Relena�s breath nearly stopped when she entered the room. Every wall was
adorned
with golden decorations. It was beautiful. The blue-haired boy in front of
her smiled as he
walked toward the center of the huge room. As she neared, another person
came into
view.
Sitting upon a throne-like chair was a boy of about her age, darkly
beautiful and with
a cold expression. His eyes were narrowed and they never changed, even when
she came
into perfect view.
�General Yuy, this is the Doll your father ordered for you.�
The boy looked at her uninterestedly. �Thank you, Mickie. You�re
dismissed.�
Mickie bowed and made his exit. General Yuy stood up and walked down to
Relena�s place. Relena nearly froze as he approached her. She felt her
nerves tensioning,
although you could never tell it by looking at her. Instead of stopping to
examine his new
toy, the general walked right past her.
Leaving the room, he looked at her over his shoulder. �There�s food and
water in
here. Amuse yourself.�
As he slammed the door shut, Relena stood in unseen disbelief, but she
also felt
relieved. Fear was now gone, for her client seemed unusually uninterested
with her. Did
this mean she was safe from abuse, or was this only a calm before the storm?
Across the universe, a completely different kind of situation was taking
place. �Hey,
Hyde!� a voice rang out through the locker room. �Hurry up, will ya? There�s
an
emergency out there and we�re on call!�
�All right, Duo! Calm down!� The girl finished wrapping the strips of
cloth around
her chest tightly, concealing the added growth that would reveal her
identity. She jerked
the brown shirt on and buttoned it up. She slipped into her boots and took
off for the
door.
Her partner and fellow soldier, Duo Maxwell, was waiting right outside,
looking as
excited as he always did when a battle was approaching. �Why does it always
take you so
long to get ready? You take longer than a woman!�
Hyde, as she�s been calling herself since she arrived at the base under
disguise,
frowned. �You�re comparing me with a woman? I�m not the one with the
three-foot
braid!�
Duo grinned and took hold of his braid playfully. �What this? This is a
beautiful piece
of work. Do you have any idea how much work I put into this baby?�
�Probably more than you put into your duties here!� Hyde remarked. She
pushed a
short strand of black hair from her eyes and adjusted her black cap.
Duo grabbed her arm roughly and pulled her along in a dash for the
mobile suit
carrier. �Come on, we gotta shake it! If General Yuy gets word that we�re
slacking, we�re
finished!�
Hyde blushed a little at Duo�s touch, but quickly stopped herself from
thinking of Duo
in any other way than a fellow soldier. It would never work she told
herself,
we�re enemies. It was true. Hilde Shbieker had been sent to the base
along with
another former Doll, who�s identity she was not told. After Catherine Bloom
had helped
her escape, she was offered an opportunity she couldn�t pass up: Revenge.
It was simply, actually. All she had to do was cut her long black locks
and strap down
her chest in exchange for getting all the juicy information possible
straight from the
military itself. Her street-skills came in handy in battle, and she was
quite impressive to the
others, even by male standards. She chuckled when she imagined their shock
if they ever
found out one of their best soldiers was a girl!
She�d been here for six months, secretly relaying information though a
non-traceable
transmitter to Catherine Bloom, who then relayed it to someone else, who no
one, not
even Catherine herself, knew. This person was said to be a major player in
the Dolls
Freedom Act, a bill that was currently being debated in the Universal
Congress.
Hilde snapped out of her thoughts when Duo shoved her playfully into a
mobile suit
and then leapt into his. �Be careful out there, Hyde! I�d hate it if the
only person slower
than me got killed!� he yelled with a wink.
Hilde just half-smiled and closed the hatch. Duo and her had become close
friends
from her first day there. At one point, she nearly told him the truth about
herself, but
something stopped her. Just as she was about to admit it, a group of rowdy
soldiers came
in, making jokes about how stupid the Dolls Freedom Act was. When Duo was
asked his
opinion on it, he just smiled and said that he was neutral. Neutral? Hilde
half-laughed just
thinking about it. How can you be neutral when there are girls as young as
twelve years
old being sold into slavery? Unless he�d spoken against the Doll system, she
couldn�t trust
him with her secret.
Suddenly Duo�s voice came over the communicator. �Hyde…. I think we
have a little
problem.�
�What is it, Duo?� Hilde asked in an exasperated voice, expecting him to
say
something about his braid being caught in his helmet.
