Hera looked around the room that she and Junior had been staying in. It was luxurious and the furniture was old and expensive. She sat up, groaning slightly as her tensed muscles acted.
“Hera…go back to sleep….” Junior groaned as he looked at the alarm clock on the nightstand.
She smiled “I have to go and get Ai…” She muttered, her smile turning into a frown “I wonder where she could be?”
Junior sat up quickly and looked around the room like there was an air raid going on. “What? Where’d she go?” He snapped as he looked at Hera “no…you didn’t let her go see him did you?” Junior cried as he slapped a hand on his forehead dramatically.
“Yes…I did. She was upset because she saw him before and she had a bad run-in…” She said as she twisted her fingers like she was a toddler before a parent after she had done some thing very bad.
“oh Hera…” He groaned as he pushed the covers off and set his feet to the floor.
She put her hands on his back “No, this is my doing and I will go get her, okay?” She said as she pulled him back onto the bed “You just rest and take it easy, koi.” She kissed him on the forehead and got out of the bed.
He sighed as he stared at her, her body was out lined by the silver glare of the moon through the windows. Her small, tanned body and the soft curves of the breast and the belly, thighs and buttocks. She had long slender legs that seemed a little too long for her body. Her hair which she had hacked off earlier was quickly growing back, but instead of the solid moss brown colour that she had inherited from her father she had also gotten streaks of white from the change her gundam had made to her. She turned and looked at him, catching him staring at her, the moon reflected in her eyes. One was cobalt blue, the other was brilliant green that almost seemed to glow in the dark. “I’ll be back before you know it, koi.” She turned and walked out the door, quietly shutting it behind her. She sighed and leaned against it, biting her lip.
She walked into the hangar, and to her gundam, looking wistfully at the open space where Quinglang used to be. “What did I do?” She groaned as the cockpit opened and she stepped inside, the suit immediately hooked in to her brain.
“How are you, Hera” The voice of a woman said as her image appeared on the screen in front of her.
Hera forced a smile “Just great, and you Blackwing?” She asked the computer.
“I am worried about Quinglang…she has been still for a while.”
Hera frowned “Where exactly is it?”
“It is located in three miles out of Charlottetown.”
“Charlottetown? What in gods name is she doing there?” She asked absentmindedly as she looked at the map of the small island. “Okay, lets go.” She muttered as she opened the hangar and flew out, letting the computer pilot them to their destination.
“Hera?” She opened her eyes and saw a girl standing in front of her, she had silver hair, green eyes and large black wings.
“Yeah?”
“Can you tell me something?” She asked.
“What?”
“Well…er…” The girl stuttered.
“Get it out.” She snapped as she closed her eyes again.
“What’s it like to…be with Junior?” She asked.
Hera smiled softly as she opened her eyes and looked at the image in front of her “Its amazing…it’s like…a blanket that has been thrown over you in the cold night…something that warms you up from inside out and you just can never get tired of it but you want more and more, as much as they can give you…but so much after that.” She sighed as she stretched like a cat after a long nap in the summer sun.
“Oh…”
Hera frowned as she saw the confused look that crossed the other’s face. “It’s really hard to explain…and everyone has their own explanation and it’s different with different people…why are you asking, kuróihane?”
“I am just curious…”
She laughed as she looked at the image that was blushing “Hey girl, turn off the blushing then, because I have a feeling that you are not telling me the truth…” The girl shot her a suspicious look “Are you falling in love?” She teased.
“No! I-I just wanted to know…that’s all.” She muttered as the image vanished.
“Oh!” Hera pouted “ I was just teasing you kuróihane! Come back and tell me. What’s going on?”
“No…I was just curious…that’s all Hera, nothing more.”
“Fine. Be that way…” She muttered as she crossed her arms and put her chin on her chest, dozing off to sleep.
She was jolted to wake by the sounds of rockets and Blackwing shuddering as it hit something that wasn’t the ground. “What the hell was that?” She snapped as she looked around to see to Suits rocketing towards her.
