Chapter Eleven: Everything Left to Give
Standing and waiting patiently had never been one of Serena's strong points. She was impatient and ready for action—but she knew it would be foolish to rush head on into the scuffle at this point in time. She still had no idea where Chaos was currently hiding, or how to stop her when she did find her. However, it was through sheer luck, she knew, that Serena found herself hidden and listening to the conversation between Relena Peacecraft's staff and advisors. These people were intelligent human beings who understood fully the implications of everything that had occurred.
Listening to them speak with such hope about the future caused pride to well up within Serena's heart. It was so refreshing to meet people who took the time and responsibility to care about others before themselves. In fact, it was amazing that in the midst of the utter collapse of their entire infrastructure, they were still optimistic about rebuilding it. A single tear dropped gracefully from Serena's eye as she slowly blinked. These people, this group… she was reminded very much of a time when she had not been alone in her struggle to fight the demons that haunted the world.
"Alright, now that we have Zech's agreement to work the government from the public perspective, we need to find out exactly what is going on out there right now." Sally looked around the room.
Their committee to determine how to deal with the collapsing governments had convened well over an hour ago. Since the beginning, people were becoming more relaxed. The room itself was made for comfortable social gatherings, as evident by the inviting décor. The large circular room had dark wood paneling halfway up the walls, and where the paneling left off a warm tan paint took over, enclosing the space snugly. Large tan and brown oriental carpets covered a dark hardwood floor, and the deep mahogany color of the floors was accented in the brown leather sofas. Red throw pillows littered the floor around the antique tables that were interspersed throughout the room. While the focus of the room drew attention to the large and ornately carved fireplace and mantel; armchairs had been set up on either side of the room, separating space.
Zechs, who had just lost a battle over whether or not he would be a peace figurehead or a fighter, was grumbling to himself while standing by the fireplace in the room. Noin stood with her hands resting gently on his shoulders, and every once in a while she would begin to lightly massage his tense shoulders and neck. Lady Une had picked to stand near the other end of the fireplace, taking notes as they spoke. Trowa and Quatre had been sitting on one of the large leather couches, facing Wufei and Duo, who were sitting in the couch across the coffee table from them. The coffee table, once dusty from disuse, was now covered in schematics, lists of politicians, and tactical plans. Dorothy and Catherine, both worried more about their friends than they were about the situation outside their walls, were resting in the armchairs that had been set up on the right side of the room. Sally stood behind Wufei as he leaned forward and pointed to points on a map, second guessing her partner's calculations.
"Look, its not going to be easy." Quatre's words broke the concentration throughout the room, and full attention was directed to his staunch face and tight shoulders. "Zechs, we need to have you out there as soon as possible, you'll be the one who will have the best luck in settling people's fears right now. Seeing that another Peacecraft still lives will help to give hope to people—and at the same time those stubborn politicians will start to sweat. They know there could be more of an effort on their part to make peace, but, and I hate to say it, prejudices between the Earth and colonies are harder to fight against than we realize. It will take generations to wipe this sort of hatred out, and we only have hours, if that." The room was full of agreement; nods of affirmation came from all corners as Zechs stood up.
"Then I had better get out there as soon as I can—Lu?" He turned to his wife with a questioning look on his face. She smiled.
"I've been thinking. Lady Une can stay here with Sally, Wufei, and the rest to coordinate the Preventers from this safe location. They don't need me right now—I'll go with you—to watch your back. If Relena, who had the most impressive security detailing I've ever seen, was shot, I don't even want to consider what might happen to you. And don't make that face!" She finished with a quick snap. The way Zech's face had fallen into utter disbelief as she had volunteered to be his bodyguard was priceless! It was good to know some things might always stay the same—she loved her husband for exactly who he was.
"I wasn't making a face…" Zechs turned his head into the shadows slightly and sulked. How did she always know him so well? Well, maybe he had made a face—or two at her words. But it was only because he knew he would be fine, and simply didn't wish to put his wife at harm. She was the only family he had left now, and he was going to cherish it as much as possible.
"With Zechs and Noin busy, that leaves Une to coordinate the Preventers." Trowa redirected everyone's thoughts to the events at hand. The tall, slender boy stood beside the fireplace now, at the focal point of the room. "Lady, we'll need massive coordination—a faction to help keep the peace, a faction to help those who are in need of medical or other assistance, and one to send into the field—we need to stop the looting and rioting."