�It�s….. gone…..�
Hilde turned her suit around and looked where Duo was facing. It was the
supposed
base of the rebel Dolls. It was destroyed… completely. Although Duo only
thought it had
been full of escaped Dolls, Hilde knew exactly what it was. It was where she
had met
Catherine, Sally, and Rei. Three women who were tougher than nails. She
started to
scream, but she bit her tongue. No, she thought, I can�t afford to
loose my
advantage now.
So she remained silent, thinking of ways to further her revenge. Then an
idea came to
her. �Where�s the rest of the soldiers?�
�I don�t know. They should be here if they just won. They�d be cheering
and showing
off or something.�
�Let�s go down and check for survivors.� Hilde announced and flew down
to the
base without waiting for Duo�s response.
It was like a barren waste-land. Everything was either in rubble or in
flames. Hilde
instinctively went for Catherine�s room, at this point not worrying about
Duo�s possible
suspicions.
When she opened the door, there lay her close friend Rei, still alive,
but just barely.
Her raven hair was scattered out messily around her. Hilde always remembered
Rei for her
beautiful, long black hair. Hilde always wished hers would be as shiny and
elegant as
Rei�s. Rei looked up weakly.
�Hilde!� she cried, her voice broken as bad as her body. �You came back!
You
shouldn�t have done that. It�s dangerous!�
Duo backed away from the doorway. Hilde? Who�s Hilde? He didn�t want to
know.
Hyde had been so close to him. They were like brothers. He didn�t want to
think about
Hyde�s connection to the Dolls. He stepped away quietly, hoping that Hyde
hadn�t noticed
his presence at all.
Hilde cradled Rei�s form in her arms. �Shhh. It�s all right, Rei. I�ll
get them back for
this. Where�s Catherine, and Sally?�
�Catherine…. she escaped…. some of the others did too…. one of us
had to stay…. to
operate the cannon….. Cathy asked me to go with her…. but I wanted to
stay and fight….
it�s just my nature….� she said with a painful chuckle.
Hilde smiled through her tears. �You used the cannon? So that�s why we
couldn�t
find any of the other soldiers. You destroyed them all.�
�We destroyed them all?� Rei asked, her eyes lighting up.
�Yes, YOU destroyed them all. Duo and I are the only ones left.�
�Duo?�
�Don�t worry. I don�t think he�s dangerous. We�ve got to get you out of
here and to
a hospital!�
�No…. I�m as good ad dead now. But you can do something! You�re still
alive! You
and Sally…. you have a chance! Go, please!�
�Sally? Where is she?!�
�You�ll find her…. soon…. I promise.� With that, Rei�s eyes slid
shut and Hilde
closed her own to stop the tears from getting loose and running down her
face. She
couldn�t let Duo see her crying over the death of a Doll. It would blow her
cover. So she
held in her pain and stood up.
Upon meeting Duo in the hall, she tipped down her cap. �I got some
information from
that Doll. They used a cannon to wipe out the soldiers. We need to connect
with the
second strike force. I think I may know someone there.�
�Who would you know? You�re new to the army.�
�Oh, just an old friend with a common mission.� Hilde said
matter-of-factly. An
old friend named Sally Po.
Chapter Three:
Catherine Bloom sat alone on in her room. It was one of the many room on
her space
ship, Hatshepsut. Why did she give it such a name? Because Hatshepsut was
the first
female ruler in written history. Catherine thought it was a fitting name.
She looked out the
window at the blur of shiny stars buzzing past. She closed her eyes and let
out a sigh. She
wished a thousand times over that she could go back and reverse what had
happened at
the base. That she could force Rei to come with them. But then, the army
would be hot on
their trail, and that would place all the other rebel Dolls at risk.
That was something she couldn�t afford, for the penalty that escaped
Dolls faced was
a fate worse than death. Rebel Dolls were purposely given to the most
sadistic and evil
men possible. Some of the girls thought it merely a rumor, but Catherine
believed it
wholeheartedly.
Suddenly the emergency alarm sounded and she ran for the communicator.
�What�s
going on?!� she demanded into the speaker.
