Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Stolen Memories ❯ Chapter 21 ( Chapter 21 )

Chapter Twenty-one

Dr Holt stood slowly and backed away from the desk as instructed. Wufei moved quickly around the desk and frisked him.

"Clean." Wufei reported. Heero lowered his gun.

"How is my fiancée?" Dr Holt smiled.

Heero narrowed his eyes and clenched his fists. "Why did you do it?" he grated out.

"What else could I do after you took my life away from me." Dr Holt spat back "You and your bloody Gundams. You destroyed the hospital I worked in, caused me injuries to prevent me doing what I loved most. So I found something else to do, something else that I could excel in.

"Or do you mean why did I experiment on the delightful Ms Darlian?" Dr Holt smiled "Such a beautiful woman, so kind, gentle, eager to please. The truth is that I was offered her. I needed a human to experiment on. And there was the bonus that I knew she was dear to you." He paused looking closely at Heero, gauging his reaction "Is that concern I see in your face? Don't worry, I didn't touch her. I would hardly make love to a lab rat - oooofph"

Heero slammed his fist in Holt's stomach cutting off Dr Holt, who bent forward winded. As Heero pulled back his arm for another swing Wufei stopped him. Heero glared at Wufei, but stopped his attack on the doctor.

"Where is Millardo?" Wufei demanded "What sort of bot have you infected him with?"

Dr Holt grinned as he panted catching his breath and holding his stomach. "Millardo?" he laughed. "You think I am controlling Millardo with a nanobot. And you are supposed to be the smart guys." He looked directly at Heero "Millardo hasn't got a nanobot. He was the one who gave Relena to me to experiment on."

Heero's face didn't change, but he clenched his fists, his knuckles whitening where he gripped his gun. "You are lying."

Dr Holt had recovered from the blow to his stomach. He stood straight and folded his arms. "I could be." He agreed, "How is this for an alternative. Relena agreed to the procedure. She likes being rescued by you and for some reason she thinks you need encouragement to be around her."

Heero stared coldly at him. "You are lying." He repeated.

"Heero, Duo reports that Relena and Sally are at the news conference." Wufei interrupted holding his earpiece. "Relena is confronting Une. Millardo is there."

Heero was looking at Holt didn't break eye contract with him. "Has Duo scanned Millardo?" he asked.

"Negative" Wufei said, "He is attempting to get close enough now."

* * * *

There was silence in the room. All eyes were on Relena as she walked slowly up to the podium. Lady Une watched her, eyes narrowed as Relena walked closer to her. Relena did not take her eyes off Lady Une. She stopped in front of the press, but short of Lady Une. Then Relena turned towards the press.

"Ladies and Gentlemen. As you can see, I am perfectly fine." She lifted her arms as if proving that she was still fully functional. "There appears to have been some confusion and I would like to take a few moments to clear up a few matters.

"I was not kidnapped. I was not held to ransom by terrorist groups. Factions supporting the colonies did not abduct me." Relena smiled as she spoke, pausing between statements. "I was not killed.

"I regret that the identities of the Gundam pilots were released. These men are good men. These men are honest men. These men are brave men. They have dedicated their lives to protecting the fragile peace that we have. And we have all seen just how fragile that peace is. It has taken one perceived assassination to bring ruin to a lot of the peace that we have all striven so hard for.

"But I believe in the people of Earth and the people of the Colonies. I know that you are all capable of greatness and I know that we can regain all that we had before. Please, will all the people protesting return to their homes, to their loved ones. I am sure that the Preventors, now that they can see that I am alive and well, will release the leaders of the Colonies from their protective custody and escort them back to their colonies. I hope that the colonies will accept my most personal and humble apology for any insult perceived by the action of the Preventors."

Duo was edging closer to the stage when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned his head sharply to see Quatre and Trowa standing behind him. Trowa had his hair slicked back and his face looked oddly symmetrical with both eyes in clear view. Quatre's blonde hair had been liberally mixed with gel and swept forward over one eye. It looked frighteningly like Trowa's did normally. Quatre appeared to be having difficulty with seeing through the hairstyle, his fingers were pulling it up away from his eye so that his vision was unimpaired.

"What took you guys?" Duo turned his attention back to the stage.

"We have been one step behind you all day." Quatre said watching Relena closely as the press started taking photos and asking questions. "Got to the safe house about half an hour after you left."

