QUATRE COMES THROUGH

CHAPTER 3



When Quatre woke up it was bright and cheerful out. A nice day. Too nice evidently, for the way it ended up. At any rate, that morning Quatre quickly finished up his business and was ready to go.

Dressed in casual slacks and his usual vest, he picked up his one bag and briefcase and let Jase Hollander lead the way. Once on L2, Quatre took the lead as Jase had never been there before. They were getting close to H & D Salvage when they became aware of a growing commotion, smoke and the distant sound of sirens. With an ill feeling clutching his heart that had nothing to do with his space heart, Quatre broke into sprint that became a flat out run as he got closer; Jase managing to keep pace with him.

Breaking through the crowd, Quatre looked in vast dismay at the mess that had been Duo and Hilde's home. It had been badly burnt and much of what hadn't burned was now slag. There was pieces scattered that were whole yet but it would be one colossal mess to sort through. Then Quatre caught his breath. Where was Hilde? Duo is trusting me to protect Hilde!!! Where is she???

Spinning aside to the nearest official which happened to be a fireman talking to a policeman, Quatre interrupted urgently.

"Excuse me, I don't mean to be rude but where is the owner, Hilde Schbeiker?! I was supposed to meet her here!!!" Quatre looked around, the dismay on his face growing.

"Sorry, young man. We got a call from a neighbor that they'd heard gunshots and the place was on fire. By the time we got here, the place was half burnt down already. We didn't find any bodies." the fireman told him. The policeman with him looked at Quatre narrowly.

"You wouldn't happen to know of, say, anyone that had a grudge against the owners would you?" he asked Quatre abruptly, suspicion on his narrow face.

Quatre looked at him blankly, thoughts racing ...no body...now what do I do?!

"No, why....?" Quatre started, giving the man his best dumb blond look.

"The place burnt down far too fast for it to be an accident." the fireman told him with a skeptical look at the cop. The policeman looked sour and a bit slow on the uptake in Quatre's estimation.

"You mean...but they were well liked....impossible!!" Quatre started to get upset. "Where were the police when this happened?! And you!!" he turned on the fireman who looked startled. "How could you let this happen?!" He turned back to the cop.

"How come this wasn't caught sooner??!!" the policeman opened his mouth but Quatre didn't give him a chance to start. The fireman had a clear expression of It's not my fault! on his face.

"This place burnt to the ground and what were you doing??? Practicing the Chinese fire drill?! I'm going to have a word with the Chief!!! Heads are going to roll!" Quatre's voice got louder and he started waving his arms around. Jase smoothly interrupted Quatre's rant, catching one arm.

"Quatre sama, please calm down, you know what the doc said about keeping calm! Did you forget your medicine again? Dear me, my apologies gentlemen, you know how it goes..." Jase said vaguely as he started steering Quatre away from the two who looked relieved. The quality of Quatre's clothes had not been missed by the fireman but the policeman was just now beginning to realize that he had gotten in over his head.

"Medicine, SHMEDICINE!!!" Quatre hollered as he was being led away. "Someone is going to answer for this, this's what the police are for..." His voice faded away as the distance increased.

Safely away, they started walking briskly for their transportation. Jase's mouth was twitching as he walked and Quatre kept throwing him looks while he kept an eye on the crowd. What he was looking for he wasn't sure but he did anyway. Finally looking full on at Jase, he had mercy on the man.

"You'd better just cut loose and let it out before you choke! You don't want me to try out my emergency training on you!" he told his friend. Jase cracked up.

"Did you see his face?!" Jase asked in between gales of laughter.

"You mean the policeman? Yeah, he looked like his pet goldfish just bit him!" Quatre chuckled. Then he sobered, his face turning grim.

"But what I want to know is...were is Hilde?!"

"You think she's alive then?"

"Yes I do. She's one tough girl. The fireman said they didn't find a body."

"Then we'll find her Quatre sama." Jase said simply.

"Safe and sound I hope or I'll never be able to look at Duo straight on again!" Quatre said sighing.

Having reached the car, Jase reached out to open the door. Someone in a long coat and hat who had been approaching leisurely paused and in a low mumble asked if they had the time. Quatre went subtly stiff. Jase had turned slightly and had opened his mouth when Quatre beat him to it.

