Bodyguards 4
Angel prowled around, her form-fitting midnight blue dress swirling around her ankles. She rounded the edge of the ballroom, eyes open for any suspicious characters. Her gaze racked over the balconies often, and her hands often flitted to the hilts of her daggers.
What did I tell him about ballrooms? she thought with venom. Of course, he didn't listen to me…no, he just swept Mako off to the dance floor and let me with the dirty work of keeping his ass from being shot.
True enough, Quatre was twirling a starry-eyed Mako around the dance floor, whispering something in her ear that made her tilt her head back and laugh.
"Hey good-lookin'." She turned to see Duo striding up with a suggestive smile.
"I bet you say that to all the ladies," she called, smiling and relaxing in spite of herself. He sobered as he came to a stop next to her.
"Jealous?" he asked, gesturing to Quatre and Mako with his champagne flute.
"Of course not, silly…I just…" She sighed and nodded. "You're right. I am."
He lifted an eyebrow in slight amusement. "I wouldn't worry too much. Q's charming, but I can tell when he's settled on a girl. You've got some time yet."
Angel smirked at him. "Well, I wasn't going to dwell anyway. I'm going to finish my job and get out of here. This is just my inner child wishing she could be in the arms of Prince Charming. I'm not interested."
"I see." The amusement in his eyes grew.
She opened her mouth to retort, but shut it as a hand came down gently on her shoulder.
"Care for a dance?"
Angel turned to see Quatre, then smiled politely and curtsied. "I do, actually."
Duo watched, sipping his champagne. "Well…guess her inner child got what she was looking for."
Meanwhile, Heero and Wufei had taken strategic positions in case they were needed. Heero's only problem was Relena Peacecraft. Would he need to spring into action, she would be in the perfect place to disrupt the entire operation. Worst off, she wouldn't move.
Half-listening to her jabber on about dancing and flowers and the unification process (A/N: don't ask me how she related those topics…she's Relena…), he scanned the crowd. So many people, swirling around in their best clothing, attempting to make names for themselves. Heero pitied them for wasting their valuable time.
Wufei, meanwhile, lingered on a balcony, watching everything from above. His onyx eyes missed nothing. These people, he decided bitterly, are like peacocks, all dressed up for no reason at all. Tugging uncomfortably at the collar of his dress coat, he turned to head back downstairs. He was halfway through that turn when he saw a flash of silver. His eyes widened as he saw the intended target. He lunged for the railing of the balcony.
"Yuy!"
Heero looked up at the shout, realizing just in time what was happening. He sprang to the side and then down, heading for an exit.
Angel too, saw the would-be assassin. One hand grabbed at the dagger on her shoulder, the other went up to her ear-piece. She touched her lips to her mike.
"Get the pilots out of her. Dad, move the Maganac in. I'll take care of Quatre."
"So…not just me after all," Quatre commented softly.
"No…it seems as if they're after you all…but no time for that now." Angel grabbed his wrist and steered him through the crowd in rapid zigzag movements. Once he was in the safety of her father's troops, she headed back inside.
She spied Mako doing the same from the other side as they both sprinted for the west balcony. They met on the stairs.
"Think it's about all of them?" Mako asked, taking the steps two at a time.
"No."
Mako shot her companion a glance. "No?"
"No. I think it's about Quatre. This was to make us think it was about more than him. I still believe it's about him entirely." Angel flicked her wrist and out came another dagger.
"But, why?"
"He's rich, powerful, attractive. Besides, why would they want all the pilots? The Gundams have been destroyed."
"Do you think they're going to murder Quatre or kidnap him."
"Hard to tell at this point. They won't get away with either."
But when they reached the top of the stairs, a new surprise awaited them. There, in a pool of his own blood, was the shooter. He'd killed himself. A bullet through the back of the head. Angel felt her stomach convulse and turned her head. His face, torn apart by the bullet, was totally unrecognizable.
"Let's call the cops," Mako muttered, and led Angel downstairs.
The ride home was silent. Mako had called and the security around the car had doubled. Quatre watched Angel stare out of her window, pale and silent.
"I'm sorry," he whispered.
"Hey, it's part of the job. It's just not something you ever get used to," Angel replied.
The others were quiet, unable to form words out of their numb lips.
"We'll get the bastard," Mako said, her voice quiet and fierce as it cut into the silence. "Hope he's got some kind of God he can pray to.
Angel nodded. "Amen to that."
