Rated R for language
AC 197
May 11
2:30a.m.
Apartment of Heero Yuy
Earth
Heero shifted restlessly in his bed, a frown etched on his face. He was trapped in a nightmare fueled by guilt and fear and he couldn't wake up.
"Are you sure you won't reconsider, Heero? With you as my head of security, I'd feel completely safe." Relena held his hand in both of hers and refused to relinquish it.
He looked down at the ground, at their shoes, but he would not look at her face. If he did, he was afraid he might cave.
"You have very skilled bodyguards, Relena. You are safe." He replied in a monotone. "And I already accepted Lady Une's offer."
"It's more than that, Heero." She whispered.
He yanked his hand away from hers. "I don't know what you're talking about." He hissed.
"You know what I mean." Her hands, deprived of his, chose to settle themselves on his arm.
He brushed her hands away from his arm and stepped back a few paces. "I have no idea what you are talking about, Relena." He said coldly. "And I have no interest in finding out." He heard her whisper his name as he turned and walked away, and he had to steel himself to keep going. It was for the best, no matter how much it hurt them both.
The dream shifted, he saw Relena lying in a pool of blood and realized with a jolt of horror that he was the one who had shot her, like he had always threatened to do. The gun felt warm and real in his hand. Her blue eyes held his, a look of accusation in them. "Why?" Her voice was a pained whimper. "I trusted you. I loved you. Why?" Before he could answer her, she closed her eyes and died.
"I'm sorry…I'm sorry…" He cried out to her, dropping to his knees before her and taking her limp body into his arms.
"Heero…Heero, man, wake up!" Strong hands shook his shoulders and he came out of his nightmare, covered with sweat and tangled in his sheets. Duo, clad in sweatpants and a t-shirt was shaking him awake. Heero looked up at him blankly for a moment.
"Man, are you okay? You were yellin', and I could hear you all the way from the couch." Duo released him but continued to hover over him like a worried mother.
Heero ran a slightly shaky hand through his hair. "I'm fine, just a bad dream." He said firmly.
Duo didn't look convinced. "Are you sure?"
Heero nodded.
"She's gonna be okay, Heero. That doctor chick called us a couple of hours ago and said she was still okay. Don't worry." Duo said carefully.
"I'm aware of that, and I'm fine." Heero made a move to dismiss his friend.
Duo sighed. "If you're sure…"
"Yes!" Heero snapped.
"All right, but if you want to talk or anything…I'm on the couch, ok?" Duo said as he paused in the doorway.
"Fine." Heero said. The moment his door closed, he slumped back down onto his mattress. Maybe, if he had agreed to head up her security team, she wouldn't be lying in a hospital bed somewhere with two bullet holes in her. Maybe, if he hadn't been such a coward, he would have had the opportunity to figure out what exactly it was about her that made his heart ache. He sighed. Sleep would not come back that night.
That same night, Preventer's HQ
Hannah Ryan's entire life history was plastered on Lady Une's computer screen. She smirked in triumph. She knew that woman's name had sounded familiar. Hannah Ryan, the disgraced daughter of General Marcus Ryan. She shook her head. Why on earth would anyone allow her to perform delicate surgery on an important diplomat? Her medical license had been revoked years ago, and she had been dismissed for treason, not exactly a sterling resume for someone working in her current capacity.
She dialed a number seemingly from memory, not bothering to turn on her view screen. Shiro never had his on, anyway. He picked up on the fourth ring and greeted her pleasantly, not seeming to be bothered by the fact that it was extremely late at night.
"Lady Une, what can I do for you? Has Hannah not called in?" He asked, smoothly.
"She did, two hours ago. But that's not why I called." Lady Une began. "I really called to ask you why the hell you trusted Relena to that woman when you know she's not allowed to practice medicine or even be a mile from a military base."
Shiro chuckled. "Now, now, Lady Une, sheathe your claws. Hannah is a perfectly competent physician and surgeon. I would trust her with my life. I have, in fact, several times. She'll take good care of Relena."
"Is that the only reason you sent her? I don't think I remember her doing other missions with us, in fact I know she hasn't. Was your decision in any way influenced by her rather impressive military pedigree?" Lady Une asked.
"You are a shrewd woman. I can see why Trieze trusted you so much." Shiro said warmly.
"Cut the bullshit and explain." She said testily.
"Her brother, Brigadier General Lucas Ryan and a few of his ilk might be involved in this. I don't know if bringing Hannah into this will be of any help, but it never hurts to have a stacked deck, don't you think?" Shiro asked jovially.
"How do you know she won't betray us to her brother, or maybe she already has…?"
"To tell you the truth, Lady Une, Hannah hates her brother. She would sooner cut off her own arm than help him out." He replied easily. "I trust her, and I hope you will, too."