"How about a couple of weeks?" he asked not missing a beat. Jase's mouth snapped shut. Cautiously scanning the crowd but seeing nothing, Quatre smoothly handed Hilde in first, for that's who it was, then slid in and told Jase to step on it as soon as they were all on board.

As soon as they were on their way Hilde opened the coat and poked her hat up with one finger. The car had darkened windows so there was no fear of being seen. Quatre looked at Hilde, pure delight on his face. Then concern overcame the delight on his face. She looked exhausted and scuffed.

"I'm sorry I don't have any food or drink to offer you, you look as if you could use it." Quatre said simply. Hilde nodded but a tired smile lit her face.

"That's ok Quatre, right now I'm just glad to be alive." she made a face while combing through her hair with her fingers. Quatre caught sight of a set of distinctive bruises on her wrist. His face darkened.

"What happened Hilde? What's going on anyway?!" he started, anger replacing the fear that had clung to him during Hilde's disappearance. Hilde looked haunted for a moment.

"I wish I knew Quatre. As for these...." she touched her wrist, having seen Quatre's look.

"I was awakened early this morning by intruders in the house. Duo had just put up some security around the house but these guys waltzed right through it. But they didn't know Duo had a silent alarm rigged in each of our rooms. We'd had some trouble with a stray dog setting off the alarm so I went to investigate. With all that's been going on I did take my gun with me. I caught the one and was going to get the police when the second guy came up behind me; I hadn't seen any sign of a second guy but there he was.

They forced me into the Duo's room and cuffed me to the bed. Their mistake, Duo still keeps his gun there. Then one guy went around spreading fire starter while the second one kept asking me about a case of samples. I told him I didn't know what he was talking about and added a few comments of my own. I never can keep my mouth shut.

He didn't like that and started to get mad. He slapped me around a bit, then the other guy comes in and says to hurry up. Jerk #2 wasn't getting anywhere and was starting to look at me funny. That's when I pulled Duo's gun and told them to get lost. Jerk #1 couldn't believe I'd do that, that I'd shoot. He said something about teaching me a lesson. He's now hobbling around on one shattered knee cap and a bum arm. Jerk #2 started freaking out and pulled the gun they had taken away from me but just then the phone started to ring. I told him if he shot me I would take him with me. He just kinda sneered and said I could burn. Then he took his partner and left." Hilde shivered at the memory of it all. Quatre frowned, looking at her wrist.

"If you were cuffed...." he began, than trailed off as Hilde started to laugh, a slight hysterical edge to her voice.

"I haven't lived this long with Duo for nothing! I had him teach me how to slip cuffs one time when I was bored." Hilde calmed down slightly. Quatre grinned at that. He should have known. Duo was very handy at getting out of restraints.

"It was close though. I mean, the flames were everywhere! But I managed to get free and smashed the window out. I did manage to grab some clothes, coat and hat. They're all Duo's though and too big. I snuck out and was making myself scarce till I spotted you..." Hilde giggled at the picture Quatre had made, waving his arms and acting the part of a rich and cranky acquaintance.

Quatre blushed slightly but waved his hand grandly.

"Well, I'm ever so glad Duo has such a resourceful girlfriend and here we are at the shuttle port so get your hat on and lets head for 'Lena's. She'll be worried about you and we have enough to worry about with Duo." Quatre added gently. Hilde's face went taut as she adjusted her coat and hat.

"Yes. And when I find that boyfriend of mine is he ever going to get a piece of my mind... wait, hold that thought. I need all of my mind I can hang on to!" Hilde said grimly.

Quatre was glad it was a private shuttle, that made it so much easier to get Hilde aboard with little fuss. Only a few minutes later and they were on their way, Quatre being careful to call and tell Relena that they were on their way so they could make the necessary precautions. Hilde wasted no time getting to sleep, she really was exhausted.

Landing on the Earthside port hours later Quatre was surprised to find Trowa waiting for them, official car and all. Quatre quickly made arrangements for Jase to return to business headquarters and keep things running while keeping Quatre informed about a few specific points Quatre had discussed with him at the last minute.