�A soldier is approaching in a mobile suit, Miss Bloom. He�s asked
permission to
board the ship and talk to you. He promises no hostility. What do you want
us to do?�
�Who is the soldier? Tell him that I demand a name!�
�We already asked, Miss Bloom. He just said that you knew him and that
you could
trust him. He promises to allow us to check him for weapons.�
�Very well. Allow him to board and send him to my quarters. Use extreme
caution!�
�Yes, Miss Bloom!� the girl replied and the com-link went dead.
Catherine sighed
again. She was so tired of all the hopes of negotiations and compromises.
All of them
ended in more disappointments and even less hope than she had before. But
the rest of the
girls were depending on her. She had to be strong and keep up the faith, for
them if not for
herself.
Only minutes later, a knock came at her door. �Come in.� she said
coolly. When the
door opened, Catherine felt her heart jump. She stood up from her seat and
walked slowly
to the soldier, eyes wide and mouth open in shock.
When she reached him, she stared painfully at him for what seemed like
endless
seconds. Then she punched him. The sound could be heard all through the
hallway. The
two guards gasped and reflexively released him from their grasp. He fell to
the floor,
panting and holding his hand over his mouth in an attempt to keep the blood
from leaking
out of his busted lip.
�How dare you come here and face me!� Catherine screamed, her eyes
becoming
glossy and wet, her voice breaking.
The soldier looked up at her, only one green eye visible under his
unusual hair-style.
�I didn�t know you had such hard feelings toward me, Cathy.�
Catherine seemed even more agitated at that remark. She motioned for the
two
guards to leave her alone and she closed the door behind them. �You�ve got
some nerve
coming here. I should kill you where you stand!�
The soldier eyed her calmly. �Why are you so bitter? What can you
truthfully say I
did to you?�
Catherine turned her back to him. If the guards had still been there,
they�d have been
shocked that she could trust him so much as to do such a thing. She
remembered the
soldier the first time she met him. Kind, gentle, and nothing like she�d
feared. You see,
Trowa Barton was not the kind of man she�d heard rumors about. When she was
taken
from her home and forced to become a Doll, she was terrified by what the
older women
had told her of their experiences as Dolls.
She knew for certain that her �client� would be abusive and forceful.
She was wrong.
Trowa Barton had not once hit her or forced her to do anything. He never
asked anything
of her but her companionship, but he didn�t realize that all she ever wanted
from him was
his love.
Only four months went by before Catherine was madly in love with Trowa.
His
kindness and sincerity had somehow seeped through her hatred of the male
race and their
domineering attitudes. But when she finally worked up the nerve to confess
her feelings,
she was heart-broken to discover that he didn�t feel the same.
Upon hearing this, she sadly declared that she wanted to leave. She asked
for her
freedom. After all, he was a kind man. She was certain that he�d let her go.
But she was
wrong again. He refused to give her the two things she desired most: freedom
and him.
Her hatred for men returned full-force. She became more and more defiant to
him until he
finally had her transferred out of his �care�. She was then sent to a wicked
and brutal man
named Kurei.
After only weeks of Kurei�s torment, she escaped with two other Dolls and
made a
pledge that she would fight for the freedom of all Dolls. She would never
forgive Trowa
for what he did to her. For making her love him and not returning that love.
For keeping
her as a prisoner and then selling her to Kurei, like some worn out toy he
was tired of, at
the first sign of dismay.
So they both stood in her room, not speaking. Trowa could sense
Catherine�s pain
and he felt sorry for her, but he had a mission.
�Cathy, I came here to talk. Can�t we do that?�
She turned back around, eyes blazing. �What could we possibly have to
talk about?!�
�This whole war. It isn�t right. Why did you become the leader of this
absurd
rebellion? What do you possibly think you can gain? All you�re going to do
is get a lot of
girls in a lot of trouble. You�re giving them false hope!�
�Shut up!� Catherine screamed, clasping her hands over her ears, �You
don�t know
what it�s like! You haven�t seen the faces of all those girls when they come
here! You
haven�t see the hope and joy in their eyes when they�re finally free from
those horrible
places they were forced to live in! How can you possibly accuse me of
anything! I�m the
only one who has done anything to help them!�
Trowa stepped back. He was well aware that Catherine had gained many new
skills
since her departure from him. He could swear there was a gun on the inside
of that
trenchcoat of hers. He knew she used to care for him, but that was long ago,
and her
passions for her cause had visibly replaced the tenderness she once had.