Lady Une suddenly snapped out of the trance she had been in. Her hand moved to her gun belt. Trowa immediately reacted pushing his way through the crowd then using his acrobatic training to vault over the people between him and Une. He somersaulted and landed beside the lady, his hand restraining her arm.

At the same time Quatre tried to move his way forward, but collided with Duo who was on his blind side.

"Sorry." Quatre apologised as he moved forward again muttering "How the hell can Trowa see anything with hair like this."

"Preventors, to me!" Une called out loudly. Agents drew their weapons and pointed them towards Trowa. Screams came from the audience of reporters.

"No!" Relena spun around holding her arms out trying to shield Trowa. "Please listen to me. Put your guns away, there will be no bloodshed here tonight. Trowa is not your enemy. I know that Une has said that he is and that the other pilots are, but it was misinformation. This man has been actively protecting me and is no threat to ESUN or the Preventors. Put your weapons down!" Preventors looked at each other in confusion, torn between loyalty to their commander and the compelling voice of Relena.

"Lady Une, please listen to me." Relena walked closer to her, watching her closely "I want to help you. We have been friends for a long time."

"No." Une shook her head "You are the enemy." Preventors again stirred in confusion.

"No I am not." Relena answered "Once years ago we were enemies, but then we worked together towards a common goal of peace and we became friends. Good friends, especially after you took custody of Mariemaia."

Une frowned "Who?" she looked puzzled. "What common goal of peace. I have always followed the orders given by Master Trieze. He wants the ESUN to take control of the colonies, Earth is rightfully dominant over the colonies and should be in charge of them."

"But Une" Relena said slowly "Treize died during the Oz conflict."

Une blinked, her voice beginning to waiver "Treize is not dead. I am following his orders." She looked towards Millardo. "When he arrives back on Earth he will be the Commander and Chief of ESUN and the colonies."

"But Treize is dead." Relena said softly again watching as Une's hands moved away from her gun to her head. "Treize died years ago Une, and you have worked for peace between ESUN and the colonies for such a long time. It is something you believe in strongly."

"Treize is not dead." Une's eyes were beginning to fill with tears. "Millardo, tell them. Treize is not dead."

Millardo did not look at Une, but continued to look closely at Relena. "Treize is dead. He died in the OZ conflict. Chang Wufei killed him. You know that Lady." He said.

Une eyes glazed and she slowly collapsed to her knees. Sally rushed to her side quickly assessing her with a doctor's eye. The Preventors around them slowly lowered their weapons and put them away. It was clear now that something was seriously wrong with their commander.

Relena sighed, and turned back to the press who had been witnessing Une's collapse. She held both hands up again. "Please, ladies and gentlemen. I assure you that Lady Une will be fine. A person who has wished to upset our quest for peace has cruelly manipulated her. Preventors are currently arresting the person concerned and I am sure that more details will be released directly to your news agencies shortly. But for now this news conference finished. I have had rather an exhausting couple of days and I would be grateful if you can leave now to advise your viewers and readers of my safety. I promise that I will be more than willing to answer more questions tomorrow."

The press continued to take photos and record the scene in front of them calling questions to Relena, until the Preventors started to usher them out of the room. They resisted leaving, sensing that what had occurred before them was significant. Cameras flashed, voices were raised. Relena was serene and stood calmly on the stage before them, watching them being urged to leave. She was always calm in situations like these, she had been raised more or less constantly in front of a camera. For the first time in days Relena felt in control again and she liked the feeling.

Relena looked to her right where she spotted Millardo staring at her. He had not changed since she had last seen him six years ago. His hair was still long and neat. He looked a little strange in civilian clothes, so used she was to seeing him in uniform. They stared at each other for a moment. Relena tried to read the expression in Millardo's eyes as he watched her, but found she couldn't. She smiled at him and walked towards him.

"Millardo, its me, I'm alright." She said reassuringly holding her hands out to him. Millardo continued to stare at her and for a moment Relena thought that he did not know who she was. Then he smiled his wonderful big brother smile.

"Your alive!" Millardo embraced Relena. Relena felt his silky hair against her face and sighed contentedly. She had her brother back, her only family. Relena hugged him back "They said you were dead and I believed them." He whispered.

"I'm fine brother." Relena smiled up at him, blinking back the tears of happiness from her eyes. "Soon everything will be back to normal."

Millardo's smile faded.

