He really had no choice. He would have to stay with Duo. He didn't know where Trowa's circus was at the moment. Quatre was too high-profile. And Wufei worked at the Preventers agency. Duo was on a rather nondescript colony in L2 doing salvage work with Howard. Plus, he could always count on Duo to help him.
His cellphone rang. Heero had forgotten that he had it with him. Who would be calling him? Only his coworkers had the cellphone number.
"Hello?" He answered it.
"Heero Yuy. I presume you know who this is?"
Of course he did. Heero could always recognize that voice. "Zechs."
"I'm glad to hear you haven't forgotten me."
"What do you want?" Heero looked around. He didn't see Zechs.
"I'm here to help you, Heero. I'm at the shuttle port. Meet me at Gate 12."
"Why should I trust you?" Zechs had always been a wild card. Heero wasn't sure whether he could consider him a friend now or not.
"Because I'm not doing this for myself. I'll be waiting for you."
Heero could hear the other phone switch off. He paused. He was going to the port anyway. Might as well see what Zechs had to say to him.
It didn't take long to walk to the port. Heero had been there many times before so he quickly found Gate 12. Zechs was sitting in the waiting area with a book. Heero went and sat down next to him. The waiting area was pretty much empty.
"Why should I trust you?" Heero asked again.
Zechs didn't put the book down. "I'm here on Preventer's business."
"I thought you quit the Preventers."
"I did. For a while. But Noin convinced me to join back up with her after seeing how things were going on L2."
"How things are going?" Heero asked.
"There's a rebellion starting. Noin and I stumbled across it. That's when we rejoined."
"So where's Noin?" It would have been better if they had sent her. They must've known that Heero would have had an easier time trusting Noin than Zechs.
"Noin is taking care of other business." Zechs put the book down. "I'm to take you to Preventer's Headquarters on Earth."
"That's predictable. Don't you think the enemy has thought of that, as well?"
"Probably. But I'm just following orders."
"Yeah, well I don't take orders anymore. I'm going to L2." Heero stood, holding out his ticket. He'd bought it before going to meet with Zechs.
Zechs held up two tickets of his own. "L2's where the people who want you dead are based."
"L2's also where I have somebody who will help me. Besides, then I can go investigate this rebellion and see what they're up to."
Zechs stood up and looked Heero in the eye. "I was sent to protect you and to make sure no harm came to you." "You followed me to work this morning?"
"Yes."
"I don't need protection. If you want to go to L2, that's fine. Do what you like. I can see that you aren't my enemy this time." Heero walked past him. The shuttle to L2 left at Gate 36. He would have to walk quickly to get there on time.
He noticed Zechs trailing behind him. So he would have his tag-along for a bit longer. That's fine. Heero knew that Zechs was just following orders. Zechs obviously wasn't involved in this new rebellion, and he didn't seem to want to be involved in it. That meant, as hard as it might be for Heero to accept, that Zechs wasn't an enemy.
A new rebellion. Maybe Duo had heard something about it. If not, Heero was sure the former Deathscythe pilot would be more than willing to investigate.
It was inevitable. The colonies and Earth had managed to live in peace for a year now, but human nature would always turn to war. Somebody would find something to fight about, and no matter how many regulations and laws you put in place, you just couldn't keep them from getting their hands on the resources necessary to carry out their plan. Heero would make sure that this rebellion was stopped before it got out of hand. He had made it through the last war and had convinced himself that there was a life outside of fighting. He wasn't going to fight any more than he had to this time. He didn't want to kill anymore.
****
"You know, Hilde's a little scatterbrained sometimes. Maybe she got mixed up on where we were supposed to meet!" Jeb laughed.
Duo ignored him. Hilde was most definitely NOT a scatterbrain, and she had never gotten mixed up about a meeting place before. But Duo wasn't about to tell that to Jeb. They had been searching for about 2 hours now. Duo sighed. Maybe Hilde had decided to go back to the apartment.
Duo turned around.
"Where are you going?" Jeb asked, running to catch up.
"Home. Maybe Hilde pulled a trick and headed back there or something." Duo scratched his head. That didn't sound like Hilde, either, though. The only reason Hilde would not show up to meet with somebody was if something had stopped her.
Duo immediately stopped that thought. Nothing had happened to her. Hilde was alright.
They reached the apartment faster than Duo had expected. He must have been walking more quickly than he thought. Duo opened the door, hoping, though not expecting, to see Hilde in the kitchen or watching TV or something. But she wasn't there. Duo sighed and pushed the door open. Jeb tentatively followed him in.
"So what are we going to do? Should we call the police?" Jeb asked as Duo collapsed onto the couch. A loose spring dug into his back. They'd have to get a new couch sometime.
