Alpha Iota

Disclaimer: Oh hell, I can't be bothered to write it out again. If you want to know, look at the previous two chapters. Now on with the show!


Chapter 3

Duo played with the end of his long braid. "It's been three days."
Quatre nodded. "I know."
The atmosphere in the Arab's mansion was thick and heavy.
Wufei had shown up at the mansion two days ago and had described his encounter with Neema and then the attack by the Gundam.
He now sat at the long conference table with the other three ex-Gundam pilots.
"You know you should have helped her, Wufei." Duo said to the Chinese man.
He ignored the American.
Duo slammed his fist down on the table. He was fed up with Wufei's attitude.
Quatre looked over to the irate American.
"Duo, please. We have to accept that we've lost our source of information. Questioning Wufei's actions isn't going to change anything." His eyes sparkled with resolution.
Duo's head sagged. He stood slowly, pushing the chair back with his legs. "I know. I'm sorry." He turned and left the room.
Quatre sighed. Why did Duo have to be like this? Losing Neema was a setback. He knew, to Duo, they were all being cold about it. Inside, he was upset, but now was not the time to show it.
"Wufei, how skilled would you say this pilot is?" The blonde haired Arab asked.
The Chinese man turned his head to look at Quatre, his expression, thoughtful. "Fairly skilled for a woman. She seems in full control of the Mobile Suit." He paused before adding. "I am unsure of her motives. She attacked us mercilessly. It was unwarranted. I think she doesn't want any witnesses to her actions."
He turned back to look at the wall.
Quatre took this in slowly. "And Neema lost her life because of it." His voice was soft.
Trowa stood. "We will have to carry out our own reconnaissance from now on."
Quatre looked up at him, his blue eyes wide. Trowa put a hand on the Arab's shoulder, comforting him.
A knock on the door disrupted their train of thought. "Yes?" Quatre acknowledged.
The door opened slowly and in walked Romért. He bowed slightly.
"Sire. There is a young woman who wants to see you. She is waiting in the foyer."
Quatre's eyebrow's raised in surprise. "Who is she?"
"I don't know, Sire. She wouldn't say. But she seemed quite adamant about seeing you and she didn't look dangerous, so I let her in."
Quatre smiled slightly as his faithful attendant began to look a bit uncomfortable.
"That's ok, Romért. I'll see her."
The Arab moved to the door, Trowa following him. Wufei looked away from the wall to watch them leave.
Quatre strode through the corridors with purpose. He soon reached the balcony that ran above the foyer. Looking over the side, he saw a woman stood there, waiting for them patiently.
He stopped at the balcony, staring down.
He breathed heavily, his body in shock. "Neema?"
The woman looked up. Neema's eyes met with Quatre's. She smiled, seeing his reaction. "Master Quatre."
Leaving the balcony, the Arab quickly descended the stairs and stood in front of Neema. He stayed there just looking at her for a few moments. Then, suddenly, he moved towards her and embraced her. Neema's eyes widened, but she put her arms around the petite man to return the hug.
He pulled away from her, finally. "We all thought you were dead."
She smiled again. "I don't die that easily."
"What happened?" By now, Trowa had also descended the stairs and was standing beside Quatre.
Neema looked away, her smile turned to a frown.
" I suppose Chang Wufei came back here." Quatre nodded in response. "After he disappeared, the Gundam attacked me. It was hopeless. There was no way I could escape it, so I confronted it. The pilot spoke to me, or rather, insulted me. I believe she would have killed me, if I had not asked for her to." Quatre was about to interrupt, but Trowa stopped him. "Instead she shot me. The bullet impacted my left shoulder. After the Gundam left, I managed to return to my Dojo to tend to my wounds. I was incapacitated for a day or so. But I felt that it was time to come here and report to you." She finished her explanation with a sigh.
Quatre looked at her with worry on his face. "Are you alright?"
She smiled at him. "Thank you for caring, Master Quatre, but I assure you I will be fine."
The Arab smiled back at her, warmly. "Thank, Allah. Will you stay for dinner?"
Neema was about to decline, but when she saw the expression on the blonde haired man's face, she simply nodded.
"Please, come this way."
Neema followed Trowa and Quatre up the stairs. The trio returned to the conference room, where they would be eating.
As they entered the room, Wufei looked up. Neema stopped in the doorway as she saw him. They looked at each other for long seconds. Quatre looked at them in turn. He spoke to Trowa quietly and then walked to Neema. "I'm going to check on the food, Trowa will fetch Duo, ok?"
Neema didn't look at him, she just nodded, her expression was stern. She walked further into the room, letting the Arab and Latino leave.
The silvery haired woman walked to the chair at the end of the long table, pulled it out and sat down, still directing her gaze at the Chinese man. He gazed back at her with black eyes.
"I see you made it here in one piece." She said, to him, a little bitterness in her voice.
"As did you." He replied.
"Why did you run off like that?" She looked at Wufei, calmly.
He sneered at her. "I don't have to answer your questions, woman."
She smiled wryly. "Ok, don't answer the woman. Answer the warrior."
The black eyes blinked. "There was no use dying that day. And I thought you could look after yourself."
She looked at him, blankly. She hadn't expected that answer. She noted the undertone in the word 'thought', but didn't react to it. "Good answer." She muttered.
They sat in silence for a long while, before the door was opened. A happier Duo walked in followed by Trowa and Quatre.
"Hey there, Neema. Didn't expect to see you around." Duo said, sitting down next to her.
"Life's full of surprises." She responded.
Neema looked like a different woman to the American. Her hair was flowing down her back, instead of tied up in a high ponytail. She wore a light coloured sleeveless top and a long patterned skirt. Instead of boots, she wore delicate, white shoes.
"Dinner will be about fifteen minutes." Quatre reported as he sat down next to Duo and Trowa.
Neema rested her chin on her right hand. "How has the investigation been going?"