"Its more than that." Quatre cut in. "We need to expand and put factions in the colonies too. That's just another place for unrest to grow and people to begin their own uprisings."
"We can't do that." Hiiro stepped up from the cobwebbed corner of the room and glared at Quatre. "Think Quatre. If we put Preventers there, we're no better than our predecessors. We cannot keep peace with the Preventers, they will only become targets for civilian hellions to shoot at and pick on; not to mention their purpose was specifically designed for this reason. We don't want soldiers! We need Preventers—or men who will use more peaceful ways to subdue the people. The reason we fought our wars was to stop the totalitarian and military oppression we were suffering—let's not revisit that moment in our pathetic human history."
"He's right." Lady Une nodded. "But there are solutions. You all know as well as the public that we've invested millions into new research and development of non-fatal weapons, and that's how I think we'll handle this situation. I do not want one single Preventer roaming around on those streets with a real gun. Not one live round of ammunition, nothing. The newest technology we have will be put to helping soldiers keep peace without taking lives. The idea is for people to gain control of themselves, not just for us to force control." As Une spoke, her voice became more and more reassured. It seemed talking about solving the issue was being productive on two levels: one was the actual progress that was being made on how to deal with their situation; two she was relaxing from her shaken sorrow for her dead pacifist leader.
"Sounds like a great idea Une!" Catherine nodded. "I hated the idea that armed soldiers were going to be keeping peace, as a civilian." It was the only input her advice was good for—she was the only real civilian in the room.
"Right. Well, in regards to the communications problems." Wufei briskly cut off the women. His narrowed eyes barely noticed the dirty look Catherine shot her way—but they did catch Trowa reaching down to squeeze her hand. "This is no time to be weak and debate over what to do, we need to take action, and soon. Sally and I will…"
"No Wufei." Sally stopped him. "I can't actually go with you. I need to stay here on Earth." The cheerful female doctor perked up when her name had been said. "I have to begin setting up crisis centers—Une will be indoors, dealing with paperwork. I'm the field agent who will be in charge of actual centers. And my medical skills are needed here more anyway. You have this mission to yourself." Wufei nodded grimly, understanding his woman's words. She was needed more here than with him, this was no time to be selfish.
"Okay. Then my job will be to take care of this communications problem. I'm going to get up into space and look at that string of satellites that are out."
"Time out!" Duo broke the serious speech up with his ever-melodic and cheerful voice. "Didn't anyone stop to wonder anything about what's going on out there?"
"We know what's going on you braided idiot! Riots, Relena's death, and more riots! What more do you need to know!" Wufei yelled, smacking Duo upside his head. The God of Death shot his best evil glare back.
"I meant, doesn't seem strange that everyone is so worked up over Relena's death? When a great leader passes away, even when they're assassinated, the public mourns. There is grief, and people hold vigils and prayer services honoring that person. People aren't doing that this time. Why? What's different about Relena? She was peaceful in life; you'd think people would be peaceful about her death, respecting her last wishes. Doesn't that seem just a little strange to you? Just saying…" Duo stood his ground, but held his girlfriend Hilde's hand just a little tighter. As the fire flickered in the dark room, the orange flames hypnotized the occupants for a few long moments of silence. No one said anything, thinking quietly over Duo's questioning words.
"But why else would people act this way? They already have fear of each other… even with the President of the ESUN trying to comfort people and tell them things will be alright, no one wants to trust in the government any more. It's become the mentality of anarchy—without a hierarchy with Relena as the head figure piece people have gone wild. And with their fear fueling them—I'm afraid we'll only see this get worse before it gets better." Quatre spoke quietly, voice no louder than a hoarse whisper. Around the room he slowly got nods from the rest of his co-pilots, and Duo shrugged.
"Alright. Just saying…"
"Well then don't say idiot!" Wufei scoffed. Duo sighed and dropped his fight for once. He was too tired to get into a fight with Wufei right now.
"Don't fight guys!" Hilde sighed aloud. "Enough is enough. Let's get to work, huh? There's no time to waste!" The mood was suddenly broken, and the once orange flames now seemed to shine a whiter, and more brilliant light. The twelve people in the room looked around at each other and flashed quick smiles and grins before they went into action.