Declaring himself ready to go, they made their way uninterrupted to the car with Hilde in the middle. Once safely ensconced in the vehicle, Trowa explained that Heero had actually found something and that since Wufei was running information through the Preventers databases, they had asked him to come and act the part of bodyguard for Hilde and Relena both if things got ugly; figuring that with Quatre and Trowa both there, they could cover all bases.

Quatre agreed with him whole heartedly. That's when Hilde who had been taking her time waking up, latched onto something Trowa had said.

"You said Heero found something...! Do you mean he thinks he found Duo?!" Hilde asked anxiously.

"Not exactly but it makes a good lead; the first real lead we've had. He found a shuttle security recording with Duo and strange blond man who was listed as Douglas McArthur on it. It...was...quite the show." Trowa said with vast dry humor.

"What do you mean?" Quatre asked, his curiosity piqued. Something was nagging at the back of his mind and he just couldn't quite latch onto it. Something...he was missing.

"You'll have to see for yourself." Trowa said a faint curl of his mouth.

That they did. After Hilde had taken time to freshen up and sort out which of Relena's clothes she would borrow till she got some of her own, she hurried to the 'war' room where everyone else was waiting for her; Quatre's damp hair showing evidence of a quick shower on his part. Trowa started the recording.

When shown the recording, Quatre's eyes got wider and wider while Hilde just collapsed in helpless laughter at the end of it. Relena herself was grinning in amusement, she'd seen it before but it was still amazing to her, to watch the ease with which the two boys had managed. And the looks on the two thugs faces...



~~ FLASHBACK~~



Relena remembered when Heero had shown her the video the first time. She had come to his quarters with tea and some food; determined not to let him run himself down. He had been to the shuttle port twice where Duo had supposedly gotten off but had found nothing out of order. That is, if you don't count a vast reluctance to talk. But then, that wasn't so unusual for that port which was at a low income area and showed it. Make that, supplemented income, Heero figured. The last time he'd visited, though, one of the workers had let something slip about an odd lapse in security on a certain date.

Heero hadn't been able to get more out of the man since they'd been interrupted by one of the aforementioned security guards. But he'd been given enough to work on and instead of settling for just hacking into the shuttle port's system, had gone so far as to physically 'borrow' the recording itself. He had then made a recording of the recording and had returned the original; apparently with complete success as he noted the lack of outcry.

Armed with his own copy he had settled down to watch it when Relena came around with the food. So they sat and watched it together. Relena had looked on in bemusement as Heero watched it twice; then got on the phone with Wufei. He had sent a copy to Wufei directly after for him to try his hand at refining and enlarging it. Wufei had promised to have it back ASAP. Heero had used that time to take a shower and nap.

When it finally came in the wee hours of the night, Heero had wasted no time playing it. Relena had asked him to alert her when it came which he did. Heero had then proceeded to play it over so many times with an intense concentration that Relena finally had to ask him what he was looking at.

He looked at her with a tiny, tiny smirk beginning to twitch the corners of his mouth and started to tell her what was being said.

....."You're reading their mouths?!!!!! Heero Yuy.....you....ALL THIS TIME YOU KNEW WHAT WAS BEING SAID???!!!!"...

...."Only the parts where they're facing the camera and really, the only important thing I understand is that this so called McArthur took something they want and for some reason Duo is helping him out. Voluntarily I'd say....Duo is having waayy too much fun here.".....

...."so is there anything helpful you can use? Anything at all?" Relena had asked forlornly. She felt bad for Hilde. If this was all just a huge joke to Duo...nah! He wouldn't do that to Hilde. Would he?

"....Not much. He went from the port to Howard's and then vanished. How you camouflage hair like his is beyond me......" Heero shook his head sinking deep in thought. He'd wanted to hunt down that employee and talk to him again but that man had also vanished off the face of the earth. Time to do some research into the chief of security maybe? The lack of security activity had stuck out like a sore thumb from the very beginning. Yeah, that was a start.

He had settled down to some serious hacking. Unfortunately, all this had little to do with Duo's whereabouts at first glance and only slightly more to do with the blond stranger. The significant lack of information was starting to grate on Heero's nerves.

He didn't like to show it but he truly was worried about his friend. Yes, friend. He wasn't quite sure when or how but he was realizing that he did have friends and Duo was up there at the top somewhere. Along with Trowa, Quatre and Wufei. Relena was in a category all her own. It going on nearly a week since anyone had laid eyes on Duo and the more Heero learned the less he liked what he saw. And just who was this blond guy anyway?