Lady Une sighed. "I'll try."
"Good. Listen, I'm glad you called me; I wanted to tell you that Hannah should be contacting you soon with her location. She's waiting until Relena is stabilized. Once she's comfortable, she'll tell you where to find them. I'm sure your boys are chomping at the bit and want to be useful." Shiro said.
"These precautions seem a bit excessive. Is Relena really in this much danger?" Lady Une asked.
"It is always wise to err on the side of caution, don't you think? Somebody wanted her dead so badly that they risked almost everything to get to her. I want her out of sight until we get this sorted out. By the way, have you contacted her family yet?"
"I talked to her brother earlier. He naturally wants to know where she is."
"Well, unfortunately, I think it would be best not to tell him, given his military connections. He probably isn't a problem, but there could be a leak in his office." Shiro said firmly.
"I understand. He will be kept up to date on her condition, but that is all." Lady Une replied.
"Good. Well, it's late and I have an early meeting. I'll talk to you tomorrow." He switched off his communicator before she could reply.
AC 197
Preventer's HQ
Earth
May 11
10:34 a.m.
Lady Une glanced at her watch with irritation and tapped an elegantly manicured finger on the polished wooden surface of the conference table. "She's late." She said, to no one in particular.
Sitting across from her, Heero, Duo, Wufei and Sally Po waited, each caught up in their own thoughts.
Finally, at 10:36, the phone rang. Lady Une picked it up and flipped a switch that put the caller on the speaker and the view screen.
Hannah Ryan was nursing a large cup of coffee and took a swig before addressing the group. "Sorry I'm late." She said cheerfully. "We had trouble establishing a connection. This old hunk of junk is always malfunctioning somewhere." A loud thump alerted her listeners that she had kicked something.
"What can you tell us?" Lady Une asked brusquely.
Hannah took another deep drink of coffee. "I'm sure you guys want to come help us, and believe me, we could use it. We're mostly a medical team, we're not really equipped to deal with combat…" She trailed off and squinted into the screen. "Hold on." She disappeared and they could hear some loud thuds and some cursing. After a long moment, she reappeared. "Sorry about that. My view screen stopped working. As it is now, you're all a bunch of colorful blurs. Stupid ship…"
"Where are you now?" Heero interrupted, irritated with her babbling.
"Hmm, the surly brown and green blur must be Heero Yuy." She said, cheerfully. "Hold on and I'll send you the coordinates of our ship." She reached off camera and the sound of fingers hitting a keyboard indicated that she was doing just that.
"You're in a ship?" Duo asked, slightly surprised. "I thought you'd be in a hospital somewhere. I mean, Relena's injuries sounded pretty serious…"
"Who's that?" She asked, peering into the camera.
"Duo Maxwell."
"Ah, well, Duo Maxwell, I happen to be on a medical ship. It may fly like shit but the hospital facilities are actually quite nice. Besides, it's harder to find Relena if we're flying around. Moving targets and all that." Hannah replied.
"I see." Duo said, looking impressed, which was lost on Hannah, since her screen didn't pick up such details.
Heero sat himself in front of the room's computer and hit a few keys. Beside the projected image of Hannah, a map appeared. A tiny red dot indicated the location of the ship, the Ryouzai.
"We can't stay here too long, so I'd suggest that you haul ass up here. Once you guys are on the ship, then I'll fill you in on what we've managed to find out so far. I know this entire cloak and dagger operation probably seems stupid, but Shiro feels that given who we may be up against, it's warranted." She paused and then slapped her forehead as if suddenly remembering something. "Oh, and I saw Relena's brother, the former Zechs Marquise on television this morning…will one of you drop word to him that it's not the colonies who are trying to kill his sister? The last thing we all need is another god damned war up here. Whoever is behind this, they're definitely earth bound." Hannah drained her coffee cup and signaled to someone off screen. A disembodied hand reached into the picture and took her mug. "Add more sugar this time, Mike, because otherwise this shit isn't drinkable." She said to the owner of the hand. Ignoring the grumbles of the offended Mike, she turned her attention back to the meeting. "I'll see you guys later, and be careful. Remember, loose lips sink ships." She laughed at her quip and flipped off her view screen.
"I know I said it before, but that is a strange woman." Duo said with a smile. "I kinda like her."
"You would." Wufei grumbled.
Lady Une held up a hand to silence Duo's retort. "Enough. Heero, you and Duo will immediately go up to the vessel. Wufei, I need you and Sally to get a hold of Zechs and fill him in. Remember, do not tell him where the ship is. There may be a leak in his organization. After you've talked to Zechs, then I want you to up there and act as an escort for the Ryouzai. I'll find you if I need you. Lethal force is authorized." She stood and nodded at them. "Dismissed."
The group was silent as they exited the room.