"Come, you are not safe here! It is too exposed here on the stage. I have much to tell you and only a little time." Millardo said, taking Relena's hand and pulling her to a side door. Relena looked quickly around to see if Une was all right. Sally had produced a medical kit from somewhere and was sedating the now sobbing Lady Une. Trowa was holding Une's arm steady as Sally injected her whilst Quatre was talking softly to Une trying to calm and reassure her.

"OK" she agreed, puzzled as to why he should think her not safe now, surrounded by Preventors. Relena supposed that it might be a suggestion of the nanobot and let herself be led through the door. As she walked through the door she saw Duo frantically working his way towards her. As she turned to reassure him, the door was suddenly slammed shut and Millardo turned the key in the lock.

"Don't trust him. The pilots are not to be trusted." He said, grasping her wrist and pulling her along after him.

* * * *

Duo saw Relena move and swore. He couldn't move forward due to all the people moving against him to leave the room. He scanned Millardo once, then another time to be sure. He watched Relena move towards Millardo, and Millardo smile and open his arms to embrace her.

"Wufei, Millardo is clean. Repeat he is not infected." Duo called, and started trying to force his way through the throng of people.

Duo watched as Millardo grinned at him as he tried to make his way closer. Then Millardo slammed shut the door.

"Shit" Duo groaned, running up to the door and trying to open it. "Wufei, Wufei, you copy?" he practically screamed down the link.

"Not so loud, Maxwell." Wufei snapped back at him.

"What is Heero's location?" Duo asked.

"On his way to you." Came the response.

"I'm here." Duo spun around and saw Heero standing next to him "Where is she?"

Duo nodded at the door. He stood back as Heero raised a leg to kick the door in, and gestured for Quatre to come over. As the door flew open with the force of Heero's blow, all three of them drew weapons and entered the room.

* * * *

"Millardo - Millardo! Slow down!" Relena gasped as he dragged her along the corridor. They had run out of the locked room and were now making their way down the corridor leading to an alarmed fire exit. Millardo did not hesitate, but pushed the bar opening the door. Immediately the fire alarm rang into life, but Millardo ignored it pulling Relena after him. Outside a preventor guarding the exit spun around to try and stop them. Relena watched as Millardo pointed at the guard. A loud retort sounded and Relena watched shocked as the preventor crumpled to the ground, blood soaking through the jacket of his uniform.

"No!" Relena tried to move to aid the downed man, but Millardo pulled her with him heading along the back of the building towards the main road. As they reached the rubbish bins and bags stacked halfway along the back wall, Relena pulled her hand away from his grip, and rubbed the bruise that was forming there. It was dark and cold and she was scared. "Please brother, listen to me. You are not yourself, you have a nanobot in your brain controlling your actions." She said. "Please let me help that man!"

Millardo grabbed her cold hands and held them to his chest. "Relena, listen to me carefully." He said urgently, "You think that Lady Une and Holt are in control of this - you are wrong. It is him. Yuy. He is the one who has been manipulating events. Him and those other pilots. You must believe me and come with me."

Relena blinked, shaking her head "What…?" she tried to speak but couldn't make the words come to her mouth.

"Its true Relena." Millardo insisted, looking towards the fire escape door then back at her. "Think about it. They have the most to gain from the start of a new war. Do you think it has been easy for them to sink into obscurity, once the infamous Gundam pilots. They want it back. They want the command of troops, they want the thrill of battle. Think about their lives as preventors. How can such a mundane life compare with what they have experienced.

"Think about Yuy. Has he been his usual reticent self, or has he been eager to get your trust. Did he promise that he would be there always to protect you?" Millardo whispered in Relena's ear "Did he say he would be with you forever? Did he tell you he loved you? Why would he suddenly do that when he has been always so keen to be away from you?"

Relena felt ill. She pulled her hands away from Millardo's to her face. The wind outside was freezing, but her face felt hot. She swallowed fearing that she would be physically sick. Millardo's arm went around her pulling her to his body.

"We must move now! They will be coming to kill you soon." Millardo breathed "They don't want you to live. Hasn't Heero always said he would kill you? Now, quickly, you must come. We don't have much time to flee. Come with me and I will keep you safe." He started to pull her along again, but Relena resisted, confused and beginning to feel doubt.

"Millardo!" came a shout and Relena looked up to see Heero, Duo and Quatre exiting the fire escape with guns pointed towards them. Quatre crouched beside the fallen man, hand on his neck feeling for a pulse. He got up shaking his head.

