Review responses:
TEF: bursts into tears My faithful reader your reviews mean so much to me! I hope you like the final chapter. I can't kill Sylvia, I don't see what she did wrong in the anime series. She seemed a lovely girl and yes she is being controlled. You'll find out everything in the sequel! waves a banner RXH finally here!! I intend to have lots more in the sequel too. They know their feelings but haven't admitted it yet ;-)
Heeroyuy195: You'll find out partly in this chap but I'm putting all the info in the sequel sorry. Thanks, I didn't and couldn't imagine ToS being as popular as it has, I only got about 3 reviews for any stories I wrote before this lol!
Archangel Rhapsody: I finished! And I did it within a month! I'm so proud of myself. I rewrote this chapter a lot of times but I think I'm happy with this version. I hope you enjoy!
Horselvr517: And you shall have more sweety! Final chapter too. But I will continue this tale! Thanks for the review.
And now onto the finale of Torture or Salvation!
Chapter 10: Showdown
This plane is too slow.
That thought seemed to be on playback within Heero Yuy's mind. Over and over and over it played, like it was the best plausible excuse for the possible things Relena was going through that he was currently unable to prevent. He couldn't get past the concept that he was going as fast as was physically possible. Oh no he didn't think of that.
All that came to mind was that this hunk of junk wasn't going fast enough.
He increased the fuel out put until the knob nearly twisted off in his hand. Damn it all. Flimsy junk, Zero would have had him there by now. Rationally he knew that wasn't true. But as the rational part of his mind was once again shoved away from its jeering of "oh no it wouldn't"'s. Heero had to stop himself from entering a pantomime of his life that he knew he would end up stuck in.
A sudden beeping sound knocked Heero out of his thoughts and he barely missed ploughing into a rock over crop.
"Yuy What on earth are you doing?!" Zechs voice bit harshly over the radio. Heero growled at the radio and had a sudden urge to rip the accursed thing out.
"Nothing Zechs I thought we were on radio silence"
Touché
Zechs growled over the radio. The impertinence of that boy!
"It didn't look like nothing Yuy. You better not decide to die before we rescue my sister from this or so help me g-"
Heero had switched off the radio.
He sank back into his thoughts, putting the plane on auto-pilot this time.
What a life he had led. Violence and war streaked across it, like the black across a tiger's pelt, branding him for eternity it seemed. The blood of those he felled had seeped into him choking him and looming over him bringing his world into darkness.
But Relena had changed that, changed who he was.
She was a small light, hope, and he had grasped onto it long before he realised. He loved her. Still did, and had done so for a long while, maybe even when he first set eyes on her at that beach. But did she love him? Duo had hinted at it, but he wasn't sure. How could she love such a blood stained person as he?
It was this sudden revelation that had incurred his thoughts into an odd criticism. Unwillingly he had started to dissect his life and study it like some crazed scientist. Perhaps Doctor J had rubbed off on him, his minds pathetic attempt at dry humour. But it wasn't amusing, nor did it lighten the situation he had dug himself into.
It instead only delved his imagination to the horrors that Relena could be going through. No NO must not think that! If they've hurt her…
Heero shook his head hoping the thoughts would slip out of his ears. But instead a new thought chain emerged in his head. Sylvia.
What was her part in all this? Was Duo right? Had he really used her?
…Or was it…or was it that she used him? But that wouldn't make any sense…maybe.
When he had first come across Sylvia Noventa, she was a kind hearted girl. She forgave him for the murder of her grandfather. She looked at him disgustedly at the thought of him offering her his life. She was a kind hearted girl, like Relena, maybe it was what drew him to her in the first place.
He was afraid of his feelings and the odd sensations he got from being near Relena. It was odd yet they were his drive to protect her, to make her dreams real.
Heero sighed.
Duo was right in one way.
He'd used Sylvia as a shield. He was afraid, no, petrified of the feelings that manifested when Relena was present. He'd sooner die than admit that to any one, anyone maybe apart from Relena. But he couldn't get something out of his mind about Syliva.
When he had met up with her, purely by accident, he hadn't given her a second thought at first. It was one of those many boring balls that Relena was obligated to go to and as loyal bodyguard, Heero went along too. Relena was currently in a dance with a foreign delegate, leaving Heero the quench his thirst and keep a better eye on his surroundings. That's was where he saw Sylvia again.
(flashback)
Heero tensed as he sensed someone approach him from behind and swung round his right hand going the gun holstered within his dinner jacket. His eyes fell immediately to the possible enemy; a very astonished Sylvia Noventa.
"Oh pardon me Heero, I didn't mean to startle you"
Sylvia blushed embarrassedly and averted her gave briefly to the floor. Heero stared at her blankly and relaxed his hand resting on his gun. He gazed over her noting that she was looking well. Her slightly expectant look drew Heero out of his slight daze to address her.
