| Noin hated places like this. Underneath the perfume of the �art work�, there was a certain smell that she couldn�t quite place. �Seeing as that you�ve been around places like this since you were small, it would seem so normal that you wouldn�t mind it anymore,� she thought. The young woman thought back to the days whenever her parents came here. She�d beg them to buy every one of the children but then her mother would smile sadly and say, �You know we can�t take them all, we have no room.� Those days introduced her into the cold, hard realities of war and life itself. �So you�re sure you want him?� Nade asked. Noin narrowed her deep blue eyes. Nade was a �trader� and she had dealt with him only when her father was nearby. This time she was alone and Noin was ready to go the minute she walked in the door. There were too many bad memories here of her past experiences� �Of course I do,� she replied firmly, balling her hands into fists so she didn�t punch him in his throat. The lighting in here was dark so she had to squint to see and people of all kinds and classes mingled about ranging from �merchandise� to aristocrats. �If there�s one thing to be sure about, no matter what class you are, you�ll always want a slave, for whatever reason.� Nade looked at her closely, his right eye closing completely. �You�re not one to buy my products. I quite frankly remembering you condemning me to hell at one point because of it,� he laughed, giant belly shaking. Noin winced in disgust and set her jaw before replying, �You�re still going but for right now, I�ll take him.� �Fine, fine. Take him if you want,� Nade relented. He was a good boy and hated to see him go, no matter the price. And the things he could do�the slave trader smiled in memory. Noin sighed, casting a glance at the young man next to her. �Is he always like this?� she muttered, mostly to herself. �Well of course. It took awhile but with the right combination of drugs and �punishment� he�s as submissive as a kitten,� Nade replied, rubbing a plump hand in long, messy brown hair. The kneeling figure didn�t move, only flinched slightly at the touch and Noin shoved his hand away furiously. �Enough, find him some clothes so we can get out of here,� she snarled, even more disgusted. �I have things to attend to.� �Fine with me,� he said, still ginning about something or other and went off to go find a pair of clothes for the young man. Noin shook her head and finally took a good look at what she came for. He couldn�t have been more then fifteen with an unblemished complexion that was now coated in blue and red body paint in intricate patterns. It was of course �edible� if the retailer wanted to eat it off later on. He was naked so that he was put on display to potential buyers; his hair coated in the edible paint as well. It was evident that the boy had some training in the past because his muscles stood out on his thin frame. A rhinestone dog collar was on his neck and a small ring attached to the front as if someone would leash him. His eyes were what scared the Lieutenant the most; they were cobalt blue, lighter than hers but as dead as metal. �Even in the grainy picture that we had of him from surveillance showed his eyes; they had a spark of defiance, determination in them then. I�ve seen mobile dolls with more life then he has,� she thought. A small girl, coated in body paint too, returned with a bundle of clothes and Noin sighed again. �This place is crawling with children; they shouldn�t have to live like this. She can�t be no more than seven or eight but be realistic Noin, you can�t save them all. The only thing you can pray for is that she gets a loving caretaker.� �Come on now,� she said, trying to coax the boy to stand, banishing her thoughts for a while. �Put these on.� Raising obediently, the boy put on the clothes she gave him, keeping his head and eyes down. Noin paid the girl what she should have paid Nade, said a silent prayer for her and the others, and walked outside, the boy following her at her heels. �If it wasn�t for his eyes and the leads, I wouldn�t have noticed that this was Heero Yuy. He looks so different and doesn�t talk, although I don�t think that he the talkative one in the first place,� Noin thought before narrowing her eyes. �I can�t stand that collar anymore though.� Reaching up, she started to unbuckle the collar when he flinched. �Don�t worry, I�m not going to hurt you,� she said softly and finally snapped it off. �Thank you, mistress,� the boy mumbled, lowering his head more. Noin winced at the use of �mistress� but realized that he had been trained. �I can�t change him overnight because he wasn�t changed overnight so don�t expect it.� �You�re welcome. Now come on, let�s get in the car.� *** Heero wasn�t sure what was going on. This strange lady in a funny uniform had bought him from the fat man and now he was in her car. He wasn�t sure what she wanted but she had been nice to him, removing the collar and giving him clothes and Heero felt thankful for it. �She seems really nice�� he thought, drifting off to sleep before snapping awake again with a jerk. �What�s wrong?� his mistress asked, concerned. �Nothing, mistress, nothing at all,� Heero replied in the most submissive tone he could master. �I don�t want to make her angry. Anger equals pain and pain hurts so bad�� �Are you tired?� �Only a little, mistress,� he said, wanting to stay awake if she wanted or needed anything. �You can sleep if you want,� she smiled and Heero sighed a little. �Thank you, mistress,� he said before closing his eyes. �She seems so nice. I wonder will she make me do things like the people back there�� he wondered before squeezing his eyes tighter. �Well, of course, that�s what she bought you for! You�re nothing but a slave�a slave without nothing, not even a name�� Next |