CHAPTER FOUR: IMPLICATIONS AND ODD SITUATIONS
A phone rang somewhere inside the great building. Its sound was not loud, but it carried to the closed doors of one of the smaller meeting chambers, and slipped between the cracks of the glossy wood paneling.
Relena Peacecraft slightly inclined her head in the direction of the noise as she heard it, and cast her eyes to the door for a moment, then returned her attention to the meeting.
Twelve men and women sat around a deep brown wooden table. They all had their attention on the woman who was speaking, who stood at the head of the table. Lady Une cast her eyes over the entire assembly, her long brown hair faintly shifting as her head turned.
"So it is no longer a known threat which hangs over us. It is something different, that we cannot understand or predict. You all know of the assault on Ambassador Haldor, and that it was reported that they were dressed as Oz soldiers. But we don't know where they came from, or why they targeted him. That attack came out of the blue, and we thought that it might have been an isolated incident. Then months later, another attack on an ambassador occurred, and this time the soldiers were dressed in Romafeller uniforms. More disturbing in this case was the viciousness of the attack, and the erraticness. We don't know what to expect. And we don't know if they are working independently or together." She paused and sighed, taking off her glasses. "The Preventers have tried to determine the reason for the assaults , and the identities of the people behind them, but we have so far been unsuccessful. However, we must act, and quickly. The slow unrest of the people is mounting, and accusations are flying. The republic that Haldor represents is accusing us of trying to assassinate him. We suspect terrorism, but it isn't in the style of any group we know of at this point. The investigation is continuing, but it will take time. What I asked you here for today is to inform you of what is going on, and how the Preventers are dealing with it, and also to ask for your assistance.
All of you have worked hard with us for peace, and your efforts have been a great help to all of us here, and to the world. What the Preventers need you for now is to help calm the people, to stop the rising unease, and for some, to offer us your unique services." Lady Une's eyes passed over Relena as she said this, and she gave a slight nod in her direction.
Relena slowly stood up, acknowledging Lady Une with a nod of her head. She turned to the men and women seated at the table. "What Lady Une has said is true, and as an individual who fights for peace, I implore you to contribute your efforts, and as a part of an organization I dearly hope that you will help us. The people have lost trust in us, and we must reinstate it, in order to calmly and peacefully discover who is behind these atrocities. Together, we can— "
Relena paused as an attendant appeared next to her shoulder, looking apologetic. Disguising her irritation, she said quietly, "This is a very important meeting, but I know it must be important for you to interrupt me. What is it?"
"An urgent phonecall, Miss Peacecraft."
A phone call? Relena thought. She wondered for a fleeting second if it was Heero, then dismissed it. She had to stick to business. She hadn't heard from him in weeks, anyway.
"Herrel, this meeting is far more important than a phone call. Please tell them to wait."
"But Miss Peacecraft, it's on one of the private lines, the secure ones…" Relena remained unconvinced. "He said he had to speak with you immediately." She paused.
"He?"
"He had a rather low voice, and spoke quite neutrally," Herrel said helpfully. Relena's mind was racing.
She looked up at the expectant members at the table, and then directly at Lady Une.
"I'm sorry, but you must excuse me for a moment," she announced politely. As quickly as she could, she turned and headed for the door.
"Hello?"
"Relena. Is this a secure line?"
"Yes, but not top notch. Heero, is something wrong? Please tell me."
There was a pause on the other end of the line. Relena held her breath.
"We have a situation."
"What kind of situation? Does it involve the possible terrorist attacks?" Relena asked worriedly. Heero replied loudly over background noise, "I can't mention it over the phone. I don't know exactly what is going on, but it has the potential to be difficult. Hold on a moment," He said. Relena heard a muffled conversation. Heero had obviously placed his hand over the phone. She caught something along the lines of would you shut up for just one minute? And then someone, sounding indignant, --bleeding all over the place! You know just about as much as I do about this sort of thing so shut up! Then, …would both of you please be quiet while he finishes calling the doctor?! There was some more mutterings. Heero came back on the line. "Sorry. Relena, we've picked up a lone wolf and we're not sure if he has pursuers, or if he's connected to anything important at this moment. He's been injured, and we need a trusted Preventer doctor."
"I'll send one immediately. Do you think he could be a spy?"
"I'm not sure. We'll just have to wait and see. A few minutes ago he woke up for a moment muttering, don't take me to a hospital, please, not there, don't let them…and passed out again. We're going to a safe place." He paused, as if he wanted to say more. Relena thought, I was worried about you when you left…
"If there are people looking for him we have to stay underground for now. Give us a doctor and tell him to meet me two blocks north of Onyx Five. I'll keep in touch."
Relena hesitated, and drew in a breath. "Be careful, Heero."
There was a pause.
"Goodbye, Relena." He hung up. The dial tone hummed in her ear. Slowly she set the receiver down, not really focusing on it. She whispered to the empty room and the endless spaces of telephone wire between them, "Heero…"
[Heero]
Heero Yuy was jerked to the right. Then to the left, and the right again. He turned and set his rather annoyed sights on Duo, who was leaning over the steering wheel with a look of glee and concentration on his face. The truck careened down another side street, almost on the middle line, and at a speed that would have made almost any driver flinch. Duo and Heero, of course, were far from flinching, but the same could not be said for Quatre who was having some doubts about his friend's driving skills.