"Miss Noventa. It's a pleasure."
Sylvia blushed once more, a bright smile on her face and shook her head before replying.
"Please call me Sylvia, we're all friends here."
Heero felt his mouth quirk up slightly as he looked at her. Same attitude as Relena. He nodded his head slowly in assent and that seemed to encourage Sylvia into a full blow one sided conversation with Heero grunting or answering in monosyllable responses.
(end flashback)
After that, the two had come across each other at other gatherings. Heero had started to find her tolerable and she seemed sweet enough. They never crossed over the boundary of acquaintances and she never seemed to push him. She was just a curious girl.
But she had eventually stopped going to the gatherings and balls, for reasons Heero was unsure of. Her company wasn't missed as such but her constant friendly chatter had certainly made the balls seem shorter. It was over this same period of time that his feelings for Relena seemed to intensify. And that had him spooked.
Heero Yuy never got spooked but even the perfect soldier had limits. When Sylvia returned his mind didn't register the slight change to her. The innocent carefree eyes the girl seemed to have left. She clung to Heero more and he stayed around her more, fearing the odd feelings that occurred when Relena was there. Unintentionally he took Sylvia's odd ploys hook, line and sinker.
Of course the two of them never did anything. Sylvia initiated all the contact between them. Including that forceful kiss he still had unpleasant stomach turns over whenever he thought of it.
Looking back on it now, Sylvia had changed in her away period.
She was missing once more. It was just too suspicious. Once again the great Heero Yuy was slowing piecing together the puzzle too late. He was losing his edge. Duo was figuring things out before he and that bothered Heero to no bounds.
Heero loosened his arms from their folded position on his chest and looked at the control panel critically in front of him.
Something was going the happen, he sensed it.
But how to get this damn plane to go faster.
Relena visibly shook.
The cold trailed off words from the doctor figure caressed her with an icy touch, leaving her to shudder more. Her eyes continued the stare fixed on the syringe, her eyes darting at every movement it made in that ghastly hand. What was that for?
Her mind knew already but perhaps questioning meant that it wouldn't happen?
Implausible she knew, but desperation was kicking in, fuelled by the leering looks the red haired man gave her. It all seemed to build below the wall she'd erected to tame the sheer panic at the pit of her stomach. Being strong was just too hard, oh how she wished for Heero's strength. But she couldn't have it. She had to be strong on her own.
She willed herself to still the quivers in her body. She eyes unfocused slightly as she slowly brought her shaking to a small shudder at sporadic intervals. She stopped a small smile emerging at her accomplishment and her gaze focused back onto the syringe.
The lab coated man was a few feet directly in front of her and she narrowed her eyes at him briefly before focusing on the object in his hand. With a voice not nearly as strong as she had wished, she addressed him.
"I'll find out in due time? You should tell me now"
The lab coated man stared at her for a second or two before snapping his head back and a scratchy laugh filled the chilled room. It sounded like nails on a chalk board and Relena couldn't hold back the wince and shudder that racked her body.
"My dear if I told you that where would all the fun be?"
Relena fell silent at the rhetorical question. What could she do? Short of praying she was helpless. Although soon Heero would come. He'd come barging through the door with hard eyes and his gun cocked.
Her gaze went to the door.
Any minute now…
You'll see…
The doctor smiled a malicious smile and took a step closer to the strapped down girl. He fingered the syringe idly, the orange liquid within the chamber sloshing, and spoke out to the red haired man while still looking at Relena, whose interest seemed to have dwindled to else where. Perhaps she was giving in. Oh how delicious that would be. The great Relena at his knees.
He licked his lips in anticipation.
"I take it the pilots are not coming Spencer?"
Spencer shook his head to the question but realised the Doctor couldn't see it.
"No they aren't"
"Excellent…"
He gazed at the man's white coat clad back who he had only recently seen face to face. A mad doctor. That what this man was. Mad but ingenious.
Phoenix was one for change. This peaceful time had him restless and he just didn't do restless. A man who kept going and going, who crazed the feel of adrenalin rushing through him, the ache in his chest as anticipation coursed with his body. It was a drug, an unhealthy one too.
Phoenix had tried it all. Bungee jumping, Sky diving, diving off cliffs and all the other things people did to get excitement, but it didn't work. Nothing could replicate the feelings he got from a battle, the enemy at his mercy, the power a mobile suit provided. Nothing replaced that same feeling.
So when peace came after Libra's destruction, Phoenix got restless.
He joined in on the New Alliance, slowly working his way up and up. He missed the coup a year after peace was obtained and with a wistful expression watched the goings on. Patience is a virtue. Who ever came up with that must have been waiting a long time.