Quatre sat back and relaxed in the chair before replying. "Slowly. But it is progressing. Thanks to your information, Neema."
Duo sat forward, looking into Neema's silver eyes. "We've still got no idea where that Gundam's base is. But we have a good idea of its capabilities now. At least we can start organising a plan of attack."
Neema peered looked down at the table, in thought. "What resources has this Province got?"
The question received no answer. Neema looked up. "I see. Then you're going to have to bring in some from elsewhere."
She could see from all their expressions that they did not want to resort to that action.
"What else can you do?" She asked.
Wufei turned his attention to her. "We have resources we can fall back to."
Neema raised an eyebrow.
"Only as a last resort, mind you." Duo interjected. He laughed a little nervously, glancing at Wufei.
Neema nodded, not pursuing the line of conversation, which Duo was quite relieved about. An uncomfortable silence followed, which was gladly broken when the door was opened by a maid, who was carrying several dishes. She placed them down in front of each of the occupants sat at the table. Next came the cutlery. After a short break, the meal was served. Each of them ate the hors d'oeuvres in silence. The American attempted to start up a little chit chat, but it was soon dropped. A main course of lobster thermidor followed which was accompanied by a full bodied white wine. The break between meals offered the chance of conversation, but no one took it up. They were all encompassed in their own thoughts. After dinner was served and finished, the group retired to a side room, where they sat in comfortable leather chairs, near a roaring fireplace. Duo sighed, comfortably full after the meal.
"That was gorgeous, Q-Man. Thanks."
Quatre looked up and smiled at the American. "You're welcome."
Wufei and Neema were sat at opposite ends of the room to each other. Duo noticed this, and because of the happy mood he was in, decided to rectify the situation.
"Hey, Wu-Man. Why don't you sit over here?" He said, grinning and patting the seat beside him.
Wufei looked up. "Don't call me that, Maxwell." He made no attempt to move.
Neema glanced at the American, thinking the wine had gone to his head.
She laughed a little at Duo's antics. It felt good to let loose a bit.
The braided man noticed Neema's reaction. "See, now here's someone who appreciates me."
Neema rolled her eyes.
Quatre was trying to hide a smile. He was glad his American friend was here. He always seemed to lighten the mood.
The group began to talk about past times, Neema interjecting every so often, telling them a little about her previous experiences.
Quatre and Duo carried on the conversation, reminiscing about their piloting times. Trowa stepped in every so often to explain about the more serious points. While Wufei, stayed silent most of the time, he did mention Nataku a few times.
It was well into the early hours of the morning before the group thought about getting some rest.
Neema was the first to stand.
"I really should be getting back."
Duo frowned at her.
"Awww, come on. You should stay here tonight. I'm sure Quatre wont mind." He looked over to the Arab, who looked helpless and simply shook his head.
"It'll be dangerous for you to travel back tonight.."
Neema stood looking at the American, her silver eyes blinking several times.
She sighed, resigning to defeat. "Ok, but I'll have to leave early in the morning. I don't like leaving my Dojo overnight."
Quatre spoke up. "You live in your Dojo?"
Neema nodded.
"That's dedication for you." Duo said, happily as he stood up. "Well, I'm off to bed. See you guys in the morning."
He walked out of the room, waving.
Neema sighed as he left. "Is he always that cheerful?"
"Yes." Quatre laughed.
Her eyebrows raised. "Isn't that depressing?"
The Arab laughed again. "No, actually its quite refreshing."
Neema sat down again. "Where will I sleep?"
Quatre rose from his seat. "I'll get a room ready for you." He walked to the door and left the room.
"Thank you." She said to him as he left.
The Latino, Chinese man and Japanese woman sat in an awkward silence. Eventually, Trowa stood. "Thank you for your company tonight, Neema."
She nodded to him and he swiftly left the room.
Neema looked over to Wufei. He seemed content to stare into the fireplace. He was a strange man. He was thoughtful, caught up in his own thoughts. He had a presence that you couldn't ignore, although he made no motion of attracting any attention. She continued to look at him until he noticed her attention upon him.
His black eyes met with hers.
"Please, tell me. You have mentioned Nataku, but I am still unsure of what it is."
Wufei continued to look into her silver eyes.
"Nataku has two meanings for me. The Nataku that I fought with was my Gundam. Her strength and power brought me strength." He now looked back into the fire, the memories returning to him.
Neema also looked into the fire, its constant movement, calming her.
"I know that Nataku is an ancient Chinese legend. Is this the second meaning you speak of?" She did not look at him as she spoke.
He did not reply. She didn't wish to push the subject any further, their limited understanding of each other was fragile enough.
She rose from her seat.
"I wish you a good night's rest, Chang Wufei."
She left the room before he replied to her.
Outside was a long corridor. She walked down it, not exactly sure of where she was headed. The corridor forked into a left and a right passage. She decided to take the left. Numerous doors lined this corridor and she was still unable to understand why this amount of money had been put towards the refurbishment of the ruler's home, when it could have been used to the people's benefit.
Neema heard her name being called behind her. She turned around and Quatre stood at the end of the corridor.
He walked up to her. "How did you know your room was up this corridor?"
She smiled at his humour.
He motioned to the fourth door on the left and she followed him to it.
"Thank you for your hospitality, Master Quatre." She bowed slightly.
He stood in front of her. "Please. Call me Quatre. I consider you a friend and it doesn't seem right you calling me, Master."
Neema blushed. It was a rarity, yet this man had managed to embarrass her with his words.
"Thank you. It is an honour. I too consider you a friend, Quatre." With those words, she entered the room and closed the door behind her.