"You know, just because you have a fake ID and driver's license doesn't mean you can actually drive!" He reminded Duo from the back seat. Duo laughed. "This is a piece of cake, buddy. Deathscythe was way more complicated than this, and at least we don't have people shooting at us. What have you got to worry about?"
At about that time he turned the wheel hard to the right and screeched around a corner, one set of wheels almost leaving the road. "Duo!" Quatre yelled.
"Sorry! Minor steering malfunction!" Duo reported with a grin, as he zoomed up another road.
Heero at this point, with one hand anchoring him in place, was bored and riffling through the car's storage compartment. He pulled out a wad of paper and frowned, eyes traveling up and down the sheet's length. He gave Duo a sideways glance. "So when did you start reading Playgirl, Duo, old buddy?"
Duo gave him a startled look. "Huh?"
"Duo, did you steal the car?"
"Not exactly…" Duo evaded. Heero gave him a long, silent look.
"Well it was the first one I saw that was big enough…and its big and black and it looks cool…"
"So you stole it."
"Stole is such a harsh word…"
Quatre started saying urgently from the back, "Car. Car! CAR!" As another vehicle turned onto the road up ahead. Duo glanced up and gave the truck a quick yank to the side, as the car went past, horn blaring. "Would you stop being a backseat driver?"
Heero sat back and noted mildly, "Well it's a good thing she's unconscious or you might have given her a heart attack."
"Hey, do you wanna drive this thing?" Duo said indignantly. Heero calmly stuffed the papers back into the glove compartment. "Not now that you've sent every cop in this area after us."
"Must you insist on looking on the dark side of things?"
"Just being helpful."
"Well would you mind being helpful someplace else?"
Heero glanced at the road ahead. "If you say so. That's a mailbox, by the way."
"I know that!" Duo swerved. There was some muttering from the backseat. "Do I have to come up there, Maxwell?" Wufei asked, sounding irritated.
"Car! Car! Car!" Quatre was yelling again, as the driver ahead sat on his horn.
"Would you stop that?" Duo said plaintively. The truck moved erratically to the side and the other car went past. There was a thunk as they hit a sign and flattened it beneath them. Heero coughed.
"Oh, shut up."
Heero stared at the changing orange numbers in the elevator as they went from lobby to floor fifty, listening to the sound of the machines as they hummed and cranked their way up to the top floor. The silence inside the elevator was broken only by those noises. Duo was amusing himself by looking in the multiple reflections of himself in the mirrors, Quatre was watching him do it with a bemused look on his face, Trowa was leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, apparently finding the unchanging grey surface of the elevator door rather interesting, and Wufei was standing in the corner with Xiran in his arms, with a black storm cloud hanging over his head. Heero thought to himself, why is it that we almost always come together under the worst possible circumstances? He glanced at Wufei, who looked as though he had been personally insulted by the whole incident, and then at the unconscious girl in his arms. Her face held nothing of the half shy smiling Xiran they had met in the bar. Even in unconsciousness she held herself in cold control. Heero looked away. He thought of his conversation with Relena. He remembered the sound of her voice.
The elevator stopped. The orange numbers faded.
"Floor level fifty," the elevator announced, sounding much too happy for its own good. They stepped off, Wufei coming last. There was a thunk as he passed the doorway. Trowa glanced back.
"I hope that wasn't her head," he said mildly. Wufei gave him a look.
"It was her foot, thank you," he said, sounding indignant. They approached the door to their room at a slow pace. Quatre looked around as Heero inserted the key. "It's a nice enough place, I guess," he observed, looking at the traditionally muted pastel tones of the hotel's decor.
"Sure, just a little boring," Duo said with a shrug. "Well I guess we should be grateful for a hotel room we aren't paying for, no matter how it looks." Heero opened the door and they went in. "Hey nice! The penthouse!" Duo exclaimed. "We're living in style!" He gazed up at the big windows, the soft couches, the wood and carpeted floors, and the metal stairs that led to a little catwalk going to two rooms.
"Would you move?" Wufei demanded from the hall, unable to get around Duo, who had stopped to observe the scenery.
"Sure buddy," Duo said without turning. "But only after you take that pole out of your--"
"Just move!" Quatre said in exasperation, pushing him out of the way. Wufei went past, pointedly ignoring Duo, who found a beam beneath the stairs and began swinging on it.
Heero said from one of the rooms, "Wufei, in here." He thought it would be best to keep him away from Duo, and more importantly, to put the girl down so she wouldn't bleed to death. They had tried to slow the flow of blood, but shirt didn't work very well and the old bandages on her shoulder were saturated. She probably wouldn't die, but she definitely had to be looked at by someone who actually knew what they were doing. Wufei came in and laid her down with surprising gentleness, then stood up. After a time he turned and faced Heero across the dimly lit room.
"Do you think this could be something serious?"
Heero crossed his arms, and said noncommittally, "I don't know. This could be an isolated incident. Or it could be part of something we want no hand in." Wufei nodded, his brown eyes shadowed.