"Get away from her Millardo!" Heero growled, aiming his gun with a look of determination. "Walk towards me, away from her." Duo, Quatre and Heero fanned out, weapons aimed at the siblings.

"Move away from her Millardo!" Heero called again, his hair blowing in the night air.

"He doesn't have a nanobot Lena!" Duo said not taking his eyes off Millardo. "Ive scanned him. He does not have a bot!"

Relena tried to move away from Millardo towards Heero, but Millardo gripped her arm firmly. "Of course, dear sister, you always did prefer Hero to me." He spat, yanking her back into his grip, his gun pointed directly at her head.

"Son of a …." Duo took careful aim.

"I wouldn't, Maxwell" Millardo said smirking. "You may be able to shoot me, but I will make certain that I shoot her too."

Relena held her head awkwardly to one side as far from the gun as she could. "Please Millardo, stop this. You are my brother-" she started

Millardo looked down at her, his face hard and angry "I'm your brother. Only in blood, dearest Relena. Only in blood."

"But…. but I love you." Relena was stunned at the anger Millardo was showing her. "You love me. You told me that you would do anything to protect me."

"Love, ha!" Millardo scoffed "How can there be love between us, we don't even know each other! How many days have we spent in each other's company? Less than a month? Probably less than a fortnight. But I know enough about you to know that I couldn't love you. God, I don't even like you.

"Your stupid pacifist ways." He muttered "The same shit that our father believe in. And looked where it got him. Dead and our country, no my country, lost. Lost not once, but twice." He squeezed her arm in anger, and Relena grimaced in pain. "I have to admit that you were very good at persuading people that pacifism was the right way, even I believed you for a while. But believe me, a few years spent sitting at a console day in day out trying to make algae grow on Mars brings you back to your senses.

"What I gave up for you." Millardo spat "I lost the respect and command of an army. I lost the rule of a country. I lost every thing. I was an officer with Oz, a good officer. People listened to me and did as I bade. After allowing you to become what I rightfully ought to have been I was reduced to a dirt farmer. With no power or authority. It was intolerable."

"…but you said you were happy, with Noin. Oh God, what you described as Heero's motivation was yours?" Relena could hardly believe her ears.

"Noin soon tired of the poor living conditions. She realised even before I did that I was a poor excuse for a person when I was not in command." Millardo scowled "She tried to leave, but I would not tolerate being deserted.

"What did you do to her?" Relena shut her eyes trying to blank out the cold visage of her brother. Millardo ignored her question.

"Let her go!" Heero said coldly again, bringing Millardo's attention back to him. "What can you hope to achieve now."

"I can use my sister to guarantee my safe passage away from here." Millardo shrugged "After that, who knows."

"You will not be permitted to leave." Said Quatre "Please Millardo, I know you have a good soul.."

"Oh God please don't start that empathic shit on me." Millardo yanked harder on Relena's hair in anger. "I will not hesitate to kill her. Get me transport. NOW!"

Quatre lowered his gun, and without conferring with the other two pilots disappeared back through the fire escape.

"I can't believe you are doing this Millardo." Relena said in despair.

"No, I suppose it would be easier for you to believe my actions if I was under the control of a nanobot. But, I am entirely in control of my own actions. How is it, my dear sister." he said sarcastically " that you don't believe that I have enough intelligence to organise such a strategy on my own?"

"Let her go!" Heero grated as he watched Relena wince from the pressure of Millardo's arm around her neck.

Millardo grinned at Heero "Come, come Yuy." He said softly "Don't you think you ought to confess to your dear little princess that Holt wasn't the only one helping me? Shouldn't you confess your involvement too?"

Heero scowled back at Millardo "It isn't true Relena." He said.

"Come now Yuy, you are too modest." Millardo started pulling the now quiet Relena towards Heero, using her as a shield between him and Heero's gun, his posture slouched so that his head was level with Relena's and partially obscured from a clear shot. "I couldn't have done this without your co-operation. Sister, do you really think that the perfect solider would have left you so exposed as he did?"

"Don't listen to him." Heero growled, adjusting his stance as Millardo moved closer to him. "He is messing with your mind Relena!" Heero was forced to walk back a step as Millardo and Relena came closer. Relena didn't look at Heero, tears were beginning to fall down her cheeks.