* * *

Wufei leaned back into the leather chair as Neema left the room. He raised his eyes from the fireplace. It had been a fruitless night. No work had been done, but in some ways he had learnt a lot.
This Neema, that Quatre relied on so heavily for information, was turning out to be quite the little fighter. He hadn't expected her to survive the Gundam attack. Maybe he had underestimated her. That would not be a mistake he would make in the future.
He had listened intently to her as she had told of her past, although no one had realised.
He replayed those tales in his mind.
She had been brought up in a Ninja village. When she was still young, her village had been attacked, the village had been destroyed, and for all she knew all other inhabitants had been killed. Since then, she had been on her own, surviving on the skills she had learnt and adapting them. About seven years ago, just as the colony wars were starting, she opened her own Dojo. She was still young then and the people had laughed at her. But she still continued.
To his, chagrin, Wufei had found himself admiring her courage. She had told of one mission, but he hadn't listened to it, too intent on his own thoughts.
Wufei relaxed now, as he was away from the other people's presence.
He had wished the Japanese woman hadn't mentioned Nataku again. His mind began to wander back to his piloting days. He still envisioned Nataku and her glorious form as she fought with him.
Wufei stood, shaking himself out of his nostalgia. He should stop this foolishness and concentrate on the task at hand. This new Gundam peaked his interest, and what was even more surprising was that a woman was piloting it. He still couldn't get his head around it.
Walking out the room, he decided to concentrate on the problem in the morning.
He was soon in his room and sleeping soundly in the plush double bed.