“We are being attacked Hera…its Quinglang and Ephyon II.”
Hera frowned “connect me to Quinglang.” She snapped.
Ai’s face came onto her visor “Oh, hello Hera…guess who I found.”
“Why did you attack me?” She asked, another face came up on her visor, Tristan’s. Her lip curled in disgust “I thought you were dead.” She growled.
“hmmm…you seem very happy to see me.” The man said sarcastically. “and I attacked you.”
“Why?”
“Because, well, I guess its because you tried to kill my father…he didn’t appreciate that very much.” He said as he looked in Ai’s direction “What do you want to do with her?” He asked, as if she wasn’t there.
The Chinese girl tapped a long finger, thoughtfully on her chin “I want to finish her off.” She said the right arm of Quinglang lifted up to stop Ephyon II.
Quinglang flew forward, quickly. Hera plummeted to the earth and landing with a catlike balance, despite the six tons of metal that encased her. Quinglang dropped down, following Hera, she leapt back, missing Quinglang’s feet. Standing to its full height, Quinglang’s arm raised, pointing to Blackwing, shooting out a large beam that was missed and burned the rooftops of the trees around them.
“Fight me!” Ai screamed as she slammed into Blackwing violently. The two went tumbling to the ground, Blackwings boosters kicked in and she shot out of the holy dragon’s grasp, linking her hands together, she smashed down with all her might, connecting with Quinglang’s back sending her to the ground quickly. The mobile suit laid on the ground quietly, the silence seemed to make Hera nervous.
It shuddered as it got to its hands and knees, Hera reached for her thermal sword, it lit the dark, making the suits glow eerily. Blackwing shuddered as Ai shot her legs, they disintegrated underneath her, the gundam fell to the ground with a final crash.
Hera quickly switched to another frequency, sending out a distress call, she hopped that Junior would hear soon.
“get out Hera.” Ai growled as she pointed the end of her claw at the breast plate of Blackwing.
Hera frowned “Why? If you are going to kill me, do it now.” She snapped.
“No, not now.”
She fumbled for the small keyboard that was attached to her arm. “no.” Hera growled as she flipped the tiny clear box that held a tiny red button in it. Closing her eyes she breathed in deep, pictures of Junior came to her mind. She wondered what she would look like to him when he finds out what happened to her.
“HERA!” a voice yelled in her ear.
She smiled and opened her eyes, blackwing’s image floated on the screen in front of her “You can’t do this…you can’t give up!” She pleaded.
“Blackwing…its okay. If I flip the switch I will take out Ai and Trevor both…its for the best.” She said with tears in her eyes.
Blackwing’s image shook her head vehemently. “No!” she cried “Live, and Junior can get you out! Please! Please! Hera you can’t do this! Its not fair.”
Hera smiled “I-I don’t know what she has in mind…she’s gonna kill me anyways…” whispering, she stared at her hands that were folded in her lap.
“no…” The girl shook her head again “I-I was in touch with Quinglang…he tells me that that is not true…she’s angry and confused.”
Hera’s brow furrowed “a-are you sure?” She shivered, for once in her life, she felt terrified and alone.
The girl nodded “Quinglang could never lie to me. I promise…” She whispered as the hatch opened to the cockpit, the wires that were connected to her body unhooked, releasing her.
Hera glanced at the computer screen nervously “Into the mouth of the demon…” She muttered as she stepped out, looking up at the two gundams that loomed over her ominously. Hera shook her head slowly as Ai stepped out, a menacing grin playing on her lips.
“So, you aren’t stupid after all…” She growled as she crossed her arms looking at her from down her nose.
Hera let out a slow, shuddery breath. “What’s going on, Ai?” A sudden jolt of pain shot up the sides of her skull, and behind her eyes. She groaned as she fell forward, the world dimming to black around her.
She woke up sometime later, in a dim cell. She was naked, and restrained by manacles to the wall. Closing her eyes again and opening them, refusing to believe the situation that presented itself before her and the memories and images that flooded her brain. Ai’s black eyes, contorted with pain and disgust. Quinglang attacking her, and destroying her own gundam.