"It may be connected to the reports of a disturbance in space, or to the mysterious meteorite. It seems a little suspicious." Heero saw faint expressions sliding behind Wufei's eyes, but could not place them. Wufei's gaze traveled to Xiran, lying unconscious and unprotected on the bed. He observed to no one in particular, "There's definitely something she's hiding from us..."
Heero said quietly, "Everyone has secrets."
He saw Wufei smile a little. "Yes, but hers might come back to haunt us as well as her. You weren't there when she dealt with that man. She was like one of us. She was calm, and highly skilled. Yet there was a cold anger as well, that I have only before seen in you. She beat the poor bastard's head in with no effort whatsoever."
Heero glanced at her. "Unprovoked?"
Wufei shook his head. "He was drunk, and he was threatening her. There wasn't a whole lot she really could have done, but she took it a step farther than she could have." He shrugged. "Then again, I can't say I would have done any different, but the point is that she's more than she seems."
Heero said nothing. He thought, but aren't we all? There was a silence. Heero looked at Wufei and said quietly, "She had a gun too. She evidently knows how to use it, and she has the look of someone highly trained."
Wufei took a step towards the door. "I saw that. It looked like military style instruction." He paused. "Or she could just be a woman who took self defense courses and knows how to defend herself."
Heero shrugged. "Who knows?"
Wufei left. Heero took one more look at her, checked the bandage, and did the same. The door closed and Xiran Ki'Era was left to the darkness.
* * *
Heero was staring at the clock. The doctor had come and gone and now it was late. The man, dressed in nondescript clothes, had come to the street corner at the exact time proposed, carrying a briefcase. He had identified himself to Heero's liking, with both identification, knowledge, and a message from Relena. He removed a bullet from Xiran's shoulder, that had apparently been there for several days, and cleaned the wound. Then, asking no questions, he left them specific instructions and left. Now Heero sat in one of the large soft couches, watching the moving hands on the antique clock on the wall. The doctor had told them to change the bandage in approximately two hours.
The others were spread around the room. Trowa and Quatre were over in a corner playing Big Two, Wufei was doing something that Heero assumed was meditating, and Duo was on one of the other couches, just beginning to snore.
Sighing, he stretched and stood up. It was time. Quatre and Trowa looked up from their game. "The hours are up?" Quatre asked. Heero nodded wordlessly. He looked in the direction of the bedroom, his expression slightly uneasy. "I guess I'll go do it then," he said.
"And who said that you would be the one to change it?" Duo asked from the couch, suddenly very awake, his violet eyes sharp and full of hilarity. Heero looked at him for a moment, but the relief quickly vanished from his face when he saw Duo's grin.
"Who would you have do it, Duo?" Wufei inquired mildly, his eyes still closed. Duo sat up swiftly. "Well I was just offering my services—"
"So the fact that you have to remove her shirt in the process didn't cross your mind at all?" Wufei asked pointedly, his brown eyes suddenly open. Duo exaggeratedly opened his eyes in surprise.
"Me? I am so hurt that you would even suspect that of me, Wufei!" He couldn't keep the amusement out of his face. He sighed.
"Would you go then?" He said, watching Wufei's expression. Heero saw Wufei's anger coil in him, tight and ready. His eyes were flat. "No, I wouldn't," he said quietly.
"Then who is going to go?" Duo asked loudly. Trowa and Quatre exchanged a look over their cards. They abruptly became completely absorbed in their game. Wufei had closed his eyes and resumed meditating. Heero was still standing. He didn't say anything.
"Well I guess I'll have to go!" Duo said, and stood up, not sounding at all dismayed.
"No!" Came the unanimous answer from the room.
Heero gave Duo a level stare, and a little smile curved his mouth. "Too bad, Duo." Then he sighed. "I'll go then," he said, directing a slightly accusatory glance at the rest of his comrades.
Duo said, "Damn you."
The sliver of light opened directly onto the bed as Heero stepped into the room, illuminating Xiran's body and driving away the shadows. He let the door close with a click. He remembered Hilde on hospital gurney, and the look on Duo's face as he watched her. Old memories, triggered by this stranger. Heero sighed and rolled her onto her back, fingers firm but gentle. Her bangs spilled across her face.
Am I like her? He thought to himself. Is that what they see in my face every day, the blankness, the total lack of expression? He thought of Trowa…his laughter on that bright day. Then inevitably, the blue eyes and blonde hair of Relena came into his mind. Strange that he should think of her again…He suddenly realized that he had stopped moving, and shook himself.
In that moment he looked down at Xiran, seeing the wound and the slight weariness in her features. Her arms were loose by her sides. She seemed small and fragile, even though he suspected she was far from being so.
*If it was Relena lying there now, would I feel rage…?*
She rose from the numb depths of unconsciousness. There was darkness. It pressed in on her mind, huge and suffocating. She floated in it, prone, face down, her eyes forced closed. No sound yet, just silence, vast, smothering silence. Noises made of smoke, thick and black, more tinged with memory than reality, pressed near. Twinges and the taste of metal. Harsh chemical smells. Tiny pricks. Heavy scent of something holding her. Pressed down, restrained. Then pain, clear as a flash of light. Old laughter, shoving, pushing, struggling, breath coming faster and faster. Cold surface like ice. No straps yet, no, they had been careless—but there was someone, something there, and the pain came again, the weight on her shifting…
Heero knelt next to her on the bed, gently removing the bandage from her shoulder. The wound looked infected and painful, but the doctor had removed the festering tissue already, and it could now begin to heal. Still, it looked like it hurt, and he remembered the pain from his own bullet wounds. He leaned close to better see where his fingers were touching in the semi- dark, suddenly in an instant saw the glint of her open eye.