~~PRESENT~~



"Aaaahhhh!" Quatre exclaimed suddenly, snapping Relena's attention back to the present and drawing the attention of everyone in the room away from the recording and onto him.

Quatre fished around in his jacket mumbling to himself then came up with the keycard triumphantly.

"Ok, Hilde, can you tell me what this is?!" He looked at Hilde expectantly. She took it and turned it over once, twice then nodded.

"Yeah I think so. It looks to me like a keycard for renting a locker or storage compartment. Why? Where did you get this?" Hilde asked glancing up at Quatre with a puzzled look in her eyes.

"In the mail!" Quatre said intently. "I forgot to tell you but I got a message in the mail. We couldn't tell who it's from for sure although I'm guessing it was Duo. All it said was 'Tell Schbeiker beware blitzkrieg and needles'. Whatever a 'blitzkrieg' is.... "he finished in puzzlement.

"Errr..that's German for lightning attack or some such thing." Hilde informed them blinking in bewilderment. "But what's that got to do with needles?"

Everyone looked at her blankly. They all shrugged in unison.

"But if it was Duo that sent me that message, why couldn't this be from him too?!" Quatre said in gathering excitement.

"Good thinking Quatre." a voice from behind said. "So... why don't you see if you can track it down while I follow my lead?"

Everyone turned to see Heero leaning against the doorjamb dangling a key ring in his hand.

"Found it I see..." was all Trowa said. Heero nodded. Hilde and Quatre looked confused. Relena had pity on them.

"Just before you two arrived, Heero got a call from Wufei. Wufei apparently intercepted a call about a stolen rental bike. It was rented out by Duo and was apparently abandoned at some Bar & Grill. Wufei said he has it being taken care of through the proper channels and authorized Heero to check it out. That's where Heero has been." Relena said while Hilde's face lit up.

"That's great!" Hilde said happily. Trowa and Quatre were watching Heero's face uneasily. He looked at Hilde.

"Yeah, it is." he said reservedly.

Relena looked at him sharply, she hadn't lived with him this long and not picked up on a few things. He looked at her then back at Hilde. Hilde still looked plenty tired.

"Hilde, why don't you bring us up to date on what you know and then go rest while we figure out what to do next, hmmm? You're about dead on your feet." Relena smoothly created an out for Heero. He looked at her with something like gratitude in his eyes. Trowa and Quatre looked at each other and then at Hilde.

Hilde was so tired that if she noticed it wasn't registering. The nap had helped but she was still feeling the effects of the past several days. So she told them all what she knew and allowed Relena to bundle her off to one of the guest rooms leaving the guys alone together. The minute she had Hilde out the door they pounced. Well, Quatre pounced, Trowa leaned.

"Ok, Heero, spill. What was it you didn't want to say in front of Hilde?" Quatre asked in apprehension. Trowa went so far as to raise his visible eyebrow in query. So Heero told them. He'd gotten the call from Wufei....

~~ FLASHBACK~~



He'd been looking at records for one J. B. Shisekuri, a certain security chief with a none too shiny clean record, when the vidphone chimed. Picking it up, Wufei popped on screen.

"Got something for you Heero. Actually it was Sally that caught it." this with a slight shake of his head...whether from admiration or peevishness at not having got it first Heero couldn't tell.

"There is an official complaint for one stolen Kuzi motorcycle by a Brent's Transportation Rental's. I'm assuming you know about that one." Heero nodded. Wufei continued.

"What you don't know is there was also a complaint of an abandoned Kuzi that's been taking up parking space at a Juke's Bar & Grill that matches the description and registration number of the rented Kuzi from Brent's. It was brought to the local police..." Wufei snorted. He had a less than complimentary evaluation of the local Chief of Police, "...and Lady Une is seeing what she can do to sooth ruffled feathers and get it under our jurisdiction. We're claiming Preventer's business. You know, 'we have a vested interest in the Gundam Pilots etc etc.'. I'm authorizing you as of now to take the necessary steps to investigate as per Lady Une so don't blow it!" Wufei paused.