"Am I? Maybe I am, maybe I am not. Who can tell." Millardo said "People are just so damn gullible. Get back Heero. Your acting is even beginning to convince me, I'm not sure whether you are going to shoot me or her."

"Let her go!" Duo growled.

"Now this is just getting plain tiresome." Millardo grinned "You know I will kill her, and even if you then kill me I still win. The people will never believe that I murdered my own saintly sister. They know that you are all killers. They know you are capable. They will blame you and the colonies and war will erupt once again. Now unless I get transport in the next two minutes, I will kill her now in front of you. So move it!"

"Millardo, no" Relena let go of his arm and was standing passively, her eyes turned up to her brother pleading. "Please don't do this. Think of all people who will be harmed if the colonies and earth return to war."

"Oh, believe me, I am." Millardo laughed.

Heero watched tense, gun aimed towards Millardo's head, but unable to get a clear shot. "You will kill her even if I let you go." He grated.

"Maybe." Millardo said. " Want to gamble on that?"

"Take me as a hostage instead." Heero offered.

"Why are you stalling?" Millardo growled, then sensing movement behind him turned slightly still keeping Relena's body between him and Duo and Heero. Trowa was crouched behind him. In an instant, Millardo shot at him. Trowa flipped backwards trying to evade the shot, but was hit by the second bullet Millardo fired and fell to the ground. Millardo then swung back quickly, gun aimed at Heero who had started forward whilst Millardo had been temporarily distracted. Heero stopped moving.

"Nooo!" Relena cried out "Stop it Millardo!"

"For that piece of deceit, you are next Yuy." Millardo grated watching as Heero lowered his weapon. "You are such a weak person that you wont even defend yourself in case you hit her, will you."

Duo glanced at Heero, noting that Hero had lowered his weapon. Duo wanted to fire on Millardo but without a clear shot the risk of injury to Relena was too high. He also knew that Heero would kill him if he accidentally hurt Relena.

Millardo smiled as he looked at the two pilots standing still. "Goodbye Heero, it hasn't been nice knowing you."

A loud retort of a gun startled Millardo, and he saw his surprise mirrored in the faces of the two men. Millardo looked down at Relena. He frowned as he saw a small hand gun in her hand pointed at his stomach. He tried to move his gun back to her head and found he had no control over his limbs. The hand holding the gun opened on its own accord and he watched the gun fall as if in slow motion to the floor, where it bounced before lying still gleaming in the artificial light. He dropped to his knees, unable even to put his hands over the ache that was in his stomach. He looked down and watched as his clothes became saturated with blood, feeling the heat trickling down his legs.

With his last efforts he looked up at Relena who was staring at him in horror, one her hand still gripped tightly around the gun the other pressed tightly over her mouth. He heard her mumble "…forgive me…", then Heero was beside her and had his arms around her middle cradling her close to him.

Millardo smiled at her, and watched her face soften. "….go….to….hell…" he managed to grate out before the colours seemed to bleach out of his surroundings and everything faded to black.

Duo lowered his gun and walked up to Millardo's now prone body, joined by a limping Trowa who was holding a hand over a wound in his leg. Duo crouched, his fingers on Millardo's neck checking for his pulse. There was none. With a bit of effort he turned the body over on its back examining the wound. Relena had shot him point blank in the liver. A lethal shot. Duo looked up at Relena who was standing perfectly still, her eyes fixed on her brother's body and her face white.

Heero reached for her hand and prised the gun out of her hand. Making it safe he tucked it into his belt. She didn't look at him, but continued to look at Millardo's body, fascinated by the stillness of it. Watching his chest waiting for it to rise with an inhaled breath. Waiting for him to move, to sit up and grin.

"Better get her to Sally." Duo suggested, and Heero nodded pulling the very passive Relena to the fire escape door. As he helped her down the corridor, he heard footsteps and saw Preventors running around the corner of the corridor led by Quatre.

"Thank Allah you are ok!" Quatre said with relief, but warily looking over their shoulder for Millardo. He raised an eyebrow questioning, and Heero shook his head. "Relena….?"

Relena's eyes focused on Quatre's clear blue eyes that were full of concern. She blinked and nodded. "Thank you Quatre, I am fine." She stood a little straighter and looked at the Preventors who had followed Quatre. Identifying from insignia the senior officer, Relena addressed her.

"My name is Relena Darlian. I have just fatally shot my brother Millardo Peacecraft. I believe that you need to place me under arrest."