“Well Hera, things are just looking great…” She muttered to herself when she finally decided to accept the bleak truth.
The door to the cell swung open, Ai stood with a smug smile on her face, her hands on her hips. “Well, look who woke up…” She growled.
“hmm…not much of anything to wake up to though…” Hera muttered as she tried to twist her wrist, but to no avail, the iron manacles wouldn’t give in.
Ai chuckled as she walked in the room and closed the door. Turning on the lights, Hera hissed as her eyes painfully adapted to the light. “So…what should I do?” She sighed as she walked over to a table and lifted the cloth that was over it. It revealed wicked looking blades, among other objects.
Hera eyed them with a weariness that wolf would give a wild boar. “so…what next Ai? I would always enjoy a little playtime with you…I always thought you would be good at the dominatrix thing…” The Japanese girl muttered sarcastically.
“Hmmm…? You really think so?” She wrinkled her nose in amusement. She lifted up a baton, one that released a nasty jolt of electricity. Ai smiled at Hera as she touched the button, making the baton spark and sizzle with energy.
The perfect soldier bit her lip, and took a deep breath “Ai…what-what made you into this…I thought we were friends…”
The thick wooden door swung open, the hinges sweaking loudly. “Hmmm….trying to start the fun without me, Ai?” The man muttered in amusement, his blue eyes running over Hera’s naked body. He licked his lips as he walked in a closed the door, never taking his eyes off of her.
“You’re disgusting!” She spat “What did you do to her, what did you do to Ai?” Hera yelled, she struggled in her bindings.
Trevor threw his head back and laughed, Ai looked at him and smiled then turned back to the instruments on the table. “So…” he finally stopped, his face serious with no trace of amusement that was seen there before. “What shall we do first, Ai?” he purred as he walked up and wrapped his arms around her, his chest to her back, he ducked his head down and sucked lightly on her neck, causing her to gasp slightly.
“Oh…I dunno…lets see how long it will take to make the perfect soldier scream…” She growled, her voice low in his ear.
The man picked a wicked looking knife from the table and walked over to her. He grabbed her hair, violently yanking upwards, so she was forced to look at him. “I hate…you…o-omea o-o korusu…” She growled.
“Oh really?” He asked sounding amused.
She gritted her teeth, mustering all the strength that she had “Really…” She snarled “If it’s the last thing I do…I will send you to hell…”
He lifted the blade and stared at her reflection through it. “hmm…your reflection looks good on this blade…I wonder how your blood will look.”
“I’m quite sure you would look better on it….why don’t you give it a try.” Hera said coolly as she gazed into his eyes.
He stepped forward, the knife sliding down her skin, not hard enough to cut her skin, but just enough to make her gasp. Trevor bent slowly, kissing her harshly and then biting her on the lip hard enough to draw blood. She spat in his face, saliva mixed with blood that soiled his perfect skin. “Like venom…” He hissed.
Ai leaned on the table, gazing at the two. Her ebony eyes flaring with lust and anger, a deadly combination. “You know Hera…about mythology…tell me something.” She asked coolly as she looked at her fingernails.
The captive looked at her “What?” her voice was ragged.
“What is the one thing that the goddess Hera feared?” She purred.
Hera closed her eyes, realising what Ai was expecting her to answer “ The fates…”
Ai smiled in satisfaction as she got the answer that she wanted. “Very good…just…think of us as that.” She nodded.
The Japanese girl smiled, then uttered a low chuckle “Think of you and Trevor as the Fates? Heh…since your soul reflects what they look like…old hags…toothless…eyeless…and mouthless…just a rotting corpse. Sure, but in a few minutes I’ll mess you up so bad, you’ll be begging for their mercy.” She growled.
Ai leapt across the room and drove her knee into her face, feeling the crunch of the soft bone. “You’ll be the toothless one after I get through with you.” She smiled as she watched Hera spit teeth out.