The boy slowly moved toward her and noticed the exact moment when her body relaxed. He caught her up in his arms as she finally lost consciousness.
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Heero's eyes had widened slightly as he held the girl in his arms. Why had he done that? As she lay in his arms, rain falling gently on her face and hair, simply couldn't figure out why he had helped this complete stranger. She hadn't even said anything to him… yet he had, for one reason or another, found himself going out of his way to save her.
He paused for a few moments, just gazing at this unexpected twist in his night. Who was she? Where had she come from? And why did he protect her?
It was then that he noticed that her skin was beginning to cool rapidly from the intense heat he had felt earlier.
Heero's eyes narrowed before he picked her up easily (she was far too light, he thought) and took off toward his apartment. Soon he disappeared behind a curtain of rain.
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Usagi's eyes opened slowly, the room flowing around her as if she were looking at it from underwater. Cream-colored walls were the first thing she really saw, followed next by the simple dressers and chairs in the room. Warm blankets covered her in a fleecy cocoon and she could tell that she no longer wore the jeans and long-sleeved shirt she had been wearing when 'it' had happened. Usagi felt warm and safe for the first time in nearly a week of running, yet she wondered where on earth she was and who had brought her here. Soft shadows moved across her on the bed, reflecting the rain that drizzled against the large windows to her right.
'Where am I?' she wondered. Her head throbbed and her entire body ached. 'What happened to me? The last thing I remember was… someone catching me…'
Usagi tried to move her hand to feel her own forehead but quickly discovered that she was too weak to do even that. She only managed to lift it up to her shoulder before a wave of exhaustion hit her fast and her eyes began to droop of their own accord. As she closed them, the sound of a door drifting open quietly reached her ears and she turned her head toward the sound. The last thing she remembered was the sound of footsteps stopping suddenly, as if startled.
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Heero stopped suddenly as the silver-haired girl turned her head towards him. Had she heard him come in? Was she awake? He wondered. As he checked her for signs of improvement, he realized that her fever had finally broken and her troubled sleep had morphed into a calming one.
Heero stood over the girl, staring at her with uneasiness. He didn't know who she was, where she had come from, or even why he had picked her up that dark night two days ago and brought her back to his home. 'She could be a New Oz agent!' his mind screamed, but for the first time; he didn't really mind.
He watched her as she slept for a moment, marveling at how her hair lay in pools of liquid silver around her shoulders and hips, her soft features relaxed in unconsciousness, and the way that her hand somehow had trailed up to rest near her face. The damp morning light glittered around her and the perfect soldier forgot the rest of the world; lost in looking at this mysterious girl.
His laptop beeped.
Heero's eyes darted over to it, the Prussian depths sending the piece of machinery a death glare as if it had turned into Duo Maxwell. He walked over to it and quickly and checked it.
-pilot 01: your mission is to infiltrate one of the bases set up by New Oz and retrieve the data on their systems of operations and as much as you can about their high ranking officials. The details about the base are in the following attachment.-
-Accept or decline?-
-J-
Heero immediately responded and closed the computer. He glanced up at the girl. What would he do about her? He couldn't just leave her. What would happen when she woke up? She would be terrified and would probably run out of the house and back onto the streets, only to get sick again. For some reason he couldn't let that happen.
Since leaving her alone while he was gone was out of the question there was only one other option – to get someone to watch her. But who?
Instantly he realized his blindness.
Quatre. He would call Quatre. If the Arabian wasn't busy with missions as well, that was…. Yes, Quatre would be able to help him, and he wouldn't ask unnecessary questions like a certain other pilot would.
Heero stalked out of the bedroom and picked up his cell phone. After pressing one of the few numbers he had he waited for the other end to pick up.
"Winner Corp., how may I help you?" the polite woman asked. Her manner may have been pleasant but her voice sounded like a metal rake on ice. Heero's eye twitched.
"Quatre Winner, please. Tell him it's an old friend."
"May I get your name sir?" the ice-rake woman asked.
Heero fought another twitch. This woman was obviously new. "Tell him this is Heero." he responded coldly.
"Very well sir." The woman huffed.
A few moments passed before the line picked up yet again. An all too familiar voice sounded on the other end of the line.
"Heero? Is that really you?" the voice asked.
"…hn" Heero replied reluctantly.
"Oh Heero! It's so good to hear from you! It's been too long!" Quatre replied, "But I'm assuming that this is not a pleasure call. I'm on my secure line now." He finished, his tone becoming slightly more formal.
Heero held back a wince at the thought of explaining this situation. He paused, thinking. The other line stayed quiet. He inhaled deeply.
"I need a favor, Quatre." Pilot 01 began.
Heero could almost hear Quatre smiling, "Anything, Heero. Anything at all."
Heero shook his head at his friend's response. He never would understand the pilot of Sandrock. "I need you to look after someone while I go on a mission." Heero concluded.
He could tell that Quartre was shocked. After all, who would Heero need to have protected while he was away? It obviously must be someone important. Was it a prinsoner? Quatre paused for a moment, trying to get his bearings.
"Well… Of course Heero. Just bring them over here to my house and that should be fine. I'll have Rashid keep a constant watch on them." Quatre replied.
"I'm leaving tonight at 8."
"Very well then, Heero. I will send Rashid to pick them up instead and bring them back here."
Heero nodded. Yes that would work. That way she would be able to be cared for and be more comfortable when she woke up. Heero shook his head to try and clear it, not understanding why such trivial thoughts mattered. He shouldn't even care about this girl, let alone how comfortable she would be when she awoke.
"Hn. There is one more thing. She is sick and will need medical attention."
There was a pause and Quatre digested this new information. Then: "Of course, Heero. It's no problem. It will be taken care of."
As he was about to hang up the phone Quatre asked one more question, "Heero," he began. A long pause filled the line and Heero waited for Quatre to finish. "Just who is this girl?"
Heero's breath caught in his throat and he looked over his shoulder to the door leading to his bedroom. He could practically see her just laying there, silver hair shining around her. She was…
"I don't know, Quatre."
He hung up.