* * *

Trowa sat on the smooth, cool concrete outside one of the rear doors of the large house. The moonlight streamed down on the silent soldier, lighting his face and the laptop, resting on his crossed legs. A slight breeze ruffled his hair as he stared down at the screen. He was only wearing a tan coloured pair of trousers, leaving his chest bare. The Latino leant back against the stone wall, taking a deep breath. He hadn't been able to sleep, so, deciding to work instead, he had slipped out of bed, making sure not to wake the sleeping Quatre as he did so. This crisis had effected the Arab more than he wished to admit. Trowa saw through his attempts to hide it, noticing the weary look in his eyes and how his shoulders now sagged. Trowa tried his best to encourage him, but to no avail.
A flash from the laptop's screen interrupted the brown haired man's thoughts. A sub window had just appeared over the main window on the screen. A woman was speaking. It looked like a news report. Trowa reached for the volume control on the side of the keyboard and turned it up. His expression darkened as he heard what the report was about. Standing swiftly up, he hastily entered the building, carrying his laptop with him.

* * *

Quatre opened his eyes slowly as he heard someone enter his room. The person had made no attempts to keep quiet, which annoyed him slightly. The Arab rolled over.
"Trowa?" His eyes hadn't yet accustomed to the dark, but he could feel the bed was empty beside him.
"Yes." Answered a familiar voice.
"What are you doing up?" Quatre asked as he sat up, the covers falling to his waist.
"I couldn't sleep." Trowa sat on the bed, next to Quatre. "I thought you would want to be the first person to see this."
He pulled the laptop onto the bed and opened it, the screen casting light onto both of them.
Quatre looked at Trowa's face before looking to the screen. His eyes widened. "What?" He continued to stare at the images that that were continuously moving on the laptop's display. "How?"
His gaze met with the Latino's, who simply shook his head.
The Arab blinked several times, a look of worry on his face. "How did they find out about the Gundam? I know it was inevitable but... so soon?" He stared down at the blanket. "How do I explain this to the people?" His hand reached up to rub his forehead, brushing strands of hair out of his face.
Trowa moved closer to him, placing an arm around the smaller man's bare shoulders. "We have talked about this before, little one. Do what you feel is best."
Quatre's blue eyes looked up at the Latino. He rested his head against the bigger man's chest, slipping his arms around his torso. Trowa looked down and softly kissed the Arab's blonde hair.
They sat there for a few minutes longer, before the brown haired man moved gently away from the blonde. "We must inform the others." He said.
Quatre nodded and slid out from underneath the covers. Trowa stood, retrieved his shirt from the chair and put it on. While waiting for Quatre to dress, he began to search for any other broadcasts on the Gundam. Noticing that four more stations were transmitting related information, he mentally noted that the situation may escalate into one of panic and treachery. The Gundam's pilot was bound to have seen the broadcasts, and by now would have deduced that Quatre's Province was organising an offensive. They would have to be far more alert now than they had been so far.
Trowa's thoughts were interrupted when Quatre leaned over his shoulder, whispering in his ear. "What have you found?"
Trowa's green-eyed gaze shifted from the screen to Quatre. "More stations are transmitting information about the Gundam to the public."
Quatre frowned. "How are they getting the information, not to mention the footage?"
Trowa shook his head and lifted his laptop. "I don't know. But we will find out." He moved towards the door and opened it, allowing Quatre to leave before him.