"I don't want to call the police. Besides, she might come back later and laugh at us for worrying so much." Duo didn't have a very high opinion of the police on his home colony. Lord knows how many times he'd stolen stuff, and they'd never caught him. How could he expect them to find Hilde?
"What's that beeping noise?" Jeb asked. Duo could tell the guy was worried and was trying to keep his mind off Hilde.
"I got a message." Duo listened to the beep. "Sounds like I've got more than one message. Suddenly, I'm very popular!" Duo stretched and sat up, going to the computer. "You can sit down if you want, pal. There's a soda can in the fridge."
Okay, that was mean. But Duo hadn't lied to him. Besides, this guy was really starting to bug him.
Duo played the first message while Jeb went into the kitchen. It was an urgent call from Lady Une. What was she doing trying to contact Duo? He listened to the message. Heero's workplace had been attacked, and the former Gundam pilots were being called to Earth. Well, damn. Duo started to worry some more until Lady Une finally made a side note that Heero was safe and hadn't been in the building when it had exploded. Duo let out a sigh of relief. Then the closing. Call her back and leave for Earth as soon as possible. Duo's life was in danger. Same old. Same old.
Duo heard Jeb sit down on the couch behind him, awkwardly sitting with the empty soda can. What a geek. He didn't want to seem rude by telling Duo that it was empty. Sheesh!
The next message was audio only. Duo made sure the volume was low enough that Jeb couldn't hear it. Something told him that these messages were somewhat classified.
"Duo, it's me." No need to say names. Duo recognized Heero's voice instantly. He must've been calling from a cellphone. "I'm coming to L2 so stay there. I'll meet you at your apartment late this evening. Don't try to call me back." End of message, thank you Mr. Heero Yuy, it's so nice hearing your lovely voice again. Man, that guy really didn't mess with simple pleasantries, did he?
So he had Lady Une, the head of the Preventers and a fairly powerful government official, telling him to go to Earth ASAP. On the other hand he had Heero, the guy who had a gun and wasn't afraid to use it, telling him to stay put. Duo decided to stay just where he was.
Last message. Also audio. Did everybody's screens break or something? He didn't recognize the voice. Couldn't even if he tried. The voice had been scrambled. "Duo Maxwell, we have Hilde Schbeiker in our custody. If you want her back alive, go to 5th and Crest Street tomorrow at noon. Tell no one."
Duo's eyes remained frozen onto the computer screen. He had thought that something had happened to her. After all, what else? But he hadn't actually let himself believe it. This stuff didn't happen anymore.
A ransom? No. A hostage. Somebody was using Hilde to get to him. Damn! Duo slammed a fist down on the top of the desk. Why didn't they just go after him alone? Were they such cowards that they had to use somebody else to get to him?
Duo turned around in his chair. Jeb was staring at him.
"Go home," he said to Jeb.
Jeb opened his mouth, looking like he was about to argue. Then he thought better of it and left. Duo knew he hadn't heard the message. Duo also knew that Jeb would probably call the police. Oh well.
Heero'd be here tonight. Duo sent a quick message to Lady Une, politely declining her invitation and saying that he had plans tonight. Then he locked the door and turned the lights off. He knew the police would be by to question him about Hilde, and he didn't have any intention of letting anybody besides Heero into the apartment.
Then Duo went into his bedroom. He had a small secret stashed away under the bed. He knew that everybody was supposed to have discarded their weapons a year ago. Duo managed to destroy his Gundam, but, somehow, he hadn't been able to disarm himself entirely. You never know when you might need a gun.
Duo grabbed the small gun from under the bed. Hilde didn't know about it. Nobody knew about it. But now, he might be able to put it to good use.
Duo sighed. Looks like the God of Death is back.
****
"Do you know where he lives?" Trowa asked Dorothy after stepping off the shuttle.
Dorothy turned. "Don't you? You are his friend, aren't you?"
Trowa looked ahead. There was heavy security on the colony. No doubt stepped up since the attack. "I don't know where he lives. I hadn't really kept track."
"Well, then it's fortunate for us that I did happen to look up Heero Yuy's address." She smiled. "It's an apartment in one of the nicer areas of the colony."
She headed away from the shuttle gate. Trowa followed. If somebody had told him a year ago that he'd be following Dorothy Catalonia around to help Heero, he would have thought they were nuts. Yes, he hadn't killed Dorothy. He'd been tempted to, but he knew Quatre wouldn't have wanted that. He had hoped that she would change after their last meeting, but he never thought that she would actually do something like this. Trowa decided to watch her closely. It was always possible that she was leading him into a trap.
Still, he did want to help Heero out, and it seemed that Dorothy was more informed as to the situation than he was. Trowa knew that Heero must have made it out alive. He didn't survive the war just to get killed in an attack like that. But he wouldn't go to his apartment, would he? No, Heero would know better than that.