Crossing the room to the door, Zechs turned just before his nose hit the carved wood. "Lu? You ready?"
"Yes, let's go. Une you should really come with us too right now. We'll go back to the Partnership Building and see if we can't hold an emergency press conference to speak to the public. At that time you can explain the safe, and emphasize the safe part, Preventer plan that we're going to put into effect. That way people will feel informed, and the Preventers will be known as helpful rather than threatening right away." Lucretia's bangs shook into her eyes, and she pushed them back with her calloused hand, keeping her eyes trained on Une for her response.
"Right, and then I'll need to head over to the Preventers Headquarters, to pick up the personnel lists and organize people. I would rather do it here, but I just realized there might be a flaw with that idea—we want to use the Preventers? Well they are all at the Preventers Headquarters already, I might as well stay there to keep them organized."
"Then I'm going with you—you'll need someone else to help keep order there—we still have an assassin on the loose, I think we're all forgetting." Trowa jumped in before another word was said.
"I'll take care of that." Hiiro's monotone voice ripped through the air like a dull knife popping a balloon. Totally unexpected. And yet… not a single person was going to say anything to stop him.
"I'll still go with you as a precaution." Trowa nodded, still looking at Hiiro's stone old facial expression. If his face had so much as flinched since they had first heard the news about Relena, he would do back flips for a week.
"Okay." Une nodded and she and Trowa headed for the door as well.
"Quatre—you should head up to the colonies and do some damage control up there. People are not happy up there either—I think we're forgetting the colonies, something I think will be our downfall if we're not careful." Trowa added one last piece of advice before he grabbed the door handle and beat Zechs as the first person to leave their powwow. "Catherine—" He stopped dead in his tracks.
"I'll be fine Trowa. I'll probably stay here and organize Relena's funeral arrangements. Some one needs to, and since I can't fight, I'll do what I can." Lips tight, she caught Trowa's eyes. Briefly for a moment she thought she saw in his jade eyes what was reminiscent of pride and concern… but he turned his head took quickly for her to read him any deeper. Her heart thumped in her chest harder, and her eyes felt the pin pricks of hot tears painfully being held back.
"Sounds good." Were his last words before his tall, lean form disappeared into the hallway outside the door. Zechs followed next with a nod back to everyone, and Lucretia and Une followed in suit. When the four were completely out of sight, Sally bolted up.
"Shit! I was supposed to go with them—I need to get messages out to people about where to go and what they'll find at first aid centers!" Her twin blonde braids flipped around her as she spun first towards the door, then back to the crowd. Her eyes landed on a shorter Asian man whose face was twisted, as if he had just bit into a lemon.
"Idiot woman." Were the words that dripped from his sarcastic mouth; but his lips soon down-turned to a frown, and his eyes softened. "Be careful woman." And his heart melted with her grin.
"You too, Wufei." She gave him a small laugh, and he sneered in embarrassment. Satisfied with the response she had gotten, Sally turned back around and left the room running, trying to catch up to the other four that already had a head start.
"Well, I guess Wufei and I will both need shuttles—"
"Excuse me, don't think you're going to leave me behind Quatre. I know as much about being a diplomat as you do, not to mention I know how the Earth people feel. It would be towards your benefit to take me with you, to balance the bias in the colonies." Dorothy shot up and cut Quatre off. "Besides. You're too nice—you need someone to give you a backbone against these colonists, you don't understand the dirty tricks of politics." Quatre became very red in his face, and soon the blush traveled to her ears. Beat red, he stammered for a moment, before he sighed.
"Well, I could use someone who's been in politics longer than me. But Dorothy, we're going to space to make those people feel as though they are still being represented and heard within the ESUN. We can't begin fights with their delegates, senators, or congressmen, it won't go over well." Dorothy seemed to take a moment to debate this, then nodded and her shoulders fell a little.
"Very well. But we had better get going soon, if that's our objective, then our news broadcast had better be close to Zechs', otherwise they'll think we're only humoring them."
"Great point!" Quatre said as relief washed over him. He knew how difficult Dorothy's stubborn pride could be sometimes, and was glad he hadn't offended her with his suggestion. "Wufei, are you ready?"
"Wait, what am I doing to help? Man, I need something to do!" Duo suddenly cried out. Because he had sat down after his small addition to the conversation earlier, he had been overlooked.