Now he knew almost all about the operation, the rebirth project. But the head of it all still eluded him, until now. This Doctor was the brains about it though Phoenix had his doubts that such a man could have started this whole operation. He seemed like the type who only thought of his own success.
His eyes swept over the prone form of the 'Great' Vice Foreign Minister. A feral smirk crept over his face. He had enjoyed breaking her. SHE was the one who took his drug away. SHE was the one left him empty. So he enjoyed her terrified face as he writhed under him, her cries of pain were like a symphony to his ears.
He could have danced after he was given permission to break her physically. Her mental state was too stony to crack. She stood strong through it all. But he had taken it all away, her pride, her innocence...
And that was almost as good as battling.
A sudden rumble and violent shake threw Phoenix out of his pondering. Intruder sirens rang bloody murder.
"Sir we have company! Whatever you need to do, do it now!"
The Doctor hissed and whipped around to face Phoenix.
"I know that idiot! Guard the door!"
Phoenix pulled out his 9 mm from his thigh holster and briskly ran to the door. Pressing his body to the wall to the right of it, gun poised at the dead centre, and waited.
The doctor nodded in satisfaction, everyone in the room forgotten save the girl strapped to the table behind him. A sinister smile crept over his face and turned back to Relena, who still had a dazed look in her features.
"Don't worry dear this won't hurt one bit…"
Run, run, run, RUN DAMN IT.
A black shadow tore through the metal corridors, weaving in and out of them jumping over and under debris in a blur. One thought currently on replay within its mind.
Run.
The plan had gone fine so far. The six gundam pilots had finally made it to their destination, an empty Coke Cola facility. It seemed innocent enough but they all knew better.
Five Preventer fighter jets, flew over the building in a V shape at a terrifying speed. The sky seemed to tear away like several knives through butter. They swooped around and flew over once more as a small figure infiltrated the building and gave the all clear over wireless radio.
With the command sent, all five jets did a 90° turn upwards into the sky, heading towards space, now in a line of one trailing the other. The leader broke off into a free fall directly over the building, but pulled away at the last minute. An explosion soon followed, nearly engulfing the jet in a ball of crimson, yellow and orange. Not any sooner than the initial explosion depleting, another jet free fell.
Another explosion ensued.
Another rumble shook the through the underground base. The streaking shadow hardly stumbled as it swept past another corridor, gun raised. Shouting was heard and the shadow figure tensed its trigger finger and rolled to the ground coming back up in front of a group of 7 men and opened fire.
Screams of dying men fell on deaf ears and hardened pools of midnight blue stared on impassively as blood splattered the walls. The figure took off as the last men slid down a steel wall leaving a bloody trail in its decent.
Heero was closing in. Just one more corner.
His gaze fell down to a small handheld computer. A map was placed on the screen and a small dot raced through the map heading towards another beeping dot.
A door!
Heero dug into a pouch on his hip and bit the pin out of a grenade, chucking it at the door. He threw his body to the ground and not a second after a small explosion flooded the corridor, stopping 4 feet short of Heero. Even still he felt some of his hair singe.
Immediately he got to his feet and with his gun raised he went in.
His eyes flew around the room picking up his surroundings. Not to far from him the body of a man with red hair lay under some debris. From the slow rise and fall of the man chest, he knew he was merely unconscious and chose to keep an eye on him. The next person widened even Heero's eyes.
Sylvia.
She stood not 20 feet away staring at him with dead eyes. What was she…NO TIME HEERO.
He ripped his eyes off her and flew them to the centre of the room.
A figure in a long lab coat slowly turned to him with malicious eyes as black as coals. A smile that could have brought frostbite on the man's face but as he looked Heero over, his smile turned into a sneer and the man glared at Heero with the intensity of a hawk. An empty syringe fell to the floor and the doctor reached into his lab coat with his now empty hand and proceeded to remove a gun.
"YOU AREN'T GOING TO DESTROY MY PLANS BO-"
Heero had already fired.
The man was pushed off his feet with the power of the fired bullet penetrating his shoulder. He fell back his coat billowing at his sides blood stained over it. Looking like some twisted angel the Doctor fell and banged his head on a piece of disfigured metal with a sickening thump. A look of disbelieve and anger etched into his features.
Heero merely glared at the unconscious figure before he stared at the metal table before him.
Relena.
She was strapped to a table looking just like the one he himself had found himself on, on an occasion. A sudden sort of déjà vu hit him as he looked over her form. It was like all those months ago when he had found her. She looked in much better condition save for a small wound on her shoulder and a slight bump on her forehead.
Golden silky hair tumbled over her shoulders and pale skin seemed to let off an ethereal glow in the artificial lighting. Despite the situation Relena still looked magnificent, she took his breath away.
Attentively Heero reached out a hand and gently cupped her cheek with his palm. Deep ocean eyes stared at closed eyelids, silently imploring them to open. He slid a calloused thumb over the smooth skin of her cheek trying to rouse her.