Catherine let out a choked giggle. �What? Do you think I�d hurt you?
You�re right. I
feel nothing for you anymore. I�ll never forget what you did to me. All I
want to know is
how do you live with yourself knowing the pain you caused me?�
Trowa lowered his eyes away from hers. �I didn�t know who they�d send
you to. I
didn�t give you any bad reports. I just told them I no longer wanted a Doll
period, not you
in particular. I had no idea they would send you to Kurei. I only found out
months after
you�d escaped that he had mistreated you.�
�Mistreated me?! That�s what you call raping, beating, and torturing me
every single
day?! I don�t want to hear your pathetic excuses! There was a time when I
hanged on your
every word. Now they mean nothing to me.�
Trowa turned his face away from her, his guilt now obvious in his eyes.
�I�m sorry,
Cathy. I really am.�
Catherine�s tears, which she�d tried so hard to fight back, were not
streaming down
her face. �I am too. I�m sorry that I ever loved you, because you really
didn�t deserve my
love. I was nothing more than a piece of property to you, and after you sold
that property
to whoever would take it, you couldn�t care less when the new owner burned
and ravaged
it beyond recognition.�
�You�re right. You are beyond recognition. You�re no longer the sweet,
caring girl I
knew. Do you really want to become a bitter, hateful, harsh person?�
�I don�t even owe you an answer to such a question. In fact, I don�t owe
you
anything. You have no right whatsoever to criticize me. Not when you support
such an
evil thing as the Doll System.�
�That�s what I came here to talk about. If we can put our personal
differences aside
for just a moment, I think I may be able to help your cause, and put an end
to this war. I
know someone who would be very influential in the fate of the Dolls.�
Catherine turned around to face him, now seemingly interested in what he
had to say.
�Who�s this person you�re talking about?�
�He�s a senator on the Universal Congress. He sympathizes with the Dolls
and he�s
very well respected by his fellow senators. If you could talk to him, I�m
sure he�d work
even harder to push the Dolls Freedom Act. His name is Quatre Roberba
Winner.�
Chapter Four:
Quatre was a addicted to coffee. Tea? No. Not enough caffeine. It had to
be pure,
black coffee. He had four cups already, and he�d only been awake for three
hours. On his
desk were scattered papers and files. Most had the name �Dorothy Catalonia�
on them.
He sat his cup down long enough to snatch up a particular file, one that
had Miss
Catalonia�s picture in it. He stared at the exotic, long, blonde hair, the
ice-blue eyes, and
the milky-white skin. �Beautiful.� he muttered under his breath.
The ringing phone snapped him out of his daze. He sighed and picked it
up. �Hello?�
He had dropped most of his formalities long ago. The world had become a dark
and gritty
place. He�d held onto as much of his compassion and kindness as he could,
but he was
anything but naive. He knew how the world worked, and he knew how to handle
it.
�Mr. Winner? You wanted to speak with me?�
Quatre nearly dropped the phone at the sound of her voice. Her smooth,
methodical
voice. Every word she uttered sounded as if it had been planned weeks ago.
She was
always sharp and witty. Dorothy Catalonia was quite the woman. �Yes, Miss
Catalonia. It
seems that you and I share a common purpose. Perhaps we could support each
other in
our goals?�
Dorothy giggled despite herself. �You and I? Don�t make me laugh. Your
methods
are far too gentle. I aim to strike out at those sexist pigs, not chat about
the issues over
dinner! What help could you possibly bring to me?�
�With all due respect, Miss Catalonia, your methods seem to create even
harsher
feelings toward women and the Dolls than anything else. Your ambition and
passion is
evident, but you need direction. You�re only going to mess up the situation
even more if
you don�t acquire help.�
Silence. �You insult me, Mr. Winner. A brave man. I admire that. Where
would you
like to meet?�
Quatre�s heart skipped a beat, but his voice remained firm. �Come to my
office. We�ll
discuss everything there.� Then he hung up the phone without waiting for
her reply.
�That was good.� he told himself, proud of his own courage. At first, he
had almost
been afraid of Dorothy and her boldness. He�d never met a woman who looked
men in the
eyes and practically shouted her hatred for them. She defied every
traditional ideal that
existed in the universe, proudly and openly.