The others silently agreed.
Angel prowled around, her form-fitting midnight blue dress swirling around her ankles. She rounded the edge of the ballroom, eyes open for any suspicious characters. Her gaze racked over the balconies often, and her hands often flitted to the hilts of her daggers.
What did I tell him about ballrooms? she thought with venom. Of course, he didn't listen to me…no, he just swept Mako off to the dance floor and let me with the dirty work of keeping his ass from being shot.
True enough, Quatre was twirling a starry-eyed Mako around the dance floor, whispering something in her ear that made her tilt her head back and laugh.
"Hey good-lookin'." She turned to see Duo striding up with a suggestive smile.
"I bet you say that to all the ladies," she called, smiling and relaxing in spite of herself. He sobered as he came to a stop next to her.
"Jealous?" he asked, gesturing to Quatre and Mako with his champagne flute.
"Of course not, silly…I just…" She sighed and nodded. "You're right. I am."
He lifted an eyebrow in slight amusement. "I wouldn't worry too much. Q's charming, but I can tell when he's settled on a girl. You've got some time yet."
Angel smirked at him. "Well, I wasn't going to dwell anyway. I'm going to finish my job and get out of here. This is just my inner child wishing she could be in the arms of Prince Charming. I'm not interested."
"I see." The amusement in his eyes grew.
She opened her mouth to retort, but shut it as a hand came down gently on her shoulder.
"Care for a dance?"
Angel turned to see Quatre, then smiled politely and curtsied. "I do, actually."
Duo watched, sipping his champagne. "Well…guess her inner child got what she was looking for."
Meanwhile, Heero and Wufei had taken strategic positions in case they were needed. Heero's only problem was Relena Peacecraft. Would he need to spring into action, she would be in the perfect place to disrupt the entire operation. Worst off, she wouldn't move.
Half-listening to her jabber on about dancing and flowers and the unification process (A/N: don't ask me how she related those topics…she's Relena…), he scanned the crowd. So many people, swirling around in their best clothing, attempting to make names for themselves. Heero pitied them for wasting their valuable time.
Wufei, meanwhile, lingered on a balcony, watching everything from above. His onyx eyes missed nothing. These people, he decided bitterly, are like peacocks, all dressed up for no reason at all. Tugging uncomfortably at the collar of his dress coat, he turned to head back downstairs. He was halfway through that turn when he saw a flash of silver. His eyes widened as he saw the intended target. He lunged for the railing of the balcony.
"Yuy!"
Heero looked up at the shout, realizing just in time what was happening. He sprang to the side and then down, heading for an exit.
Angel too, saw the would-be assassin. One hand grabbed at the dagger on her shoulder, the other went up to her ear-piece. She touched her lips to her mike.
"Get the pilots out of her. Dad, move the Maganac in. I'll take care of Quatre."
"So…not just me after all," Quatre commented softly.
"No…it seems as if they're after you all…but no time for that now." Angel grabbed his wrist and steered him through the crowd in rapid zigzag movements. Once he was in the safety of her father's troops, she headed back inside.
She spied Mako doing the same from the other side as they both sprinted for the west balcony. They met on the stairs.
"Think it's about all of them?" Mako asked, taking the steps two at a time.
"No."
Mako shot her companion a glance. "No?"
"No. I think it's about Quatre. This was to make us think it was about more than him. I still believe it's about him entirely." Angel flicked her wrist and out came another dagger.
"But, why?"
"He's rich, powerful, attractive. Besides, why would they want all the pilots? The Gundams have been destroyed."
"Do you think they're going to murder Quatre or kidnap him."
"Hard to tell at this point. They won't get away with either."
But when they reached the top of the stairs, a new surprise awaited them. There, in a pool of his own blood, was the shooter. He'd killed himself. A bullet through the back of the head. Angel felt her stomach convulse and turned her head. His face, torn apart by the bullet, was totally unrecognizable.
"Let's call the cops," Mako muttered, and led Angel downstairs.
The ride home was silent. Mako had called and the security around the car had doubled. Quatre watched Angel stare out of her window, pale and silent.
"I'm sorry," he whispered.
"Hey, it's part of the job. It's just not something you ever get used to," Angel replied.
The others were quiet, unable to form words out of their numb lips.
"We'll get the bastard," Mako said, her voice quiet and fierce as it cut into the silence. "Hope he's got some kind of God he can pray to.
Angel nodded. "Amen to that."
The others silently agreed.