* * *

"Someone must be leaking information to the outside." Duo waved his hands in the air to accentuate the statement.
Quatre sighed. "That's easy to say, Duo, but we have no proof. We don't know where to start to look for this perpetrator."
Wufei stood at this statement, his figure silhouetted by the light entering through the tall window. "Try within these walls."
The three other ex-Gundam pilots turned to look at the Chinese man. "Eh?" Duo muttered.
Wufei walked forward, towards the American. "What better source of information is there, but within these walls? And it is plainly obvious that it would be simple for someone working or living here to obtain the information." His black eyes bore into the braided haired man. Duo raised an eyebrow and finally nodded. "Ok, I know that, but wouldn't we have noticed if someone had taken the papers and such?"
Wufei shook his head. "The papers weren't taken, or at least not for long." He turned away from the American and walked to the window.
Trowa had been watching the others in his usual silence, but now he spoke up. "One of us shall watch the information at all times. But from the shadows. We do not want the culprit to know we have caught on."
"That's right." Duo said. "We'll get the Bastard." He punched a fist into his other hand. He smiled. "Who's up for first watch?"
The American looked around at the other men. He stepped backwards as he realised they were all looking at him, intently. "What? Me?"
Quatre responded with a smile and a nod. Duo rolled his eyes, but didn't complain any further.
The Arab pushed himself up from the stiff wooden chair. "If you stay in the adjacent room, then you should be able to hear anything that happens in here." He looked over to the desk that contained all the information and photographs they had managed to collate.
"Ok. Then I'd better get to work." He said, rubbing his hands together. He walked quickly over to the door, opened it, and left, waving as he disappeared.

* * *

Duo had been sitting in the small side room for several hours. He had tried to stay as still as possible, listening for any sound from the next room. After the others had left, everything had been silent. The American was now lying on the only couch in the room, his legs hanging over the arm. It was dark in the room, the thick curtains blocked out any light that could have gotten in through the window.
He wondered if the person who had been leaking the information would come at all, now that it was plastered all over the news. Perhaps the perpetrator thought they would lie low, waiting for the crisis to cool down. He shrugged. There was no use speculating.
Duo's head jerked up as his ears picked up a sound. He slowly moved to a sitting position. No further noises followed the first. Moving to his feet, he edged his way to the door, placing his left ear against the wood.
A rustling noise was coming from the adjacent room. He frowned. This was it. Wufei's hunch had been right.
He grabbed the handle and twisted it, careful not to make any noise. The door opened a crack. Light from the next room flowed into the side room.
Deciding on a more direct approach, Duo pushed the door fully open and ran into the room. The culprit was bent over the desk, rifling through the papers.
"Stop right there!" Duo shouted at the figure. He couldn't see who it was. Their back was faced to him, but the figure tensed, unmoving. The American rushed forward, wanting to make sure the culprit didn't get away.
"Stand up and face me. Don't make any foolish moves." He ordered the figure, which did exactly as it was told.
Duo's eyes widened. "Romért? Why?"
He hadn't expected Quatre's faithful attendant.
The older man sneered at Duo. "That's none of your business."
The American stood still, slightly shocked. The man had always been so kind and loyal. Who was he really?
Suddenly, Romért reached inside the coat he was wearing and pulled out a pistol, pointing it at Duo's chest. "I'm afraid I can't let you live."
"Wha..." Duo's words were interrupted when the attendant pulled the trigger. The bullet pierced the American's chest, sending him sprawling backwards. He grabbed at the entry point, blood oozing through the black cloth.
Romért laughed at the young man's pain. He turned from him and exited the room, not worried about the fact that Duo wasn't dead yet.
Duo's brain registered the fact that the attendant had left, but his body was unwilling to do anything about it.
The American cried out in pain as the blood continued to flow though his shirt and fingers. He writhed on the floor, tears flowing from his eyes as the pain increased.
"No... I can't die yet." The words came out as a faint whisper, combined with a gurgling that erupted from the back of his throat. He could taste the blood in his mouth as he forced his body to turn from his back and onto his side. A small trickle of blood ran from his mouth and down his cheek to slowly pool on the floor, mixing with the tears already there.
Duo began to feel his eyelids getting heavy, the urge of sleep beginning to overwhelm him. 'No, I can't close my eyes. If I do, I know, I'll never wake up.' He re-ran the thought over and over in his mind, forcing the feeling away.
The American moved his head slightly so he could see the door. "Quatre... Trowa... Wufei... Where are you?" Another faint whisper emerged from his lips.
His tears were stinging his eyes and the pain was unbearable. His mind drifted. 'If only Heero were here. Then everything would be alright.' A wry smile passed across his lips, before he finally succumbed to the drooping of his eyelids.