AC 197
May 11
2:30a.m.
Apartment of Heero Yuy
Earth
Heero shifted restlessly in his bed, a frown etched on his face. He was trapped in a nightmare fueled by guilt and fear and he couldn't wake up.
"Are you sure you won't reconsider, Heero? With you as my head of security, I'd feel completely safe." Relena held his hand in both of hers and refused to relinquish it.
He looked down at the ground, at their shoes, but he would not look at her face. If he did, he was afraid he might cave.
"You have very skilled bodyguards, Relena. You are safe." He replied in a monotone. "And I already accepted Lady Une's offer."
"It's more than that, Heero." She whispered.
He yanked his hand away from hers. "I don't know what you're talking about." He hissed.
"You know what I mean." Her hands, deprived of his, chose to settle themselves on his arm.
He brushed her hands away from his arm and stepped back a few paces. "I have no idea what you are talking about, Relena." He said coldly. "And I have no interest in finding out." He heard her whisper his name as he turned and walked away, and he had to steel himself to keep going. It was for the best, no matter how much it hurt them both.
The dream shifted, he saw Relena lying in a pool of blood and realized with a jolt of horror that he was the one who had shot her, like he had always threatened to do. The gun felt warm and real in his hand. Her blue eyes held his, a look of accusation in them. "Why?" Her voice was a pained whimper. "I trusted you. I loved you. Why?" Before he could answer her, she closed her eyes and died.
"I'm sorry…I'm sorry…" He cried out to her, dropping to his knees before her and taking her limp body into his arms.
"Heero…Heero, man, wake up!" Strong hands shook his shoulders and he came out of his nightmare, covered with sweat and tangled in his sheets. Duo, clad in sweatpants and a t-shirt was shaking him awake. Heero looked up at him blankly for a moment.
"Man, are you okay? You were yellin', and I could hear you all the way from the couch." Duo released him but continued to hover over him like a worried mother.
Heero ran a slightly shaky hand through his hair. "I'm fine, just a bad dream." He said firmly.
Duo didn't look convinced. "Are you sure?"
Heero nodded.
"She's gonna be okay, Heero. That doctor chick called us a couple of hours ago and said she was still okay. Don't worry." Duo said carefully.
"I'm aware of that, and I'm fine." Heero made a move to dismiss his friend.
Duo sighed. "If you're sure…"
"Yes!" Heero snapped.
"All right, but if you want to talk or anything…I'm on the couch, ok?" Duo said as he paused in the doorway.
"Fine." Heero said. The moment his door closed, he slumped back down onto his mattress. Maybe, if he had agreed to head up her security team, she wouldn't be lying in a hospital bed somewhere with two bullet holes in her. Maybe, if he hadn't been such a coward, he would have had the opportunity to figure out what exactly it was about her that made his heart ache. He sighed. Sleep would not come back that night.
That same night, Preventer's HQ
Hannah Ryan's entire life history was plastered on Lady Une's computer screen. She smirked in triumph. She knew that woman's name had sounded familiar. Hannah Ryan, the disgraced daughter of General Marcus Ryan. She shook her head. Why on earth would anyone allow her to perform delicate surgery on an important diplomat? Her medical license had been revoked years ago, and she had been dismissed for treason, not exactly a sterling resume for someone working in her current capacity.
She dialed a number seemingly from memory, not bothering to turn on her view screen. Shiro never had his on, anyway. He picked up on the fourth ring and greeted her pleasantly, not seeming to be bothered by the fact that it was extremely late at night.
"Lady Une, what can I do for you? Has Hannah not called in?" He asked, smoothly.
"She did, two hours ago. But that's not why I called." Lady Une began. "I really called to ask you why the hell you trusted Relena to that woman when you know she's not allowed to practice medicine or even be a mile from a military base."
Shiro chuckled. "Now, now, Lady Une, sheathe your claws. Hannah is a perfectly competent physician and surgeon. I would trust her with my life. I have, in fact, several times. She'll take good care of Relena."
"Is that the only reason you sent her? I don't think I remember her doing other missions with us, in fact I know she hasn't. Was your decision in any way influenced by her rather impressive military pedigree?" Lady Une asked.
"You are a shrewd woman. I can see why Trieze trusted you so much." Shiro said warmly.
"Cut the bullshit and explain." She said testily.
"Her brother, Brigadier General Lucas Ryan and a few of his ilk might be involved in this. I don't know if bringing Hannah into this will be of any help, but it never hurts to have a stacked deck, don't you think?" Shiro asked jovially.
"How do you know she won't betray us to her brother, or maybe she already has…?"
"To tell you the truth, Lady Une, Hannah hates her brother. She would sooner cut off her own arm than help him out." He replied easily. "I trust her, and I hope you will, too."