The back of her arm hit him hard in the face as he tried to move out of the way. The swift turning motion as she half rose and twisted was powerful, coming from her whole torso. For an instant he saw surprise in her eyes as he was knocked across her and off the bed.
Heero hit the wall already in a tense crouch, his blue eyes trained on her every move. She sat frozen where she was, staring at him, her eyes wide and slightly wild. For a long moment he stared into their depths, seeing intense, usually guarded, emotion. He saw her gaze clear and her breath slow. She lowered her raised arm and sighed out. For a second she turned away almost angrily. When she looked back at him her eyes were dark and apologetic.
"I'm sorry, Heero..."
He slowly rose to his feet, his face utterly blank, his blue eyes trained on hers. He moved towards her warily, but without fear. As he came close she looked away and cast her eyes downward. She drew the covers up to her chest. Something in the way she sat, the way her face had drained of emotion, told him that she expected a blow, and that she had been hit before.
Something twisted in him.
He picked up the cloth at the side dresser and gently wiped blood from her newly opened wound, which was slowly oozing. "Just be still," he said softly. She turned her head and fixed her dark eyes on him. He read faint surprise and a particular questioning in their depths. He paused for a moment, holding her gaze. She looked away first.
Quickly he set about to changing the bandages. He finished swiftly, fingers precise but gentle, and he was halfway to the door when her voice stopped him.
"Thank-you." Her voice sounded small and soft. He turned.
Xiran was sitting up with her eyes on him, her hair falling in her face. The silence was filled with shadows. Finally he replied, "You're welcome." He went to leave again and paused.
"Get some rest. After you've slept we'd appreciate come information." He thought he heard her sigh.
"And that you will have, Heero Yuy," she said. Without turning, he shut the door.
[Wufei]
Wufei looked up as Heero exited the room, something in the heaviness of his footsteps telling him something was wrong. He wondered fleetingly about Heero alone in a dark room with a good looking girl, then dismissed it. Shortly after that he kicked himself and tore his treacherous mind away from thoughts of Sally Po. When his eyes finally fell on Heero's face, all thought was immediately erased.
Her past may come back to haunt us…he had said. How fitting.
Wufei thought darkly, what have we let into our house? He came to his feet just as behind him, Trowa said in his neutral voice, "What happened?" And from across the room, Duo uttered a small exclamation, his violet eyes flaring.
Heero stopped and looked at them. He absently wiped away the blood at the corner of his mouth. Duo came forward, his face deceptively calm. There was a question in his eyes, and Wufei saw it. No matter how irritating Duo could be, Wufei never wanted to stand against him…not again. He flinched from those memories, and looked into the face of the one he had once raised his gun against.
Heero told Duo, "It's alright." His eyes were distant. "We will talk to her in the morning, after she's rested. She's agreed to co-operate."
Duo said with a sliver of amusement, "Was that before or after you punched yourself in the face?"
Wufei fought the urge to roll his eyes. Heero's face remained impassive. "After."
"Oh." As if that had cleared everything up, Duo nonchalantly walked back over to his couch and flopped in it. Wufei thought to himself, hit himself in the face my ass, and watched Heero's cobalt eyes as Quatre softly asked him if he was okay. Heero nodded. He means it in more than one way, Heero, Wufei thought. Trowa said nothing, as was his way, but his green eyes observed everything.
Both him and Quatre retired soon afterwards. Wufei was beginning to feel his eyelids grow heavy as well, but one thought kept him totally awake. Who was this Xiran Ki'Era to be able to hit Heero Yuy in the face, much less make him bleed? The thought made him a little uneasy. He walked to where Heero was sprawled on a soft chair. Heero raised his head and responded to his unspoken question.
"I'll watch tonight, Wufei."
Wufei nodded and went to go to bed. Curiosity, however, was strong, and as he passed Xiran's room, he paused. She still looks harmless, he thought to himself as he gazed through the slight gap in the door. I wonder if she still looked that way when she hit him…Wufei looked to the shadow where he knew her face would be. What lies beneath…he thought. Well, they would know tomorrow. He let the door close.
As he passed back through the hall, he saw Duo and Heero engaged in conversation. He couldn't make out the words, but decided that he didn't really care. He saw Heero pause and look straight at Duo, and the sentence came across very clearly: "The thing is…I know she held back…"
Great, Wufei thought. Just great.
END
Oh man! I love adding Relena to this whole mix! It sure adds some spice. And Wufei, well his sarcasm keeps me amused. The funny thing is, it's only amusing while it is in my head. After it gets on the computer screen I start hating it and thinking how stupid it is…argh. Well, I hope no one hates what I've done so far, because there's lots more coming! And on a different note…does anyone else but me notice the yaoi references to Duo and Heero? Read it…they're there ^^
A phone rang somewhere inside the great building. Its sound was not loud, but it carried to the closed doors of one of the smaller meeting chambers, and slipped between the cracks of the glossy wood paneling.