He examined her photo a few minutes longer before placing it in the top
desk drawer,
along with all the other files scattered across his desk. He didn�t want to
look like a
stalker. It was true that he�d developed quite an obsession of her. Longing
for her beauty,
even fantasizing at one point that she was a Doll and that he could own her.
But the whole
concept of Dolls went against his moral beliefs, which made the forbidden
idea all the
more delectable.
The phone rang again suddenly and Quatre felt his nerves becoming tense.
He was
sure it would be Dorothy, outraged that he would be so rude to her. Yet he
picked up the
phone as calmly as ever. �Hello?�
�Quatre?�
�Trowa! It�s been forever! Where are you? How are you doing?�
�Calm down, Quatre. I�m fine. I�m in the colony. I have someone with me
that you
may be interested in talking to.�
�Who?�
�Catherine Bloom.�
�The leader of the rebellion? How?�
�Let�s just say we�re old aquainences. Want to meet her?�
�Of course! Dorothy Catalonia is on her way over… I think. This will
be perfect! This
is exactly the kind of fire we need to get us going! I�m sure Miss Bloom can
supply us
with lots of evidence against the Dolls System.�
�And she�d be more than happy to do so. She wants to put an end to this
whole thing
as much as you do. We�ll be there in a few hours. Don�t let Dorothy
Catalonia leave
before we get there!�
�Right…… And Trowa? I can�t wait to see you again!�
Quatre hung up the phone with a smile. Great. Everything was coming
together now.
The end of this ridiculous war was nearing. Now he had hopes that not only
peace would
be his, but also Dorothy. He closed his eyes and tried to imagine her joy
when the Dolls
System was diminished, when her greatest goal had been achieved through his
help. He
imagined her coming to him and thanking him personally. He took another
drink of his
coffee, and leaned back in his chair.
�Miss Catalonia, I�ll make you in debted to me. One way or the other.�
Chapter Five
Sally Po hated her job. She was a soldier. A fake soldier. Her beautiful
light brown
hair had been neatly tucked into her black army hat. Her chest had been
taped down and
the clothes she now wore made her sick to her stomach. But what bothered her
the most
was the assignment she had been given.
She was supposed to be guarding a man that she didn�t know. But she hated
this man
with a passion most couldn�t comprehend. He was a former soldier and present
Senator
from Colony L5, and he was probably the biggest supporter of the Dolls
System. His name
was Chang Wufei.
�How many times have I told you that I don�t need protection?! I can
take care of
myself!� he screamed at her.
�But sir, I have orders to watch over you. Plus, you�re not all that
popular with the
anti-Doll supporters. Some of them are extremists, and would go to great
lengths to get
rid of you.�
�Like I said, I can take care of myself. I wasn�t general of an army for
two years for
nothing.�
�Two years? You were a general at thirteen?�
�Got that right. Now quit asking so many damn questions. It�s none of
your business
anyway.�
Sally smirked to herself. This one will be easy to knockoff. He�s too
confident in his
own abilities. Her attention was then drown to the podium, where Wufei was
headed to
make his speech for the Universal Congress. She looked around, hoping to see
a familiar
face, and found one.
Dorothy Catalonia. She was perhaps the only thing, besides Catherine
Bloom�s
private war, that was standing in the way of complete male control. Sally
silently prayed
for Dorothy�s luck.
Wufei adjusted the microphone to meet his height. �Men of the Universal
Congress, I
come here today to address a very important issue. This issue being this
ridiculous Dolls
Freedom Act. What�s wrong with our society today? I can tell you. We, the
strong ones,
the real masters of the human race, are being slowly infested with weak,
stupid, and
dependent insects. These insects were created for the sole purpose of
serving us. They
belong to us. Now, those same insects are rebelling. They want control.
They�re trying to
take over! We, as the Universal Congress, can�t allow this to happen. We
must take back
what has been ours since the beginning of time! So, please, I implore you,
vote against this
horrible Dolls Freedom Act, and preserve the important ideals that we�ve had
for
centuries.�
Sally could puke. She felt like pulling out a gun and shooting him
herself. But then
he�d become nothing but a martyr, and she definitely didn�t need that. Hope
arose,
however, when Dorothy Catalonia stood up and walked toward the podium.
