Moving quickly, Amber snatched a smoke bomb from Jess�s jacket and hurled it to the ground. Dark smoke filled the room, covering them temporarily. She backed toward what had been an open door to the hallway, but instead found it closed, �Shit.� The dark-haired German seized her cohort by the arm and shoved her into the coat closet, shutting it quietly behind her. Amber peered through the smoke to find some sign of her adversaries but Heero had apparently moved just as fast as she had.
The darkness of the closet temporarily soothed Jess�s shock. Amber just shoved me in the closet why? Because she wants to fight on her own of coarse. She slid her hand up to her face to rub her sore cheek, why does she have to be so independent, and what the hell did I hit in the coat closet that would be so damn hard? Jess was laying, stomach down, on something that was a little to warm and a little too hard to be any kind of coat. Her eyes became wide and she pushed off the unknown pilot�s chest, her back hitting the wall. A gentle hand came over her mouth, �Shhh, chill it�s only me.� The overhead light snapped on, highlighting the edges of pilot two�s face and deep amethyst eyes. �It�s alright. I am unarmed!� Jess pulled his hand from her mouth, �Oh sure, the next thing you�ll be telling me is that you�re a law-abiding citizen as well.� He grinned, �Something like that.� She became a little more comfortable with his presence, �You know, if I were you I would have kicked Heero off the couch and made him sit in the closet.� �Well, if I had done that, it would have been him in here with you instead of me. I don�t think either of us would�ve enjoyed this as much� Now are you going to come peaceably or am I going to have to ruff you up a bit?� He leaned closer to her, dropping his voice to nearly a whisper. The smile on his face spelled nothing but mischief. Jess brought her leg up between them and pushed him, hard. He hit the other side of the closet, not a very far distance, with quite a bit of velocity. Duo rubbed the back of his head, �Ow! What was that for?� She replied his look of mischief, �I never said I�d come peaceably.� His smile returned, �Oh. I see how it is.� Duo pinned the girl�s slender wrists to the wall, �Give up, you�re no match for the great destroyer.� She gave him an innocent look, �No? � Then does the great destroyer want his wallet back?� Nothing was said for a moment, then 02�s grin spread wider, �I was wondering what you were doing in my back pocket.�
Fierce barking came from one of the back bedrooms, but Amber�s faithful hound didn�t charge the room to help her. Amber pulled her pistol, �Come out you bastard.� She backed towards the door, running into something other than that. Wufei wrestled away her gun and pulled her arm behind her, �I�ve got her.� Pilot six held still for a moment, unsure of what move to make next. The silencer stepped from the bedroom to the hall, �Where�s the other?� Zero�s pilot jumped over the counter that separated the kitchen from the den, �She couldn�t have gotten far.� Amber quietly pulled out one of the shots from around her wrist, plunging it into the solitary dragon�s side. He barely had time to register what happened before collapsing on the floor. Letting no time waste, The Huntress took her gun from the unconscious teenager�s hand and pulled it up to aim, �Who�s next?� Trowa circled around opposite of Heero, keeping Amber between them. �You apparently.� She stepped over Wufei�s inert body and pressed against the hollow oak door, �Take a step closer and I�ll blow his brains out, I swear I will.� The barrel of her gun turned to pilot five�s head. When her eyes were on Trowa, Heero lunged for her, striking her hard on the back of the neck.
After this move, he rolled his eyes towards the closet, �Duo, come on out.� No answer came, nor did Duo emerge. �Damn it Duo, cut the crap. We lost one of them,� pilot one stated as he made his way to the coat closet.