Relena Peacecraft slightly inclined her head in the direction of the noise as she heard it, and cast her eyes to the door for a moment, then returned her attention to the meeting.
Twelve men and women sat around a deep brown wooden table. They all had their attention on the woman who was speaking, who stood at the head of the table. Lady Une cast her eyes over the entire assembly, her long brown hair faintly shifting as her head turned.
"So it is no longer a known threat which hangs over us. It is something different, that we cannot understand or predict. You all know of the assault on Ambassador Haldor, and that it was reported that they were dressed as Oz soldiers. But we don't know where they came from, or why they targeted him. That attack came out of the blue, and we thought that it might have been an isolated incident. Then months later, another attack on an ambassador occurred, and this time the soldiers were dressed in Romafeller uniforms. More disturbing in this case was the viciousness of the attack, and the erraticness. We don't know what to expect. And we don't know if they are working independently or together." She paused and sighed, taking off her glasses. "The Preventers have tried to determine the reason for the assaults , and the identities of the people behind them, but we have so far been unsuccessful. However, we must act, and quickly. The slow unrest of the people is mounting, and accusations are flying. The republic that Haldor represents is accusing us of trying to assassinate him. We suspect terrorism, but it isn't in the style of any group we know of at this point. The investigation is continuing, but it will take time. What I asked you here for today is to inform you of what is going on, and how the Preventers are dealing with it, and also to ask for your assistance.
All of you have worked hard with us for peace, and your efforts have been a great help to all of us here, and to the world. What the Preventers need you for now is to help calm the people, to stop the rising unease, and for some, to offer us your unique services." Lady Une's eyes passed over Relena as she said this, and she gave a slight nod in her direction.
Relena slowly stood up, acknowledging Lady Une with a nod of her head. She turned to the men and women seated at the table. "What Lady Une has said is true, and as an individual who fights for peace, I implore you to contribute your efforts, and as a part of an organization I dearly hope that you will help us. The people have lost trust in us, and we must reinstate it, in order to calmly and peacefully discover who is behind these atrocities. Together, we can— "
Relena paused as an attendant appeared next to her shoulder, looking apologetic. Disguising her irritation, she said quietly, "This is a very important meeting, but I know it must be important for you to interrupt me. What is it?"
"An urgent phonecall, Miss Peacecraft."
A phone call? Relena thought. She wondered for a fleeting second if it was Heero, then dismissed it. She had to stick to business. She hadn't heard from him in weeks, anyway.
"Herrel, this meeting is far more important than a phone call. Please tell them to wait."
"But Miss Peacecraft, it's on one of the private lines, the secure ones…" Relena remained unconvinced. "He said he had to speak with you immediately." She paused.
"He?"
"He had a rather low voice, and spoke quite neutrally," Herrel said helpfully. Relena's mind was racing.
She looked up at the expectant members at the table, and then directly at Lady Une.
"I'm sorry, but you must excuse me for a moment," she announced politely. As quickly as she could, she turned and headed for the door.
"Hello?"
"Relena. Is this a secure line?"
"Yes, but not top notch. Heero, is something wrong? Please tell me."
There was a pause on the other end of the line. Relena held her breath.
"We have a situation."
"What kind of situation? Does it involve the possible terrorist attacks?" Relena asked worriedly. Heero replied loudly over background noise, "I can't mention it over the phone. I don't know exactly what is going on, but it has the potential to be difficult. Hold on a moment," He said. Relena heard a muffled conversation. Heero had obviously placed his hand over the phone. She caught something along the lines of would you shut up for just one minute? And then someone, sounding indignant, --bleeding all over the place! You know just about as much as I do about this sort of thing so shut up! Then, …would both of you please be quiet while he finishes calling the doctor?! There was some more mutterings. Heero came back on the line. "Sorry. Relena, we've picked up a lone wolf and we're not sure if he has pursuers, or if he's connected to anything important at this moment. He's been injured, and we need a trusted Preventer doctor."
"I'll send one immediately. Do you think he could be a spy?"
"I'm not sure. We'll just have to wait and see. A few minutes ago he woke up for a moment muttering, don't take me to a hospital, please, not there, don't let them…and passed out again. We're going to a safe place." He paused, as if he wanted to say more. Relena thought, I was worried about you when you left…
"If there are people looking for him we have to stay underground for now. Give us a doctor and tell him to meet me two blocks north of Onyx Five. I'll keep in touch."
Relena hesitated, and drew in a breath. "Be careful, Heero."
There was a pause.
"Goodbye, Relena." He hung up. The dial tone hummed in her ear. Slowly she set the receiver down, not really focusing on it. She whispered to the empty room and the endless spaces of telephone wire between them, "Heero…"
[Heero]
Heero Yuy was jerked to the right. Then to the left, and the right again. He turned and set his rather annoyed sights on Duo, who was leaning over the steering wheel with a look of glee and concentration on his face. The truck careened down another side street, almost on the middle line, and at a speed that would have made almost any driver flinch. Duo and Heero, of course, were far from flinching, but the same could not be said for Quatre who was having some doubts about his friend's driving skills.