Trowa looked up at Dorothy. She must know that, as well. She wasn't stupid. So why was she going to Heero's apartment? What was she planning to find there?
"Dorothy," Trowa said. Dorothy stopped and turned to face him. "You go to his apartment and wait there. I'll go to the Cy-Tech building and see if anybody saw him."
"I think it's best if we stay together. The times are getting dangerous. I might need your protection." That smile again. Trowa never realized that a smile could look so unhappy on someone.
"I think you'll be able to manage. Which way is the Cy-Tech building?"
"I imagine you would just follow the flashing red lights. It is an emergency area now, you know. Not just anybody can go snooping through the wreckage."
Trowa knew that. He was sure he'd find a way around that, too.
"I know what you're thinking. You're thinking that Heero wouldn't possibly go back to his apartment if he thought someone was trying to kill him. And you're absolutely right! But I do want to go to his apartment, because I know that some members of a new rebellion will be waiting there."
Trowa stared. She seemed to be practically telling him that she wanted to join a rebellion. Why?
Dorothy shook her head, causing her long blonde hair to swirl around her. "No, I don't want to join up. I want to meet them to see what they're like. I figured that this would be the best way to do that."
"So you had no intention of finding Heero."
"I'm sure Heero's long gone by now or in hiding somewhere on the colony. And if Heero Yuy doesn't want to be found, then he won't be. I brought you along simply because I thought two heads would be better than one in this case."
Trowa considered this. He had thought that Dorothy had some idea of where Heero might be. Now, it seemed she'd deceived him. That would make her even harder to trust.
Trowa simply nodded and followed as Dorothy continued walking. Despite her lies, the opportunity of meeting the people who were trying to kill Heero was something Trowa couldn't pass up. He needed to see who they were. And if Dorothy were right, and they were part of a new rebellion, then he had all the more reason to meet with them.
Dorothy hadn't been kidding about where Heero lived. It was a very nice part of the colony. Dorothy turned to walk into a large apartment complex. Trowa was sure that the rooms were the size of a house. Each to their own. They took the elevator to the 3rd floor, and Dorothy got off and walked to room number 324.
"This is it." Dorothy motioned to the door.
"I don't suppose you have the key."
"You can't expect me to do everything." Dorothy stepped back and left the door to Trowa.
Trowa, a bit unsure about having Dorothy at his back, tried the handle. It turned all the way. Somebody had already gotten in there, and now the door was unlocked. Maybe Heero was here, after all. No, he'd still lock the door. Trowa pushed the door open and walked in, using the open door as a cover against any would-be attackers.
Trowa felt somebody shove into the door from the other side. Trowa dropped and rolled into the dark room. The only light was coming from a window on the other side of the room. Trowa stood up and felt somebody attempt a punch in his stomach. He dodged it and grabbed the arm, twisting it until he heard the person let out a cry. Trowa could hear a scuffle somewhere else and knew that Dorothy was fighting off somebody. At least two. Then Trowa heard a sound behind him, and he swung the arm he had around and let it go. He could hear the collision of the two attackers as they fell against the wall.
Then the lights came on. Trowa blinked a couple times to adjust his eyes. He looked around. There were two men in civilian clothes slumped against the wall in front of him. Off to his side, Dorothy was standing by the lightswitch and had a sword out and at the throat of a third man. Where had she hidden that sword?
"That's not him!" One of the men gasped while looking at Trowa.
"No, I'm not Heero Yuy, if that's what you mean." Trowa told him.
Dorothy shut the door all the way and stood, sword still threatening the 3rd man. "Alright now. Who do you work for?"
"I work for Blanc and for the freedom of the L2 colonies!" The man said proudly.
"I see. And I suppose your mission is to kill the Gundam pilots, correct?"
Trowa saw one of his men get out a small metal object. Trowa really wished he had a gun or something. Then Trowa recognized what it was.
"Our mission is a mission of revolution."
"Stop spouting propaganda and answer my questions!" Dorothy moved the sword closer to the man's throat.
Trowa knew he didn't have enough time to stop the man. He turned to Dorothy. "Run!" He yelled as he grabbed her by the arm and ran to the far side of the apartment. He could imagine the man pushing the button as he jumped through the window, Dorothy in his arms.
Normally, he would have been able to do some flips and land safely on the street below. But now he had Dorothy with him and the rumbling of an explosion behind him. Trowa curled up as much as he could and tried to shield Dorothy. He could feel the heat of the bomb hit them almost as soon as he could feel himself falling onto the street below. As soon as he felt the ground, he let himself roll away from the building. Then he lay there with his head down, Dorothy beside him, also laying flat. He waited until the explosion was over. Then he stood up.