Shinigami�s eyes became wide, �Oh shit, get down.� He pulled Jess into the far back of the closet and yanked several coats off their hangers to cover her. She curled up underneath this camouflage, adrenaline pumping. Duo turned just as the door opened, in its frame was the ever-serious Perfect Soldier, �Do you know where the other pilot went? There�s a slim chance she got out the front, but we aren�t sure.� The death of darkness smiled, it was traced with its usual mischief, �Heero, I�ve been in the closet. What do you think I saw?� The boy before him didn�t move, �I�m curious Duo, how did she pay you?� He shoved Duo aside and grabbed the crimson tail of a braid peeking from under the coats. The small Irish girl cried out as Heero dragged her to her feet by her hair, �Let go of me!� She began thrashing her legs wildly, but all they found was air. Jess held the base of her hair to help lessen the pain. �You are one annoying little bitch,� he lifted her higher so he was eye to eye with her. Red responded to this by spitting in his face, sending a glare as well �You only say that because I kicked your ass at the only thing you do well.� He wiped the saliva off his face, Prussian eyes fierce.
Duo could take no more, who the hell cares what Heero thinks of my actions? He pulled the defiant red head away from Zero�s pilot, �Cut it out Heero! We need them alive, remember? Besides, you can get your revenge later.� The livid azure eyes turned to him, �Oh, I get it. She hasn�t paid you yet, right? Or were you planning to do something else with her? You need to get better taste.� The angel of hell gave him an expression of pure ire, but refused to reply. Jess pressed her face in the black cloth of Duo�s shirt, trying not to take in Amber�s still form on the floor or the arguing between her greatest foe and her most recent crush. None of this was on her top ten list of favorite predicaments.
For the sake of everyone, Trowa decided to intervene, �Guys, this really isn�t the time or place. Let�s go.� With that, he shouldered both Wufei and the slender German and started for the window they came in by, hoping that the others would follow him. His words had made some kind of sense in both fighters, temporarily ending their feud. Duo turned away from Heero. Taking Jess into a princess hold, he jumped out the widow behind the silencer. Zero�s pilot took one better look around the small apartment and followed the others outside the awaiting vehicle.
Jess sat in Duo�s arms, her fear growing more intense with every passing minute. Not long into the trip, Wufei had woken up, but that wasn�t the person she wanted conscious. The only movement of Amber was the steady darkening of a large bruise on the back of her neck; otherwise she remained still as death. They�d left Fang behind at the apartment complex, leaving Jess with very little help. On an impulse, the small girl dove for the van�s door and yanked it open. Cement rushed past at an astonishing rate that caused Jess to pause and reconsider this option. Strong hands pulled her back onto the seat and slammed the door shut. Duo slapped her smartly across the face, �Don�t you dare try anything like that!� Jess looked up at him fearfully. His expression softened as he pulled her closer, �You�ll be all right.�
�She�s awake,� Trowa said quietly. His expression became more solemn, �Who gave her the gun back?� The perfect soldier glanced at him through the rearview mirror, �No one Trowa, why?� �She has it,� Amber had her arm wrapped around pilot three�s neck, the barrel of her gun pressed to his temple. �Pull the car over.� Jess pushed away from Duo and climbed into the back of the van with her companion. Heero sped up and glanced in the rearview mirror again, �Trowa?� The well-built teenager�s eyes met his in the mirror, �Keep going.� Amber pulled her arm tighter across his throat, �Hush up.� He wrapped his hand around her lower arm but didn�t pull it away, all to aware of the pistol pushed against his head. To make things easier, the huntress pulled the Latino over the back of his chair into the rear of the vehicle. She spoke to Jess, but kept her gaze on the others, �Open the back.� Red did as she was told and began to unhinge one of the back doors. Once this was done she looked back at Amber. Pilot six nodded, �Get out of here.� She pushed the door out the back and hopped on. Sparks showered when the metal made contact with the cement.
Trowa tensed as his captor edged for the open exit. He waited until she glanced behind her to judge how much farther she had to go and snatched the handgun from her. Without hesitation, Amber pulled him out the back of the van along with her, using his body to break her fall. Duo lunged, trying to catch his comrade�s foot or ankle but ended up grasping only air.