"You know, just because you have a fake ID and driver's license doesn't mean you can actually drive!" He reminded Duo from the back seat. Duo laughed. "This is a piece of cake, buddy. Deathscythe was way more complicated than this, and at least we don't have people shooting at us. What have you got to worry about?"
At about that time he turned the wheel hard to the right and screeched around a corner, one set of wheels almost leaving the road. "Duo!" Quatre yelled.
"Sorry! Minor steering malfunction!" Duo reported with a grin, as he zoomed up another road.
Heero at this point, with one hand anchoring him in place, was bored and riffling through the car's storage compartment. He pulled out a wad of paper and frowned, eyes traveling up and down the sheet's length. He gave Duo a sideways glance. "So when did you start reading Playgirl, Duo, old buddy?"
Duo gave him a startled look. "Huh?"
"Duo, did you steal the car?"
"Not exactly…" Duo evaded. Heero gave him a long, silent look.
"Well it was the first one I saw that was big enough…and its big and black and it looks cool…"
"So you stole it."
"Stole is such a harsh word…"
Quatre started saying urgently from the back, "Car. Car! CAR!" As another vehicle turned onto the road up ahead. Duo glanced up and gave the truck a quick yank to the side, as the car went past, horn blaring. "Would you stop being a backseat driver?"
Heero sat back and noted mildly, "Well it's a good thing she's unconscious or you might have given her a heart attack."
"Hey, do you wanna drive this thing?" Duo said indignantly. Heero calmly stuffed the papers back into the glove compartment. "Not now that you've sent every cop in this area after us."
"Must you insist on looking on the dark side of things?"
"Just being helpful."
"Well would you mind being helpful someplace else?"
Heero glanced at the road ahead. "If you say so. That's a mailbox, by the way."
"I know that!" Duo swerved. There was some muttering from the backseat. "Do I have to come up there, Maxwell?" Wufei asked, sounding irritated.
"Car! Car! Car!" Quatre was yelling again, as the driver ahead sat on his horn.
"Would you stop that?" Duo said plaintively. The truck moved erratically to the side and the other car went past. There was a thunk as they hit a sign and flattened it beneath them. Heero coughed.
"Oh, shut up."
Heero stared at the changing orange numbers in the elevator as they went from lobby to floor fifty, listening to the sound of the machines as they hummed and cranked their way up to the top floor. The silence inside the elevator was broken only by those noises. Duo was amusing himself by looking in the multiple reflections of himself in the mirrors, Quatre was watching him do it with a bemused look on his face, Trowa was leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, apparently finding the unchanging grey surface of the elevator door rather interesting, and Wufei was standing in the corner with Xiran in his arms, with a black storm cloud hanging over his head. Heero thought to himself, why is it that we almost always come together under the worst possible circumstances? He glanced at Wufei, who looked as though he had been personally insulted by the whole incident, and then at the unconscious girl in his arms. Her face held nothing of the half shy smiling Xiran they had met in the bar. Even in unconsciousness she held herself in cold control. Heero looked away. He thought of his conversation with Relena. He remembered the sound of her voice.
The elevator stopped. The orange numbers faded.
"Floor level fifty," the elevator announced, sounding much too happy for its own good. They stepped off, Wufei coming last. There was a thunk as he passed the doorway. Trowa glanced back.
"I hope that wasn't her head," he said mildly. Wufei gave him a look.
"It was her foot, thank you," he said, sounding indignant. They approached the door to their room at a slow pace. Quatre looked around as Heero inserted the key. "It's a nice enough place, I guess," he observed, looking at the traditionally muted pastel tones of the hotel's decor.
"Sure, just a little boring," Duo said with a shrug. "Well I guess we should be grateful for a hotel room we aren't paying for, no matter how it looks." Heero opened the door and they went in. "Hey nice! The penthouse!" Duo exclaimed. "We're living in style!" He gazed up at the big windows, the soft couches, the wood and carpeted floors, and the metal stairs that led to a little catwalk going to two rooms.
"Would you move?" Wufei demanded from the hall, unable to get around Duo, who had stopped to observe the scenery.
"Sure buddy," Duo said without turning. "But only after you take that pole out of your--"
"Just move!" Quatre said in exasperation, pushing him out of the way. Wufei went past, pointedly ignoring Duo, who found a beam beneath the stairs and began swinging on it.
Heero said from one of the rooms, "Wufei, in here." He thought it would be best to keep him away from Duo, and more importantly, to put the girl down so she wouldn't bleed to death. They had tried to slow the flow of blood, but shirt didn't work very well and the old bandages on her shoulder were saturated. She probably wouldn't die, but she definitely had to be looked at by someone who actually knew what they were doing. Wufei came in and laid her down with surprising gentleness, then stood up. After a time he turned and faced Heero across the dimly lit room.
"Do you think this could be something serious?"
Heero crossed his arms, and said noncommittally, "I don't know. This could be an isolated incident. Or it could be part of something we want no hand in." Wufei nodded, his brown eyes shadowed.