As Dorothy passed Wufei, he snorted and looked the other direction, as
if the very
sight of her made him sick. Dorothy merely smiled wickedly and continued on
to the
podium.
�Ladies and Gentlemen of the Universal Congress, I�d like first to point
out that
Senator Wufei only addressed the men of the Congress, therefore I must admit
that I
didn�t pay much attention.� she paused to allow a few giggles and chuckles
to arise from
the congress. �But seriously, let�s get down to business. Despite popular
belief among
men, the Dolls don�t want control of anything. They only ask for their
God-given rights.
What right do we have to deny a fellow human being the right to make their
own
decisions? The right to live with their families or begin their own? Just
because they�re
born with very slight differences, does that make them our enemies? I hope
you�ll add do
the right thing, and give the ladies what they�ve been wrongfully denied all
throughout
history.�
With that, she left the podium and took her seat. Sally mentally
applauded her and
followed Wufei out of room. Once inside his private office, he turned his
back to her.
�How long did you think you could keep this up?�
�Excuse me, sir?� Sally asked, her voice calm but her mind worried.
Wufei whirled around with lightning speed and knocked the cap from her
head. Her
hair flowed down around her face and shoulders. �Do think I�m ignorant?! Did
you think I
wouldn�t notice that my own guard was nothing more than a used Doll?!�
Sally stepped back instinctively and reached for her gun, but stopped
when she saw
that Wufei had already drawn one. �I wouldn�t move if I were you, Sally Po.�
�H-how?� was all she could mutter.
�I have my ways. You underestimate me, Miss Po. That was a fatal
mistake.� He
aimed the gun straight for her face, and pulled the trigger.
The sound rang out all through the room, but the sound-proof walls kept
it from
drifting further. Sally Po stood dumbfounded as a few strands of hair fell
from her head
and onto the ground. The bullet missed. It only hit her hair.
Wufei cursed under his breath and threw the gun to the floor. �I�ll spare
you for now,
only because you had the guts to even take this kind of mission, but there�s
one condition:
You become my Doll.�
Sally�s eyes widened. He couldn�t be serious, could he? �No. I�ll never
be a Doll
again! Never ever!� she screamed.
Wufei half smiled. �Why not? You�d be alive, wouldn�t you? I could kill
you right
here and now. You�d be a fool to let that happen. What�s so bad about
filling the role you
born to take?�
�My role is to suffer just because of the gender I was born with? I
didn�t ask to be
born a female! How is it my fault?! How can you ask me to go back to that
kind of life?!�
she cried, tears forming in her eyes.
Wufei�s grin faded. �Why is such a big deal to you women? It should be
your nature.
You cry too much. Women cry too much.�
�This is the first time I�ve cried in four years. I thought I didn�t
have any tears left. I
thought my former �owner� had ripped them all out of me, every last one.�
�What do you mean?�
Sally choked out a giggle. �Do you even have the slightest idea what men
do to
Dolls?�
�I�ve been to many homes of Doll owners. They lived well.�
�Have you ever been to the underground Doll Houses? The places where
they�re
auctioned off instead of pre-ordered?�
�There are no such places. I�ve researched the Doll System for months. I
believe I
should know what I�m talking about.�
�Yes, you researched the rich men who liked to show off their pretty
little collections.
You never even talked to the Dolls themselves did you? You probably see
animals as
being beneath you as well, don�t you? But would you support a system that
tortured
young, innocent animals for no other reason than personal entertainment?�
Wufei frowned. �You�re a deceptive thing, aren�t you? You expect me to
believe your
lies?�
�No. Just let me show you what the Dolls really live through. Will you
come with
me? I�ll take you to all the places I�ve talked about. I�ll show you the
truth! If I�m lying,
I�ll become your Doll. I won�t ask anything of you if I�m not. You have
nothing to lose.
Please, just let me show you how horrible the Doll System really is!�
Wufei stared at her for a moment. Then he answered. �All right. But if
you do lie, and
then you become my Doll, I�ll turn your lies into reality!�
Chapters 6-10
© All Gundam Wing related names, materials, and logos are copyrighted by their respective owners, Bandi, Sostu Agency Sunrise, and TV Ashai