explosion…"

"That's enough for now," Doctor J cut him off. "You need to come inside and heal." He led Heero into the lab, and instructed him to lie on the table. Doctor J sedated him, and stitched up his wounds. "Sleep now. We'll discuss your next mission in the morning." He started to leave the room, but Heero grabbed his arm.

"This was supposed to be my last mission." Heero said weakly. "Zero promised."

"Go to sleep." Doctor J advised him. "We'll discuss new missions later." Heero nodded, and closed his eyes. He was fast asleep minutes later when the doctor returned, and turned up the frequency of the zero system.

* * * * *

The world was dark. So dark, Heero could barely see two feet in front of him. "Where am I?" He asked, and his words echoed in the darkness. "Is there anybody here?" He growled with frustration and started walking, hoping that he'd eventually he'd find someone in the darkness.

"Useless, unworthy soldier," a voice hissed, and Heero spun to face where it had came from, but no one was there. "Doesn't know what to do with himself. Won't use his only talents. . ." The voice had come from behind, and Heero spun around once again only to find the same blackness. "Wastes his life. . ."

"Who?" Heero yelled. "Who are you talking about?" He heard a low chuckle behind him, and he turned again. Only to find himself looking at the same darkness. No wait, there was something there. Heero watched as shadows began to run together, forming a body. "Who are you?"

The shadows chuckled, and something stepped out of the cloud. Heero found himself looking at a human. One with messy brown hair, and blue eyes. "I am you," he said smirking slightly, and grabbed Heero's hand. His smirk grew as Heero flinched. "Relax," he said softly and Heero felt the tension draining out of his body. "You must see what will happen to us." He let go of Heero's hand, and the ground disappeared beneath Heero's feet. He was falling!

Heero panicked and reached out for something, anything to stop his fall, but there was nothing in the darkness that he could hold onto. He smashed into the ground, and winced as he heard bones in his arm break. How could he get out of here now? He looked around and realized that he wasn't in the dark, empty plain anymore. He was on a street in a colony, he wasn't sure what one, and he gaped when he saw himself, wearing tattered, dirty clothes. He walked over to himself, careful not to jar his injured arm, and watched in horror as his counterpart begged and pleaded for money.

That couldn't be me, Heero thought as he saw the other Heero blessing a man who had just thrown a single credit into his hat. I wouldn't beg, I never beg. //That is what you will become if you don't take another mission…//

"Zero?" Heero's shoulders slumped forward in relief. "I was worried that you had left me. That you weren't going to help me anymore." He slowly registered what Zero had said, and glared at his counterpart, disgusted. "You mean that's what I'm going to become? A street beggar?" //Yes//

"I would never beg," Heero said firmly. "Never."

//If the circumstances were right, you would.// Zero said smoothly. //This is your what your future will be if you give up the missions.//

"How?" Heero asked in disbelief. "How could I sink so low?"

//When you stopped taking missions, you became overcome with guilt. You thought of all the people you killed, thought of all the innocents you'd murdered. And you wanted to forget…// Heero shook his head, not wanting to believe what Zero was telling him. //So you took some drugs, got addicted to them, and after you had used all your money that you had saved… you began to beg on the street.//

"No," Heero said vehemently. "I won't end up like that!"

//There is one way to avoid it.//

"How?" Heero was desperate. He didn't want to end up like this, he didn't want to become nothing. "Please Zero tell me how."

//Take more missions.// Zero counselled. //And you won't end up like this.//

"I don't want to take more missions. . ." Heero began, but was cut off when a bright flash of light blinded him, and he felt a sharp pain inside of his head. "What's going on?" He asked weakly.

//You do want to take more missions, you just don't realize it.// Zero ignored Heero's question. //Do you deny that you only truly feel alive when on a mission?//

"No Heero yelled, holding his aching head. "But I feel alive when I'm not on missions too." Heero shook his head, and attempted to order his jumbled thoughts.

//When?// Zero asked, and the pounding in Heero's head got worse. //Tell me when.//

"When I'm with Relena!" Heero snarled at Zero, and then froze, realising what he had just said. How could he feel alive with someone who had betrayed him? Someone who had killed Duo? He couldn't. So, now, Zero was right. The only time that he felt alive was on a mission…the pain in his head disappeared, and the bright light was fading.

//Make the right choice.// Zero said, his presence fading away, and Heero was once again alone.

* * * * *

Doctor J was in his lab studying the results of the last hallucination. It had worked better than he'd hoped. Heero was probably on his way right now to ask for another mission. He smiled slightly. The Zero system worked perfectly, and they now had a Perfect Soldier who had no distractions. He feigned surprise as Heero burst through the door. "Heero," he exclaimed. "What are you doing here? You should be lying down."

Heero walked over to the doctor, grabbing him be his lab jacket, and pushing him against the wall. "Be quiet," He growled, and for the first time since Doctor J had met Heero, he was afraid of him. His eyes had changed, the doctor noticed, instead of a deep blue, they were now a dull grey. So they had finally done it, they had eliminated all distractions, and created a fighting machine who surpassed all others. "I don't want to lie down," the Perfect Soldier said tonelessly. "I want another mission."

Author's Note: Please review! I'm so totally lost on what I'm going to do with this story… Like I know what I want to happen, but I'm having trouble writing it down… So if you have any ideas please tell me! Thanks!