"It may be connected to the reports of a disturbance in space, or to the mysterious meteorite. It seems a little suspicious." Heero saw faint expressions sliding behind Wufei's eyes, but could not place them. Wufei's gaze traveled to Xiran, lying unconscious and unprotected on the bed. He observed to no one in particular, "There's definitely something she's hiding from us..."
Heero said quietly, "Everyone has secrets."
He saw Wufei smile a little. "Yes, but hers might come back to haunt us as well as her. You weren't there when she dealt with that man. She was like one of us. She was calm, and highly skilled. Yet there was a cold anger as well, that I have only before seen in you. She beat the poor bastard's head in with no effort whatsoever."
Heero glanced at her. "Unprovoked?"
Wufei shook his head. "He was drunk, and he was threatening her. There wasn't a whole lot she really could have done, but she took it a step farther than she could have." He shrugged. "Then again, I can't say I would have done any different, but the point is that she's more than she seems."
Heero said nothing. He thought, but aren't we all? There was a silence. Heero looked at Wufei and said quietly, "She had a gun too. She evidently knows how to use it, and she has the look of someone highly trained."
Wufei took a step towards the door. "I saw that. It looked like military style instruction." He paused. "Or she could just be a woman who took self defense courses and knows how to defend herself."
Heero shrugged. "Who knows?"
Wufei left. Heero took one more look at her, checked the bandage, and did the same. The door closed and Xiran Ki'Era was left to the darkness.
* * *
Heero was staring at the clock. The doctor had come and gone and now it was late. The man, dressed in nondescript clothes, had come to the street corner at the exact time proposed, carrying a briefcase. He had identified himself to Heero's liking, with both identification, knowledge, and a message from Relena. He removed a bullet from Xiran's shoulder, that had apparently been there for several days, and cleaned the wound. Then, asking no questions, he left them specific instructions and left. Now Heero sat in one of the large soft couches, watching the moving hands on the antique clock on the wall. The doctor had told them to change the bandage in approximately two hours.
The others were spread around the room. Trowa and Quatre were over in a corner playing Big Two, Wufei was doing something that Heero assumed was meditating, and Duo was on one of the other couches, just beginning to snore.
Sighing, he stretched and stood up. It was time. Quatre and Trowa looked up from their game. "The hours are up?" Quatre asked. Heero nodded wordlessly. He looked in the direction of the bedroom, his expression slightly uneasy. "I guess I'll go do it then," he said.
"And who said that you would be the one to change it?" Duo asked from the couch, suddenly very awake, his violet eyes sharp and full of hilarity. Heero looked at him for a moment, but the relief quickly vanished from his face when he saw Duo's grin.
"Who would you have do it, Duo?" Wufei inquired mildly, his eyes still closed. Duo sat up swiftly. "Well I was just offering my services—"
"So the fact that you have to remove her shirt in the process didn't cross your mind at all?" Wufei asked pointedly, his brown eyes suddenly open. Duo exaggeratedly opened his eyes in surprise.
"Me? I am so hurt that you would even suspect that of me, Wufei!" He couldn't keep the amusement out of his face. He sighed.
"Would you go then?" He said, watching Wufei's expression. Heero saw Wufei's anger coil in him, tight and ready. His eyes were flat. "No, I wouldn't," he said quietly.
"Then who is going to go?" Duo asked loudly. Trowa and Quatre exchanged a look over their cards. They abruptly became completely absorbed in their game. Wufei had closed his eyes and resumed meditating. Heero was still standing. He didn't say anything.
"Well I guess I'll have to go!" Duo said, and stood up, not sounding at all dismayed.
"No!" Came the unanimous answer from the room.
Heero gave Duo a level stare, and a little smile curved his mouth. "Too bad, Duo." Then he sighed. "I'll go then," he said, directing a slightly accusatory glance at the rest of his comrades.
Duo said, "Damn you."
The sliver of light opened directly onto the bed as Heero stepped into the room, illuminating Xiran's body and driving away the shadows. He let the door close with a click. He remembered Hilde on hospital gurney, and the look on Duo's face as he watched her. Old memories, triggered by this stranger. Heero sighed and rolled her onto her back, fingers firm but gentle. Her bangs spilled across her face.
Am I like her? He thought to himself. Is that what they see in my face every day, the blankness, the total lack of expression? He thought of Trowa…his laughter on that bright day. Then inevitably, the blue eyes and blonde hair of Relena came into his mind. Strange that he should think of her again…He suddenly realized that he had stopped moving, and shook himself.
In that moment he looked down at Xiran, seeing the wound and the slight weariness in her features. Her arms were loose by her sides. She seemed small and fragile, even though he suspected she was far from being so.
*If it was Relena lying there now, would I feel rage…?*
She rose from the numb depths of unconsciousness. There was darkness. It pressed in on her mind, huge and suffocating. She floated in it, prone, face down, her eyes forced closed. No sound yet, just silence, vast, smothering silence. Noises made of smoke, thick and black, more tinged with memory than reality, pressed near. Twinges and the taste of metal. Harsh chemical smells. Tiny pricks. Heavy scent of something holding her. Pressed down, restrained. Then pain, clear as a flash of light. Old laughter, shoving, pushing, struggling, breath coming faster and faster. Cold surface like ice. No straps yet, no, they had been careless—but there was someone, something there, and the pain came again, the weight on her shifting…
Heero knelt next to her on the bed, gently removing the bandage from her shoulder. The wound looked infected and painful, but the doctor had removed the festering tissue already, and it could now begin to heal. Still, it looked like it hurt, and he remembered the pain from his own bullet wounds. He leaned close to better see where his fingers were touching in the semi- dark, suddenly in an instant saw the glint of her open eye.
