Disclaimer: I don't own gundam wing. Any other characters are mine. Enjoy.

Fight of a Lifetime
Part 9
Written By Rae

"So you were going to escape were you? It wasn't good enough for you here? Don't think you'll get away like your friends, no, you will pay, especially you Princess." Machiavellian snarled.

Heero glared. If this man hurt Releena in any way Heero planned to personally make sure that he met a fate worse than death. Machiavellian snapped his fingers and two guards appeared.

"Take them to their new quarters," Machiavellian ordered.

"Yes sir," the soldier replied monotonously.

Heero and Releena were taken down to what appeared to be a dungeon. The bars were covered in rust and the floor was dirt. The only lighting in the building came from a small window located on the roof. Suddenly Releena gasped and Heero quickly turned to make sure she was alright.

"What is it?" he asked.

Releena pointed to a skeleton that must have belonged to child of 4 or 5.

"How could any one be that heartless?" she thought.

"You all'll be sharing a cell ya hear?" a soldier told them in a southern accent as he threw them into an empty (meaning there was no skeletons or any thing in the cell) cell.
He locked them in securely and left. Heero walked over to the bars to see how sturdy they were. If he could bend them they'd be able to escape. The second he touched the bars a powerful electrical surge shot through his body knocking him to the back of the cell. Releena rushed over to him.

"What happened? Are you okay?" she asked worriedly.

Heero groaned and sat up painfully.

"I'm fine. There's an electrical shock running through the bars to prevent escape." He said in the usual monotone. "Lay down, we should probably get some sleep."

Releena obeyed even though she knew she wouldn't be able to fall asleep.

"Heero? What do you think he plans to do to us?" she whispered.

"I don't know. Go to sleep."

Finally after what seemed like hours, sleep came.

**Begin Releena's dream**

A 2-year-old Releena ran over to a 6 year old Millardo.

"Found you! Now it's my turn to hide!"

"Okay, Okay."

"Releena, Millardo how many times do I have to tell you? Your mother and father are holding a party tonight go get ready!"

"Yes Nana," said Millardo.

Releena followed, pouting. Then with no one looking she turned and stuck her tongue out at the strict nanny and then toddled up to her room. Later on at the party Releena hid behind her mother's skirts as Queen Peacecraft talked to Duchess Dermail.

"Mama," she tugged on her mother's gown trying to catch her attention.

"Run along Releena, Mommy will be there in a moment."

"Okay."

Shyly Releena entered the nursery. It was pitch black; there was no one in the room. Releena was scared; she didn't like being alone in dark rooms. Turning to leave she ran into the butler, Pagan.

"Miss Releena what's wrong?" the kind old gentlemen asked.

"There's no one to play with," she told him grumpily.

"That's because it's bedtime. Come on."

In the middle of the night Releena was awoken by her brother.

"Leena, come on."

"What, What's wrong?" Releena was scared.

"The palace is on fire. We have to escape."

"Where are mommy and daddy?" she asked bewildered.

"Never mind," he grabbed his little sister's hand and ran out the door. "Okay you go that way I'll go this way. Be safe now run! Don't worry about me."

Little Releena ran as fast as she could until she was outside. The she passed out from exhaustion and from inhaling so much smoke. Then the scene shifted and Releena was 20. She was in a rose garden. She walked through the garden admiring the flowers. She came to a beautiful lake that glimmered like crystal. As she gazed into the lake she saw another reflection besides her own. She turned around and saw a man. His skin was pale- ghostly pale- like he'd risen from the dead and his hair was blacker than the devil's heart. His eyes were cruel and heartless, gleaming blood red.

"You escaped from me Princess. But I've caught up with you now and I will make everyone you love and care about suffer! You thought you were safe. Once you are gone I will claim what is rightfully mine and banish the foolish idea of pacifism."

Suddenly the roses disappeared and the lake dried up. The beautiful garden was a barren wasteland. With a flick of his hand a fire started at Releena's feet, within seconds she was engulfed in flame with the sound of his shrill, heartless, evil laughter ringing in her ears."

**End Releena's Dream**

Upon hearing Releena scream Heero awoke with a start. Though still asleep she was tossing and turning. Her cheeks were stained with tears and she kept screaming as though in pain and begging for mercy. Heero lifted her gently and held her against him.

"Shh, Releena wake up. Shh, it's alright." He stroked her head and tried to comfort her. During the years he'd protected her from the shadows he seen her have nightmares but none like this.

"Releena, shh, it's okay."

Suddenly Releena's eyes shot open and she looked around, breathing heavily. Then she started to cry all over again. Heero held her close to him.

"Shh, it's okay Releena. What's wrong?"

Releena told him the dream and he listened, stroking her head and holding her close the whole time.

"Heero, the man was Machiavellian." Releena said starting to cry again.