Lady Une sighed. "I'll try."
"Good. Listen, I'm glad you called me; I wanted to tell you that Hannah should be contacting you soon with her location. She's waiting until Relena is stabilized. Once she's comfortable, she'll tell you where to find them. I'm sure your boys are chomping at the bit and want to be useful." Shiro said.
"These precautions seem a bit excessive. Is Relena really in this much danger?" Lady Une asked.
"It is always wise to err on the side of caution, don't you think? Somebody wanted her dead so badly that they risked almost everything to get to her. I want her out of sight until we get this sorted out. By the way, have you contacted her family yet?"
"I talked to her brother earlier. He naturally wants to know where she is."
"Well, unfortunately, I think it would be best not to tell him, given his military connections. He probably isn't a problem, but there could be a leak in his office." Shiro said firmly.
"I understand. He will be kept up to date on her condition, but that is all." Lady Une replied.
"Good. Well, it's late and I have an early meeting. I'll talk to you tomorrow." He switched off his communicator before she could reply.
AC 197
Preventer's HQ
Earth
May 11
10:34 a.m.
Lady Une glanced at her watch with irritation and tapped an elegantly manicured finger on the polished wooden surface of the conference table. "She's late." She said, to no one in particular.
Sitting across from her, Heero, Duo, Wufei and Sally Po waited, each caught up in their own thoughts.
Finally, at 10:36, the phone rang. Lady Une picked it up and flipped a switch that put the caller on the speaker and the view screen.
Hannah Ryan was nursing a large cup of coffee and took a swig before addressing the group. "Sorry I'm late." She said cheerfully. "We had trouble establishing a connection. This old hunk of junk is always malfunctioning somewhere." A loud thump alerted her listeners that she had kicked something.
"What can you tell us?" Lady Une asked brusquely.
Hannah took another deep drink of coffee. "I'm sure you guys want to come help us, and believe me, we could use it. We're mostly a medical team, we're not really equipped to deal with combat…" She trailed off and squinted into the screen. "Hold on." She disappeared and they could hear some loud thuds and some cursing. After a long moment, she reappeared. "Sorry about that. My view screen stopped working. As it is now, you're all a bunch of colorful blurs. Stupid ship…"
"Where are you now?" Heero interrupted, irritated with her babbling.
"Hmm, the surly brown and green blur must be Heero Yuy." She said, cheerfully. "Hold on and I'll send you the coordinates of our ship." She reached off camera and the sound of fingers hitting a keyboard indicated that she was doing just that.
"You're in a ship?" Duo asked, slightly surprised. "I thought you'd be in a hospital somewhere. I mean, Relena's injuries sounded pretty serious…"
"Who's that?" She asked, peering into the camera.
"Duo Maxwell."
"Ah, well, Duo Maxwell, I happen to be on a medical ship. It may fly like shit but the hospital facilities are actually quite nice. Besides, it's harder to find Relena if we're flying around. Moving targets and all that." Hannah replied.
"I see." Duo said, looking impressed, which was lost on Hannah, since her screen didn't pick up such details.
Heero sat himself in front of the room's computer and hit a few keys. Beside the projected image of Hannah, a map appeared. A tiny red dot indicated the location of the ship, the Ryouzai.
"We can't stay here too long, so I'd suggest that you haul ass up here. Once you guys are on the ship, then I'll fill you in on what we've managed to find out so far. I know this entire cloak and dagger operation probably seems stupid, but Shiro feels that given who we may be up against, it's warranted." She paused and then slapped her forehead as if suddenly remembering something. "Oh, and I saw Relena's brother, the former Zechs Marquise on television this morning…will one of you drop word to him that it's not the colonies who are trying to kill his sister? The last thing we all need is another god damned war up here. Whoever is behind this, they're definitely earth bound." Hannah drained her coffee cup and signaled to someone off screen. A disembodied hand reached into the picture and took her mug. "Add more sugar this time, Mike, because otherwise this shit isn't drinkable." She said to the owner of the hand. Ignoring the grumbles of the offended Mike, she turned her attention back to the meeting. "I'll see you guys later, and be careful. Remember, loose lips sink ships." She laughed at her quip and flipped off her view screen.
"I know I said it before, but that is a strange woman." Duo said with a smile. "I kinda like her."
"You would." Wufei grumbled.
Lady Une held up a hand to silence Duo's retort. "Enough. Heero, you and Duo will immediately go up to the vessel. Wufei, I need you and Sally to get a hold of Zechs and fill him in. Remember, do not tell him where the ship is. There may be a leak in his organization. After you've talked to Zechs, then I want you to up there and act as an escort for the Ryouzai. I'll find you if I need you. Lethal force is authorized." She stood and nodded at them. "Dismissed."
The group was silent as they exited the room.