The back of her arm hit him hard in the face as he tried to move out of the way. The swift turning motion as she half rose and twisted was powerful, coming from her whole torso. For an instant he saw surprise in her eyes as he was knocked across her and off the bed.
Heero hit the wall already in a tense crouch, his blue eyes trained on her every move. She sat frozen where she was, staring at him, her eyes wide and slightly wild. For a long moment he stared into their depths, seeing intense, usually guarded, emotion. He saw her gaze clear and her breath slow. She lowered her raised arm and sighed out. For a second she turned away almost angrily. When she looked back at him her eyes were dark and apologetic.
"I'm sorry, Heero..."
He slowly rose to his feet, his face utterly blank, his blue eyes trained on hers. He moved towards her warily, but without fear. As he came close she looked away and cast her eyes downward. She drew the covers up to her chest. Something in the way she sat, the way her face had drained of emotion, told him that she expected a blow, and that she had been hit before.
Something twisted in him.
He picked up the cloth at the side dresser and gently wiped blood from her newly opened wound, which was slowly oozing. "Just be still," he said softly. She turned her head and fixed her dark eyes on him. He read faint surprise and a particular questioning in their depths. He paused for a moment, holding her gaze. She looked away first.
Quickly he set about to changing the bandages. He finished swiftly, fingers precise but gentle, and he was halfway to the door when her voice stopped him.
"Thank-you." Her voice sounded small and soft. He turned.
Xiran was sitting up with her eyes on him, her hair falling in her face. The silence was filled with shadows. Finally he replied, "You're welcome." He went to leave again and paused.
"Get some rest. After you've slept we'd appreciate come information." He thought he heard her sigh.
"And that you will have, Heero Yuy," she said. Without turning, he shut the door.
[Wufei]
Wufei looked up as Heero exited the room, something in the heaviness of his footsteps telling him something was wrong. He wondered fleetingly about Heero alone in a dark room with a good looking girl, then dismissed it. Shortly after that he kicked himself and tore his treacherous mind away from thoughts of Sally Po. When his eyes finally fell on Heero's face, all thought was immediately erased.
Her past may come back to haunt us…he had said. How fitting.
Wufei thought darkly, what have we let into our house? He came to his feet just as behind him, Trowa said in his neutral voice, "What happened?" And from across the room, Duo uttered a small exclamation, his violet eyes flaring.
Heero stopped and looked at them. He absently wiped away the blood at the corner of his mouth. Duo came forward, his face deceptively calm. There was a question in his eyes, and Wufei saw it. No matter how irritating Duo could be, Wufei never wanted to stand against him…not again. He flinched from those memories, and looked into the face of the one he had once raised his gun against.
Heero told Duo, "It's alright." His eyes were distant. "We will talk to her in the morning, after she's rested. She's agreed to co-operate."
Duo said with a sliver of amusement, "Was that before or after you punched yourself in the face?"
Wufei fought the urge to roll his eyes. Heero's face remained impassive. "After."
"Oh." As if that had cleared everything up, Duo nonchalantly walked back over to his couch and flopped in it. Wufei thought to himself, hit himself in the face my ass, and watched Heero's cobalt eyes as Quatre softly asked him if he was okay. Heero nodded. He means it in more than one way, Heero, Wufei thought. Trowa said nothing, as was his way, but his green eyes observed everything.
Both him and Quatre retired soon afterwards. Wufei was beginning to feel his eyelids grow heavy as well, but one thought kept him totally awake. Who was this Xiran Ki'Era to be able to hit Heero Yuy in the face, much less make him bleed? The thought made him a little uneasy. He walked to where Heero was sprawled on a soft chair. Heero raised his head and responded to his unspoken question.
"I'll watch tonight, Wufei."
Wufei nodded and went to go to bed. Curiosity, however, was strong, and as he passed Xiran's room, he paused. She still looks harmless, he thought to himself as he gazed through the slight gap in the door. I wonder if she still looked that way when she hit him…Wufei looked to the shadow where he knew her face would be. What lies beneath…he thought. Well, they would know tomorrow. He let the door close.
As he passed back through the hall, he saw Duo and Heero engaged in conversation. He couldn't make out the words, but decided that he didn't really care. He saw Heero pause and look straight at Duo, and the sentence came across very clearly: "The thing is…I know she held back…"
Great, Wufei thought. Just great.
END
Oh man! I love adding Relena to this whole mix! It sure adds some spice. And Wufei, well his sarcasm keeps me amused. The funny thing is, it's only amusing while it is in my head. After it gets on the computer screen I start hating it and thinking how stupid it is…argh. Well, I hope no one hates what I've done so far, because there's lots more coming! And on a different note…does anyone else but me notice the yaoi references to Duo and Heero? Read it…they're there ^^