Heero pulled her closer to him, he hated seeing her cry. He continued to hold Releena until they both drifted off into a dreamless sleep. When morning came Releena was the first to wake up. Heero's arms were still wrapped around her, holding close to his chest. She looked at him. He looked so peaceful when he slept no one would ever have guessed he was an assassin. Releena laid her head back down on his chest and went back to sleep. A few hours later Heero awoke and looked down at the angel he was holding in his arms. Her hair was covering her face like a veil and he brushed it aside gently so he could see her face.

He'd been a fool to leave her before but he had to, the Perfect Soldier and the Angel of Peace? It would never work. Besides, he'd just ring her more trouble. It was better for him to protect her from the shadows. She'd find someone else who deserved her more and everything would be fine. She'd be happy, and Heero would hide in the shadows, keeping her safe. He was used to dealing with pain, he'd be fine.

"Good Morning!" Machiavellian's voice echoed through the dungeon loudly startling Releena awake. "I hope you slept well." He said with an evil glint in his eyes.

"So he gave Releena that nightmare!" Heero thought.

"My Releena you're looking lovely this morning." Machiavellian continued.

Heero glared furiously and moved in front of Releena. He'd die before he'd let this man harm her.

"Well someone's in a bad mood this morning Mr. Yuy. Well time to get to work." He threw an old-fashioned French maid outfit at Releena. "Put it on Princess."

Reluctantly Releena obeyed. The skirt was awfully short. Machiavellian grinned malignantly.

"Perfect fit!" he took Releena upstairs and took her over to what was apparently his throne. "Stay here until I come back to give you your orders." And he returned to the dungeon.

He threw Heero an executioner costume and took him to another room. He handed Heero an ax. Then he snapped his fingers and about 100 children ranging from ages 2-12 were lined up against the wall. Machiavellian pointed to a block where there was a place carved for the head.
"Place the prisoners head there and then chop it off like this." And he demonstrated on a little girl with red hair who looked about 4 years old. "If you do otherwise the Princess will be electrocuted with 1,000 volts." And he returned to where he'd left Releena.

Heero looked at the kids. Their eyes were wide with fear as they stared at him. Suddenly Heero had a flash back of when he killed the little girl and her dog. He was a trained assassin; a job like this should have had no effect on him. He'd had his emotions drained so that killing wouldn't bother his conscious. Yet his hands were shaking as he held the ax. He thought of Azalea, and Hallie's kids. He thought of the little girl. If he did this he'd never forgive himself but if he didn't Releena would suffer. He knew that Releena would rather die than have these poor kids harmed but then again Wufei did describe Releena as "too nice for her own good". These kids didn't deserve to die. Wufei had told them that Machiavellian was pure evil. Now Heero knew this to be true. Machiavellian Adroitvitch gave a new meaning to the word heartless.

Meanwhile Releena was doing as much work as would normally have been expected of 50 servants. Yet some how she knew that this man, not that he was worthy of being called a man- demon was a better description, had worse in store for her. In her dream he said he'd make those she loved and cared about suffer. Right now the only person in his possession who fit that description was Heero.

"I wonder what Machiavellian is making him do?" she thought. Then she was snapped out of her daydream by a guard yelling for her to bring him his lunch and a beer.

Heero looked down at the child who had been chosen to go first. The little boy had placed his head on the block. With an empty feeling growing inside of him Heero positioned the ax, then closed his eyes and brought it down. His eyes forced themselves open against Heero's will just in time to see the head roll off the executioner's block into the shadows of the room.

At 10:00 p.m. Releena and Heero were thrown back into their cell and told to get some sleep cause punishment would start early tomorrow. Releena, though exhausted, was in fine condition. She looked over at Heero who was breathing heavily. He had his back towards he and was looking at the floor but she could see that he looked pale. She walked over to him and kneeled at his side. Then she placed her hand on the side of his head and turned it to face her. She was used to his emotionless expressions but this was different. He was deathly pale and his eyes were filled with emptiness, but beyond that she could see agony, pain, and a strange sort of fear. Releena was scared. The look on Heero's face was worse than the Yuy Death Glare. In a voice little more than a whisper she asked,

"What happened?"

He told her. As he began to describe it he started shaking violently. Until finally when he finished the story he passed out. Dr. J had told Releena that deep down Heero was a kind hearted person and this proved it. Heero was in so much pain Releena's heart ached. She turned Heero over on to his back and lay down beside him. She lay there resting her head on his chest and running her fingers through his unruly dark brown hair until at last his breathing was calmer and his sleep more peaceful. Then she fell asleep with her head still resting on his chest.

Author's Note: Okay, last time I said that you'd find out what kind of torture the other pilots went through. Well that wasn't it. I came up with that idea and I couldn't resist using it. I promise in one of the upcoming chapters you'll find out what Machiavellian did to the others when they "paid". Hope you liked it. Any way same as always:
Email me with any comments, questions, or suggestions: raerenee@gundambliss.zzn.com
Visit my website: http://raerenee.tripod.com/gundamloveraeandrenee/
Thank You!
-Rae-