As he stood, Hilde stepped close to his side, and took hold of his arm. Duo's serious face was rare, and Quatre and Wufei looked at him knowing that they needed to give him something to help with. As Wufei began to open his mouth, the heavy mahogany door to the sitting room was thrown open, and two little figures came flying in from the hallway.
"Daddy! Daddy! Daddy!" They screamed in unison. The girls were followed in by a heavily huffing large man with a slat and pepper beard and stressed, leather skin. Wrinkles around the man's eyes gave away his age, but the muscles that he hid beneath his shirt told of his experience and occupation.
"Master Quatre!" The older man rasped.
"We just arrived from the outer Cinq Kingdom, from the Reconstructed Palace, with an update worth hearing!" His voice was not that of an excited man—instead he seemed distraught and upset.
"Rashid, what is it?" Quatre's face twitched into a terrible, contorted arrangement.
"Monster! There are monsters out there!" The older man's face had broken into a sweat long ago, and now he finally took the time to wipe his brow with the back of his hand. Almost falling rather then sitting onto one of the armchairs, he swung his upper body around to point to a map lying forgotten on the coffee table. "When I was sent to pick up the twins! Here, this is where I saw it! Picking up people, biting limbs off and throwing them for fun! The Palace is a wreck; some of the new walls have been completely demolished. This thing… I've never seen anything like it!"
"Rashid, slow down! Are you sure this wasn't some type of new mobile suit? Not a machine?" Quatre gently laid his hand on Rashid's large shoulder. The older man just shook his head.
"There is no way…"
"Monsters!" The two little girls were whispering over and over again, wrapped up tightly in Hilde's petite arms. Their tear-streaked faces ripped at Quatre's heart. Duo, too, had noticed his two little girls' horrified expressions, and had bent down before them. Taking one of his hands, Duo carefully used his rough thumb to brush the tears away from his daughters' eyes.
"You two know monsters don't exist!" Hilde whispered to them. But the tears kept falling from their twin pairs of eyes.
"Alright girls." Duo's voice was dark. "I promise I will get those monsters. I promise. I'll get them good, for you two. How about that? I'll go get them. Daddy'll stop the monsters." Standing, Duo turned back to Quatre.
"Never mind, I'll deal with this." The blonde boy could only nod as he watched his comrade, the once happy-go-lucky God of Death hug his family. Who was he to argue with that?
"Good, now that everyone's figured out what they need to get done, let's go!" Wufei, who was trying to avoid watching Duo with his family, grabbed Quatre's shirt and began to pull at him. Quatre went willingly, and Dorothy followed without saying anything.
"Good luck Duo!" Quatre finally gave a firm nod of finality, then pulled himself away from Wufei's hold. "Rashid, we're going to space. Please, remain here with Hilde and her children, and Catherine. They'll be organizing Relena's funeral, please help them with whatever they need."
"Of course Mater Quatre." The older man bowed deeply from the waist, then turned back to Catherine, Hilde, and the girls. "I will do what I can to assist you. Please be careful Master Quatre."
"We will." Quatre waved a quick goodbye to the others in the room, then he and the other two took off much in the same way the first group had left.
"Duo, let's move." Hiiro, a forgotten soul left hidden in the last dark corner of the room, finally made his move to exit the building. The few people left in the room gasped and all eyes found there way to Hiiro's dark form. Duo gulped.
"I have to first read over the autopsy they've done on Relena, then I'll give you a lift towards your part of town." Were his only words in response to the gasping.
"Will it take long?" Duo began to pace towards the last pilot left in the room. His answer was a glare, and the braided boy let out a snort. "Figures, nothing you would do would ever take too long. Let's go."
Before Duo left, he turned back to Hilde one last time. "Be careful." Kissing her lightly on the forehead, he then reached down to take hold of the two little hands being offered to him. "Girls, listen to your mom and Aunt Catherine and Uncle Rashid." Nods followed, but the thumbs that had been lodged in the twins' mouth didn't appear to be coming out any soon, even to say goodbye. With that, Duo turned and he and Hiiro were the last to walk down the corridor to do what they could to regain their peaceful lifestyles.
Lol, been a while, huh? Well, if you're back after this long thanks for coming back to see me, and if you're new and this is your first taste of my fanfiction, what up! –Vixen