For just an instant there might have been something other than a stone face flickering through then it was gone. Heero just nodded. He didn't have to say it, 'Ninmyou Ryoukai', it wasn't necessary. He hung up and grabbed his jean jacket on the way out. It was raining. Delightful... Heero thought to himself sourly.

Arriving at Juke's Bar & Grill, Heero first hunted the bike down. Looking it over carefully while determinedly ignoring the light rain, Heero could see nothing wrong with it. It was just your average rental. Duo had locked it down carefully and securely and no one had bothered it. There was nothing exceptional about it at all that Heero could see.

After he was satisfied he'd missed nothing, he then headed indoors shaking the rain out of his hair once inside. Going to the bar, he managed to get the attention of a surly bartender who's dirty smock said his name was Mack.

"I'm looking for someone. My age, dressed all in black, long brown braid, have you seen him? Or this guy..." flashing a bad photo of McArthur. The bartender looked at the photo, looked at Heero, back at the photo and spat sideways. Glaring at Heero the cranky guy started to turn away. Obviously, to him, the conversation was over before it had begun. Heero pulled his gun and cocked it. The man froze. The customers closest to Heero, at least the ones not too drunk to notice, all started to find business elsewhere.

"Like I said, I'm looking for these people; and you know something you're not telling." Heero said in a deadly soft voice.

The bartender glared fiercely at him and started to move on, having convinced himself Heero didn't dare shoot for real. He changed his mind real quick when Heero snapped off a quick shot that creased his ear and made a bottle and the mirror directly behind it, explode in a shower of glass.

The man clapped a hand to his ear which was truly not damaged, just burned and bleeding the tiniest bit.

"Look, I'm having a bad day and while I could stand here and play twenty questions with you I'd get more stress relief by watching you dance. I know you know something, and you know I know you know something So don't make me repeat myself!" Heero raised his voice just a bit.

The man growled but obviously the kid was nuts.

"That's assault and battery kid....." he started, snarling. He just didn't know when to stop.

"No, that's impeding an investigation by an authorized Preventer agent, a possible long term in prison if I'm feeling generous and do I looking generous to you? My mistake!"Heero responded coldly bringing his gun to bear with the other ear.

The man paled. This kid wasn't nuts he was an out and out psycho. Meanwhile, Heero was thinking distantly...this is a bit frightening...I'm starting to sound like Duo!

"Look, kid, I don't know anything, really! That guy there..." pointing to the photo, "I'd been told that if he ever came in to call a certain number. My buddy didn't give me any details only told me there'd be money in it and no one would get hurt so what harm would it do? Then that kid came in, the one with the braid. They seemed to know each other. That one (again motioning to the photo) made a smart remark, he shouldn't have done that no one makes fun of Mack and gets away with it! They went over to that booth back there, number 12. Then after a bit a couple of other guys came in and went over, then the braid had some sort of accident and they all left together. None of them been back since." Mack spilled in a surly rush.

"What sort of accident?!" Heero asked sharply.

"How should I know? I'm a working man!!" Mack snarled in fresh aggravation. He tried his best intimidating glare again. It didn't work any better now than it had the first time. Heero's eyes narrowed.

"His hand was dripping blood, and that's all I know I swear!!!" Mack added in a rush.

"Did you catch their names?" Heero asked after a cool moments thought. So much for no one getting hurt!

"Just him." Again the photo. "I've seen him before. His name's Deuce Kipling." Mack shifted impatiently.

JACKPOT!!! Heero mentally nodded to himself with satisfaction. Finally!!

"Anything else?" Heero added. Mack shook his head grudgingly. Heero turned to go.

"By the way..." Heero added pseudo pleasantly. Mack scowled at him.

"About the Look...I'll give you a 4.8." satisfied with himself, Heero turned to leave, I've definitely been spending too much time with Duo!

"I 'member him, t'at braid is kinda unmishtakeable." a voice slurred behind Heero. He turned sharply. The man had been drinking but looked relatively stable in spite of his words. The man looked at Heero and nodded his head with drunken deliberateness.

"Strange'n too. But seem' nice 'nough even wi' the hair. Don' know why they'd wan' shoot 'im." the man mumbled.

"What did you say?!" Heero was clutched by a sudden feeling of foreboding. He knew it, he knew it! Trust Duo to get mixed up in something complicated and lethal!!!