"Relena…"
His voice was deeper then usual, thick with hidden emotion. He called to her once more, willing her to wake and hoping that God was going to be kind. He got his wish.
Her eye lids slipped open and bleary crystalline blue eyes stared unfocused into his. Heero could have cried out in relief but kept his emotions in check. His thumb kept its slow rhythmic motion upon her cheek, trying to comfort Relena or him self, Heero wasn't quite sure.
"Relena"
Her eyes focused instantaneously upon his own and she spoke his name in a voice that left Heero incapable of much short of breathing.
"Heero…"
Her voice held pain, pain and relief. But there was something more, something that he dared not hope would be intertwined into her words towards him.
Love.
He stared at her intensely never letting their gaze waver as he pulled out a hunting knife and started slicing though the bonds holding Relena from him. As the last bond gave way Heero des-guarded the knife on the floor and caught Relena securely under her arms and crushed her to him in a fierce hug.
Relena herself was stunned beyond belief. She remembered staring at the door, willing Heero to come and the next minute she opened her eyes with a throbbing headache and a pair of the most beautiful deep blue eyes staring at her. When her name was uttered in a voice, not any voice, Heero's voice, she had awoken in a heart beat.
It was him.
She recognised that deep comforting voice and shade of eyes anywhere. He had come to save her and take her away from here. All she could do was to choke out his name as a warm feeling consumed her. She felt like walking on clouds. She was finally safe. He didn't hate her. He came for her and he cared! Perhaps he even loved her…
She was jolted out of her thoughts as she fell forwards and crashed into something hard yet warm. Her energy seemed zapped, but she didn't care, she felt safe and warm and loved. She could just fall to the floor in content ooze. Not to mention what ever that gentle thudding was by her ear seemed to be beckoning her into Morpheus' embrace.
Heero couldn't talk, couldn't move, he just slowly sank to the floor with his love in his arms. His head buried in her hair that faintly smelt of Jasmine. It was a comfort. She was alive, in his arms. SHE WAS ALIVE.
He tightened his arms around her but pulled his right arm away and gently placed a hooked finger under her chin, pulling her face up so he could gaze at her once more. Gods he didn't deserve the look she was giving him, the care in them. He didn't deserve it. He had been blind and stubborn; he had caused her so much grief.
His eyes got lost within hers and unconsciously his head lowered toward her. Before he knew it his lips had pressed against her own in a feather light kiss. But it had all the love and feelings he had for her.
Relena froze when Heero's lips touched her own. This had to be a dream. There was no way Heero Yuy was kissing her! It just didn't seem right, Heero didn't show affection. But her body didn't seem to care and neither did her subconscious. It may not seem right but it sure as Hell did FEEL right.
She felt some of her strength return to her. A hand snaked up his chest and behind his head, dainty fingers delving into his mane of wild brown hair, unconsciously bringing his lips harder onto hers and she kissed him back with as much feeling as he.
The world seemed to melt away at that moment. Both people locked into an intimate embrace were totally oblivious to all but each other.
And it was within that moment that everything seemed perfect.
For now.
Grey eyes as hard as steel yet underlined with pain watched the two on the ground. A fire seemed to light up in those grey eyes, a fire of hatred and revenge. This wasn't happening. THIS WASN'T HOW IT WAS MEANT TO BE!
A sneer appeared on Phoenix Spencer's face. The two didn't seem to notice him. He could have easily shot them both with one bullet. Let them die together, watching the other die. But he couldn't.
He stared down at the scattered steel at his feet. His gun was among the mass of twisted metal, somewhere. In his condition, he couldn't even fight. Ribs he was sure were broken, shortened his breath to short pants.
Blazing eye looked upon the couple in utter loathing, his uncrushed hand clenching tightly, nails piercing skin, causing rivets of blood to trail down and drip onto the floor.
He turned slowly and made his way out of the room and to freedom. Patience is a virtue, and now Phoenix Spencer had a lot to be patient over. He'd wait till the right time and then they'd all pay.
Dearly…
A/N: DONE! I finally finished Torture of Salvation. But I know I left it all nastily with a few unanswered questions and such, so there will be a sequel. But first I am going to be writing about the experiences Relena faced during the 3 months she was held captive. Look out for the title '3 Months'.
What do you guys think?
Anyway thank you so much for your reviews guys. They mean a lot to me. I'd just love for all my readers to review one more time. Please just spare 5 minutes to tell me what you thought of the whole story. I'd love your views so I can perhaps improve on it in the sequel.
I will be reediting this story soon as well. I know there are parts in it that are not done very well and I wince every time I see them.
Please review, I need help improving. Your help helps me get you a great story.
Thanks guys and I hope you have enjoyed my story!