The silencer cried out as his back made contact with the harsh cement. The force of impact tore flesh off; in some places cutting so deep it revealed bone. He rolled off the road onto soft grass, Amber with him. She pushed away and scrambled to her feet, taking off at top speed to the point Jess had stopped at in the empty field, why in god�s name did they drive us out to the middle of cow country? Quickly dismissing this question, she caught up to Jess, �Go! Run now!�
Heero turned the steering wheel hard right and tapped the brakes, sending the van into a sharp 180. He pulled it off into the field, taking down a shabby wooden fence in the process. Trowa was already on his feet, most of his wounds sealed over. He started in pursuit of the two girls. Pilot one pulled up the van to run parallel with him, he rolled down the window, �Get in.� Trowa slowed to a stop, exchanged the clip in his handgun and took aim.
Amber stumbled, but easily regained her footing. Jess saw this out of the corner of her eye, �You all right?� She winced, �Yeah, I�m fine. Just tripped.� The Irish girl veered towards a small house with a barn by its side, �You know, you lie through your teeth Amber.� Pilot six slightly smiled, �What�s new Jess?� They halted in the yard of the small house. Luck was on their side, parked in the driveway was an old truck. It was probably a classic that had only eight speeds, but it would be better than continuing on foot. Jess yanked open the cab door and jumped in, she had it hot-wired in a matter of seconds. Her comrade climbed into the other seat and they roared down the gravel driveway. Several lights snapped on in the house and a half-dressed farmer stumbled out onto the porch, a shotgun in hand.
Amber pulled out her firearm and leaned out the window. After two shots, she scored her mark. The front right tire of the green van pursuing them erupted, nearly sending it into a spin out. She pulled back in, �Ok, we�re good.� They stayed on the highway for a good thirty miles when the truck began to run low on fuel, as did the two girls riding in it. Jess yawned deeply, �Need to find rest stop� sleepy�� Amber echoed her yawn. �Well there�s a hotel. It might take customers this late. I hope.� The faded blue truck rolled to a stop in front of the three star hotel, �Well, let�s give it a try.�
It wasn�t in the best condition, the small seven story hotel had chipping red paint and one of the two stone lions guarding it�s entrance was gone. The small amount of shrubbery that did line its base was wilting and many of the plants were dead. A bright sign hung at the top of the building, in orange neon it read, �The Majestic Inn.� In small letters underneath this it said, �For the best night of sleep. Vacancy.�
The two ragged girls stepped into the lobby and checked in for the night, quickly making themselves comfortable in their sixth floor room. Amber locked herself in the bathroom as soon as they entered the well-furnished suite. She sat on the edge of the white washed tub and swung her legs into it. Carefully pulling away the black cloth of her jeans, the German uncovered the wound on her left calf. Amber then proceeded, with substantial pain, to dig out what she believed was a bullet.
Jess pressed her forehead against the cool glass of their window and sighed, her breath fogging the pane. A green van drew her attention to the parking lot. It parked diagonally in a horizontal space and four boys piled out. She gasped and pulled away from the window, heart racing. Oh no. It can�t be them! The small girl dashed a short distance across the room and began pounding on the bathroom door, �Amber!� A groan issued from within, �What?� Her comrade asked irritably. �They, they�re outside! How�d they find us? Oh god! We�re dead!� The door was yanked open, Amber�s wide eyes were the first things to appear in the empty doorframe, �They�re here? Are they in the lobby yet?� Jess shook her head, �I...I don�t know. They were in the parking lot a second ago.�
A dark young man with a russet braid running down his back stepped into the lobby. With a cautious glance around it, he approached the front desk, �Hey! Maybe you can help me out. My sister checked in earlier today, but she gave me the wrong room number. I went up the room she told me and this really old guy answered the door, made me feel pretty dumb, right?� He glanced at the woman behind the desk for a response but she kept a strait face. �Well anyway. Um... she�s short with long red hair, goes by the name of Jess. She should have a friend with her, her name�s Amber. Could you tell me what room they�re in?� The deeply tanned woman turned back to her paper work, �They told me that no one was to be permitted and that there were no exceptions. I�m sorry sir.� Duo frowned, �Well, she really wasn�t expecting me tonight. I was planning on just letting myself in and surprise her in the morning.� She looked up at him with annoyance, �I already told you sir, there were to be no exceptions.� He backed away from the desk, �Alright, alright. I�ll just catch her in the morning.�
Shinigami stepped from the hotel with a deep frown set on his face; �She wouldn�t let me in, time for plan B.� The three standing before him nodded. The soldier on his right took charge, �Trowa, you will stay in the lobby to make sure they don�t try to escape that way. Wufei, you, Duo and I will begin a search of the floors. Does everyone understand?� There was a chorus of words affirming this and they all moved to take their positions.