He'd landed on his left leg wrong. He was going to limp for a while. He looked back at the apartment. These guys were serious.
He could see Dorothy standing up out of the corner of his eye. She seemed to be okay. She was staring at the burning building with wide eyes. A crowd had already gathered. Trowa could imagine what this looked like. Two bombings in one day. Unheard of in these times.
"Come on." Trowa started limping to the shuttle port.
"Where are we going?" Dorothy seemed confused now. Almost unsure of what to do. She hadn't expected something like this.
"We're going to L2. That's where this rebellion is based."
****
Quatre had arrived safely at Preventer's Headquarters. Rashid had wanted to come, but Quatre told him to stay on L4. He needed someone he could trust to keep running the estate while he was gone.
Lady Une had just finished briefing him as to the situation.
"Wufei is currently on assignment on L2 with Sally. Our agent reports that Heero is heading to L2, as well. Duo sent us back a message telling us that he wasn't coming back to earth. We've not been able to contact Trowa," Lady Une finished with a report on where the other pilots were.
Quatre figured that Heero was probably going to Duo. It made sense. But where was Trowa? Quatre was worried. He knew that Trowa was more than capable of taking care of himself, but Quatre didn't like not knowing where he was, especially at a time like this.
"So I guess I'm the only pilot coming here, then?" Quatre asked, trying to push aside his worries.
"For the moment, it would seem." Lady Une was staring out the large window behind her.
"So am I going to L2?" Quatre knew that if that's where the others were, that's where he was most likely headed.
"No, actually. We need you for something closer to home." Lady Une turned and looked and him. "We need you to play bodyguard."
"Bodyguard? For whom?"
****
Relena Darlian signed the paper in front of her and shifted it to the side of her desk. Her hand hit the picture of Heero that she had. Her fiancŽ had questioned her as to why she had the pilot's picture on her desk. She had told him that it reminded her of her ideals. And it did. Not that Heero would let her take a picture of him. She had had to get a photo from a news clip.
She sighed. She knew he was safe and that he had survived the explosion, but she couldn't help worrying about him. If she were younger, she would have gone rushing off after him, regardless of how impractical or stupid it was for her to do. She'd grown up quite a bit since then. Now she knew that she had to let the Preventers handle it. She had work she needed to do.
And a wedding to plan. She'd worked with Kav for a while, and had always gotten along with him. He was the representative to the L2 colonies. She'd been a bit surprised when he proposed, but she accepted, partly for political reasons. The L2 colonies were having trouble, and a marriage between their representative and the Vice-Foreign Minister might help smooth things over. There were other reasons, however. She really did like him. He had an ambition in him that she admired, moreso than in most of the other politicians she had to work with. They worked well together, too.
Somebody knocked on her office door. "Come in," she said loudly enough so that the person would hear.
Lady Une entered with Quatre behind her. Relena stood. "Quatre, it's good to see you again."
Quatre bowed slightly, "Hello again, Miss Relena."
"Quatre will be your bodyguard for now, Miss Relena." Lady Une said.
"My bodyguard? Why do I need a bodyguard?" Relena asked.
"There is some unrest in the colonies, as you know. You could be a likely target for them."
Relena hadn't realized that the situation had gotten that bad. It hadn't, had it? She knew she had to trust the Preventers. She knew just how much work they'd done within the past year.
"Very well, then," she said. "Quatre, I have a small desk over there. You can deal with your business. I'm sure that would be more interesting than sitting and watching me sign papers."
Quatre nodded. "Thank you, Miss Relena. I do have some business to take care of, and I brought my computer."
"This is only for the time-being. We're still investigating the situation. How we go from here depends on what we find," Lady Une said.
"That's fine," Relena sat back down in her chair. Quatre had already gotten out his laptop and set it up on the other desk.
Lady Une left quietly.
****
Wufei left the port on L2. He hadn't realized how dirty L2 was. The colony that he had grown up on hadn't been very rich. In fact, it had been somewhat decrepit. Yet it was nothing like L2.
So this is where Duo grew up. Figures. The colony just seemed to match the pilot. Wufei briefly wondered if the colonies of the other pilots also seemed to match their personality.
"The event isn't until tomorrow. We should find a hotel to check in at." Sally came up behind him, handing him his bag.
Technically, Sally outranked him. However, in practice, they acted as equals. Both knew the other's abilities, and they had a silent respect for each other. They were also the best team in the Preventer's agency.
This rebellion was holding a rally tomorrow night. The Preventers had caught wind of some rumours of it. Sally and Wufei had been sent to investigate.
Wufei scanned the colony. "Let's try to keep a low profile. We don't want to alert anyone of our presence." His eyes stopped at a small, dingy hotel building. "That looks perfect."