Mack took the opportunity to vanish. He made sure he didn't come out again till the crazy kid was gone. Heero meanwhile, was practically nose to nose which didn't last long as Heero got a good whiff of the man's breath. Practically pulling the man out of the chair by his lapel, he asked again,

"What did you say?"

"I shaid..." he tugged at his lapel totally ineffectively till Heero relaxed his grip.

"I shaid, uhhh...what did I shay?" he looked at Heero's steely eyes and tried again.

"I shaid...I dunno! But I sssaw t'e whole t'ing. D-d-d-don' h-h-h-ave ta s-s-hake me ta pieces..."

"What happened?" Heero gritted his teeth then took a deep breath, let the man go and got a grip on himself. Too many late nights. He made a conscious effort to fall back into the Perfect Soldier persona.

He was getting soft. During peace, there was no need to stay constantly on the edge.

"Buy me a drink an' I'll be glad ta tell ya everyt'ing." the man suggested hopefully. Heero looked at him coldly.

"If you don't tell me you won't get a drink for a good long while. How about a stint in the drunk tank?"

The man clutched his drink to him in an irrational fear it would disappear and then made a belated effort to sober up and be coherent.

"Well?" Heero said patiently.

"Ish...it's like thish...this! I work late shif'...shift...see, an' I shtopped...shtopped...shtopped..." he gave up and hurried on at Heero's dark stare, "an' thought I'd shtop ta get a nightcap, see...an' so I come 'round thish corner see...I wash...was...almos' bowled over by dis blon' fella an I hear thish bang! an' wadda I shee...see but t'ese two fella's on 'd groun' looks like they'sh wrastlin' an' the one on top, why, he'sh got a gun shee, an is takin' real good aim at th' blon' feller who'sh yellin' somethin' like 'RUN' an' den t'at one you wash talkin' 'bout, with the hair...jumps in b'tween the two." the man rambled on while Heero just sat there for a long moment, frozen in time. Then he heard the man say something else and brought his attention back sharply.

"D'ey shot 'im right 'nough, I could shee blood on t'e groun' like. But what they wan' wit' a dead body is beyon' me....." the man kept on mumbling, this time into his drink.

"Wait! Do you mean they took the body with them?" Heero leaned forward.

"Yup. Dat's how I know'sh they got 'im. Saw t'e blood when t'ey picked 'im up. He lef' blood on the shidewalk....lot'sh of it..."

"Enough with the blood ok?!!!!" Heero snarled in exasperation. The man nodded hastily.

After discerning that the man had nothing more to add, he got the man's name and number and left. There was a strange feeling in the pit of his stomach he couldn't quite identify.

But why take a dead body? Maybe because it wasn't really dead?? And then there was the matter of Duo's hand... maybe that was the blood the drunk had seen....Heero shook his head. Not likely. Which brought him back to the original question.

~~PRESENT~~



"He's alive." Quatre said with confidence even though he looked apprehensive.

"Who's alive?" this from Relena standing in the door looking at them with confusion on her face.

"Duo...we think." Heero filled her in. She stood there with her eyes closed for a long moment.

"Poor Hilde." she said softly. "No wonder you didn't want to say anything right now. I'll tell her tomorrow." Heero nodded. Good decision and Relena would be able to do it with tact.

"You sure Quatre?" Trowa asked quietly. Quatre nodded a little uncertainly.

"I think so. I think I would have known. We're good friends." he added with a little more firmness.

"Then we'll work on that assumption and go from there." Heero said simply. The others nodded.

"I'll inform Wufei." Trowa said plainly and left to do just that. Heero looked at Quatre.

"I know, I know, I'm on my way right this minute!" Quatre said with a small grin, waving his hand at Heero on the way out. That left Heero and Relena. They looked at each other and then Relena was moving towards him.

"Bring Duo home Heero. That's all I ask. For Hilde, for us....and for you." Heero nodded and with that, she stood on tiptoe, gave him a brief kiss and left as silently as she had come.

Heero stood there in bemusement, one hand on his mouth, than shrugged to himself and headed for the door and his room. He had work to do and a name to track down. And he had a friend to bring home...orders of the Vice Foreign Minister.