Amber tapped her forehead with two fingers, �Ok, this isn�t a big deal, we just need to find a way to get out without them realizing it.� Her eyes fell upon the vent near the roof. She pointed at it, �The ventilation system!� Jess climbed onto the overstuffed chair beneath it and pried off the metal screen. She stuck her head in briefly, �There�s enough room for us to crawl in it!� Her guardian began pushing her up, �Then what the hell are you waiting for, get in there!� Amber replaced the screen carefully once they were both inside the shaft. The short Irish girl led the way, followed closely by her ally. Unknown to either, a trail of blood followed their every movement.
The silencer made another slow circuit of the lobby, admiring the mythical paintings on the walls. Once his circuit was complete he leaned near the entrance and watched everything with an eagle�s eye. A cold drop landed on his cheek, he instinctively reached up to rub it away. When the Latino pulled his hand away, it was streaked with crimson. He looked up at the vent over his head and watched as another fell. This one splattered on his forehead. Trowa turned to the wall and pulled the screen out of it. A long trail of dark blood ran down the shaft, giving away the direction the girls had gone. He turned on his wrist communicator, �They�re in the vents. I�m going after them.�
The oriental fighter grabbed pilot six and pulled her feet off the ground in one fluid motion. Before Amber got a chance to strike, the bright headlights of a vehicle illuminated both. A short redhead sat behind the steering wheel of the vehicle; �You want to play a little chicken?� The wry question hung in the air; she narrowed her eyes. Wufei tensed, the car�s wheels screeched on the pavement as it hurtled towards him. It became a game of mind over fear as the car raced across the parking lot. At the last possible moment, the small girl engaged the emergency brakes and leaned out the driver side window. The car fishtailed as it failed to gain sufficient traction, but this didn�t throw off her aim. One bullet sped from Jess�s handgun; her emerald eyes were hard with anger as she watched it fly. Pilot five spun from the impact of it, immediately releasing his hold on Amber. He hit the ground clutching his shoulder tightly; crimson was spreading out from under his fingers across the surface of his white jacket. The slender German climbed into the passenger side of the car, giving all who where watching the finger. Promptly afterwards, she fell, unconscious, on the dark leather seats. Throwing the car into reverse, Jess quickly pulled away from the bloody battleground.Sounds began to echo to Amber�s ears, sounds that neither Jess nor she was making. She looked fearfully over her shoulder and immediately spotted what betrayed them, not to mention whom was following it. Cursing her wound, Amber turned to Jess quickly, �We�re being followed. At the next split, I want you to go right and I�ll go left. Got it.� Jess said that she did and at the next fork took the right. Her companion did the exact opposite. The slender young woman was able to navigate the metal maze quickly and found herself facing an outside fan. She proceeded to pry it open with a small switchblade. The screws slowly gave way and opened up to the cool air of the night. Amber gripped the edge and pulled herself from the vent, but an icy hand took hold of her slim ankle and jerked her back into the musty ventilation shaft. Amber stifled a scream, her hands grasping furiously at the sharp edge of the shaft. The harsh metal bit deeply into her flesh, but didn�t give the pilot a good hold; another hard jerk dislodged that hold. She slipped on her own pooling blood and slid under pilot three. He immediately attempted to pin her kicking legs and flailing arms. She got in several good hits before he managed to do so. With heavy breath, Trowa spoke into his communicator, �I�ve caught one of the two, I need help getting her out of here.� The watch sized link crackled for a moment before a familiar voice sang across it, �Where are you?� Duo�s deep voice seemed slightly strained, as if all of this bothered him deeply. The silencer replied as he got a good smack in the face from a free hand. The hit left long nail marks across his face, but with dumb luck on his part, missed his eyes. He grabbed the defiant hand by the wrist and held fast.
Not to long after his call, Duo appeared at the entrance of the vent, blocking out the light from the street lamp, �Looks like you�ve caught yourself a mean one.� Trowa glared at him, a slight gold light radiating from behind the hair draping across his face, �Are you going to help me or not?� Amber retained her movements and waited to see what would happen. The dark teen reached in for Trowa�s burden and seized her by the shoulders, but Amber wouldn�t go peacefully. As soon as her feet touched the ground, she began thrashing wildly. Duo cringed as her heel crashed violently and painfully into his shin. He tried to get a better grip on her arms without letting go of her, but was getting hit from every angle possible. Amber swung her foot up to put him out of commission for awhile, but Duo managed to avoid it, �Holy shit! Don�t do that! That�s important!� The older boy managed to slip from the shaft, blood already drying on the front of his turquoise sweater. Just as he reached to help his dark companion, their captive broke free of his hold. Even wounded, Amber sprinted across the parking lot faster than either of the pilots behind her. Strangely, neither of them had taken chase, giving her a good lead.
Duo rubbed his ribcage painstakingly, �Oh man, I�m not chasing her. Let me emphasize on the not.� Trowa wasn�t paying any attention to the fleeing girl; his eyes were on the row of cars she was running past. A shadowy figure leapt from roof to metallic roof, keeping in perfect stride with the slender German. The shadow silently slid down a sports car�s tinted windshield and landed behind Amber, never losing a stride. � Wufei�s got her,� The silencer stated to absolutely no one.
The oriental fighter grabbed pilot six and pulled her feet off the ground in one fluid motion. Before Amber got a chance to strike, the bright headlights of a vehicle illuminated both. A short redhead sat behind the steering wheel of the vehicle; �You want to play a little chicken?� The wry question hung in the air; she narrowed her eyes. Wufei tensed, the car�s wheels screeched on the pavement as it hurtled towards him. It became a game of mind over fear as the car raced across the parking lot. At the last possible moment, the small girl engaged the emergency brakes and leaned out the driver side window. The car fishtailed as it failed to gain sufficient traction, but this didn�t throw off her aim. One bullet sped from Jess�s handgun; her emerald eyes were hard with anger as she watched it fly. Pilot five spun from the impact of it, immediately releasing his hold on Amber. He hit the ground clutching his shoulder tightly; crimson was spreading out from under his fingers across the surface of his white jacket. The slender German climbed into the passenger side of the car, giving all who where watching the finger. Promptly afterwards, she fell, unconscious, on the dark leather seats. Throwing the car into reverse, Jess quickly pulled away from the bloody battleground.
Duo grinned, wow, she�s beautiful, cute and courageous. Can I pick �em or what? A sweet smell made its way to his nostrils, blood. He turned to Trowa, �Is that O negative?� It was the creature�s favorite blood type, and the silencer knew it. He shrugged helplessly, his own nose not quite as keen as Duo�s. Heero came around the side of the building in a dead sprint, yelling as he ran, �What happened?� He stopped by the two standing figures; one of them shrugged. It was Duo, �Not much, Wufei got shot, the girls got away, we all hurt. The usual.� Persian blue eyes narrowed as Heero cursed under his breath. Duo grinned, �Yeah, that�s what we were thinking.�
