Standard Disclaimer:  Well, this is going to get monotonous…  *sigh*  I own nothing pertaining to Gundam Wing!  If I did, do you think I'd be writing fanfiction?  No! I'd be cranking out more manga and anime so everybody can see me torture these people while I make an actual profit!  College is expensive, ya know…

AN:  Two chapters in one sitting?  Don't get used to it, I will try to update every week or so, but that depends on how cruel my professors are feeling and on the actual demand for the story itself. 

A great big thank you to my beta and muse, Niko, especially for helping me figure out how to start the next chapter.  *Snicker*  It should prove…interesting…

Choosing Sides: Chapter 2

Making the First Move

~Preventer headquarters, 1:07 am~

Wufei stared at the files that littered the desk in front of him.  Two days worth of research, and only three references to a man calling himself Chameleon.  They were far outdated too, the most recent account occurring just after the war with Mariemaia two years ago.  Since then the only references they could find were vague rumors about this elusive figure. 

One would assume he wasn't that much of a threat, but with the recent death of two fairly prominent Preventors, chaos had erupted.  Every Preventer now had to report on their movements practically every hour, and the security measures at headquarters had been changed drastically to the point that Wufei was now forced to head the midnight watch, a fact that didn't thrill him in the least. 

Even the Gundam pilots were being affected; they were all rearranging their schedules and arriving later in the morning, even Barton, who Lady Une had finally tracked down.  Hopefully they could track this Chameleon down soon before Preventors were forced to start wearing homing beacons!

The sound of the office door being slammed open caused Wufei to scowl darkly at the intruder, one of the security guards that was supposed to be watching the back door. 

"What are you doing away from your post?" Wufei demanded.

"Sir, there's been a security breach!  An intruder is somewhere on the premises."

Wufei sighed.  This was just what he didn't need at the moment; he had too much to do. He gave the orders to secure the building and begin a floor-by-floor search to find whomever it was who had broken in.  The soldier ran out to relay the orders and Wufei went to search his side of the floor to ensure the intruder wasn't anywhere nearby. 

When he received word that the intruder couldn't be found his temper began to rise. He couldn't believe the incompetence of the search team.

He glared at the soldier on front of him who had given him the news. "Very well, make sure all exits are sealed and search every floor again. Including the basement, storage areas and the roof if necessary; I want this intruder found!!"

"Yes sir, right away sir!" The soldier left the room quickly.

Wufei growled inwardly.  It was looking to be a long night.

Melanie stayed crouched low in the hiding spot she'd found in an empty office.  She forced her breathing to stay low and quiet as she listened to footsteps pounding down the hallway.  She repeatedly cursed herself, and the Preventor who'd chosen the worst time to have to take a bathroom break.  Luckily it occurred after she'd downloaded all the information that the client wanted, but the Preventor's cry of alarm sent other operatives running in her direction.

Wasting no time, she had run from the computer terminal she'd been using to the nearest stairwell.  Hearing the sound of running feet coming from below she ran up to the next floor.  Once there, she'd raced down the darkened hallway and into the first unlocked office she could find.  She had thrown the lock shut and ran to hide in the first place she could think of, under the desk.

Now she held her breath as she heard the doorknob rattle.  Closing her eyes she braced herself for the door to be opened and for her hiding place to be discovered.  Luckily whomever it was searching this hallway assumed if the door was locked, no one could get in.  That would buy her precious little time, but it was something at least.

Crawling out from under the desk, she cautiously looked around, on full alert incase someone jumped out of the closet or anything of the like.  Taking time to transfer the disk with the information to her pocket and to make sure her knife sheath was secured tightly to her belt, she looped the strap of her bag over her shoulder and crept to the door.  Cautiously glancing out she breathed a sigh of relief at the sight of an empty hallway. 

Opening the door, she made her way back to the stairwell, all senses on high alert.  She winced at the slight creak of the door opening.  The echo of footsteps was disconcerting; she couldn't determine which direction they were coming from at first.  When she realized they were coming from below it was almost too late, but she fled, running up the stairs as fast as she could, not stopping at any floor but heading straight up towards the roof.

Slamming the door open she was met with a discouraging sight. Half a dozen Preventors were waiting for her as she came outside, and all of them had guns pointing at her.  She could hear another group racing up the stairs after her and swallowed hard.  This did not look good. 

Thinking fast, she threw her bag at the formation, causing them to scatter.  She dove at the man nearest her and sent them both tumbling, wrestling for the gun he held. She was grabbed immediately and thrown off of her victim.  After doing a few wild rolls in midair, she landed on her feet, with her back to the ledge of the roof.  She spared a sharp glance behind her, seeing only empty space with a pile of boxes at the foot of the building.  A plan was forming, but it would no doubt lead to the loss of life.  She cursed inwardly; she hated to kill innocent people.

Bracing herself, she faced off against her opponents once more.  She waited to see who would attack first. She didn't have long to wait.  Instead of attacking, a voice full of authority, and more than a touch of arrogance rang out.  "Step away from the ledge and put your hands above your head."

She turned to face the speaker and shock coursed through her veins even as a brief scene of vengeance against Seth danced through her head.  Chang Wufei, the ex Gundam pilot she wouldn't run into was here, and apparently in charge of the situation.

'Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit, shit!!! I am in deep shit!!'  The thought raced through her head like a mantra.  She knew of his purported fighting skills, and she wasn't sure she'd be able to match him if it came down to facing him in a fight.  Suddenly reckless stupidity seemed like a very viable option.

"You are under arrest for the unlawful entry of a government sanctioned building.  Step away from the ledge and put your hands above your head!"  Wufei repeated. 

He was glad that the incompetent staff he was working with had finally come through and tracked the thief down.  Now he just had to allow the thief to surrender, handcuff him, and put him in a cell until morning when questioning could commence.  He frowned when there was no compliance to his orders.  Was this intruder deaf or just stupid?

He was shocked to hear a low chuckle emanating from the direction of his captive.  A low husky voice rang out "Well…that is one option…" before the figure turned and raced for the ledge.  Gunshots rang out and the captive stumbled briefly before reaching the edge, where he proceeded to leap onto the ledge and throw himself off the building.

Wufei ran to the ledge in time to see the prisoner land in a pile of empty boxes at the bottom of the building. He was amazed to see the figure below stagger to his feet and take off running through the alley.  Stopping only to yell into his radio, "All Preventers to the east perimeter, intruder is on foot!" he ran for the door.

Melanie felt every bone in her body jolt with the impact of her landing.  She sucked in a breath and winced at the pain it caused.  Feeling a burning in her left arm, she realized she'd been shot.  She staggered to her feet and grabbed for the gun in her shoulder holster beneath her jacket.  Snapping off the safety, she stopped only to drop the disk in small niche in the wall before she took off running down the alley.  If luck was with her, she'd be able to double back for it.

She turned the corner only to slam into a body running the other way.  Her gun went flying from her hand and she landed hard on top of the person she'd run into.  She looked down. It was Wufei.

'Well this is just perfect.' She thought wryly as she scrambled to get up and go for her gun, dodging his hands as they grabbed for her. She didn't get far; she was tackled from behind by two other Preventors and landed hard on her stomach.  Without thinking, she reached around for her knife and slashed at the nearest body.

A scream of pain and the gleam of red on the blade told her she found her mark. She stood up slowly and watched the remaining Preventers surround her once again. She knew she wasn't going to get out of here without killing a few of them, and that gave her a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach.  Ignoring the waves of pain that rushed through her body, she crouched low and braced herself for an attack. 

It never came.  A pair of exceedingly strong arms grabbed her from behind.  She struggled and tried to lash out with her knife.  Wufei took the opportunity to grab it from her hand.  She stared at him angrily through the eyeholes of her mask.  She attempted to kick him, but he dodged easily and nodded to the man that was holding her.

"You're early, Yuy."

'Yuy?  Please don't mean Heero "Perfect-fucking-soldier" Yuy!'  Mel fervently begged silently, realizing that was probably who it was anyway.  His answer only confirmed it.

"Hn." 

'Well, fuck.  This complicates things.'

Wufei reached up and yanked Melanie's mask off.  Her hair, which had only been secured in a loose knot in the first place, came free and cascaded down her back.

"An onna?"  Wufei sounded outraged and shocked.  Through sheer force of will, Melanie kept her mouth shut and merely glared.

Wufei nodded to a pair of Preventers behind him who came forward and handcuffed her.  "Take her to a cell and post extra guards.  Keep a close watch on her."

They complied and Melanie was quickly searched and led away.  She tossed her head and spared one backward glance towards her captors.  Heero and Wufei watched in silence as she was led into the building.

After she was placed in a cell and the door was slammed shut behind her, she finally sank down and gave herself a quick examination.  Her shoulder throbbed where the bullet had pierced her skin, but it didn't look like it had gone in too deep and had in fact left an exit wound.  It had really only grazed her.  With a sigh of relief at the realization that she wouldn't bleed to death, she performed a mental checklist to determine where else she was injured.  Her entire body ached from the landing into those damn boxes, but she didn't think anything was too damaged.  Of course there were always internal injuries she couldn't feel…

Melanie shook her head; she didn't have time to think about that.  With a sigh she gingerly sat on the small cot in the room and let the thought that had been swimming in her subconscious slowly surface.

'What the hell am I supposed to do now?'

~8:05 am, Preventer headquarters, Earthsphere~

Lady Une looked over the report from the incident earlier in the morning and glanced up at Wufei and Heero.

"Do we have any idea what this woman was after?"

"No, she was searched thoroughly and the only items we found on her were weapons."  Wufei answered.

Une sighed, "Do you think she may be connected with this Chameleon?  Perhaps she was sent to kidnap another operative."

"No, it doesn't fit.  There was too much security, the other Preventors were taken from their own homes and caught off guard with no witnesses.  Coming to Preventor headquarters to take another operative is too risky."

Before Lady Une could respond her intercom buzzed and her secretary announced the arrival of three young men who were waiting to see her.

"Well, it appears reinforcements have arrived." She murmured.  Pressing the intercom button she ordered her secretary to send them in.

Duo strolled in first, followed by Quatre and Trowa.  He shot a grin to Heero and Wufei. "Hey, Heero, Wu-man, long time no see!"

"Maxwell."  Wufei growled.  Heero simply nodded.

Short greetings were exchanged before Lady Une told them why they were there, beginning with the disappearance and death of the two Preventers and ending with the situation that had only just occurred recently. 

"So in short gentlemen, the Preventers need your help.  We have no idea who this Chameleon is, or what he has planned, but it's something big.  Will you help us?"

"Let me get this straight."  Duo tried to keep from grinning, "Wufei was outrun by a girl!  Sheesh, what's the world coming to?"

"Duo! Please, this is a serious matter."  Quatre admonished, trying to prevent any further agitation.  He turned to Lady Une, "I'll help in any way I can."  Trowa nodded in agreement.

"Count me in too." Duo added.  "This sounds important."

Lady Une smiled, "Thank you.  The most logical step would be questioning our current prisoner.  She's been taken to an interrogation room down the hall.  Shall we?"  She stood and led the way.

Melanie dozed lightly after her capture, only to be awakened by the door opening and two Preventers coming in to take her to a different room.  She was led to a small room with a table, two chairs and one-way window.  She realized it was an interrogation room of sorts and sighed.  She was about to be questioned. Oh joy.

She waited for an indeterminable amount of time before the door opened and several people filed in.  She sat up straighter in her chair and placed her shackled hands on the table, lacing her fingers together almost primly.

There were only three people present, two women, a blonde and a brunette, and a blonde man she recognized instantly as Quatre Rebarba Winner.  His cargo shuttles were always in high demand.  She realized that if he was here, the other pilots were probably behind that one-way mirror watching what was going on. 

She was right.  Heero, Duo, Trowa and Wufei were watching the interrogation from the other side of the glass, waiting to go in if needed.  Duo as usual was making his own observations. 

He let out a wolf whistle as he took in sight of the prisoner who, in visible light was quite obviously female.  Dressed all in black, she had long black hair with streaks of blue throughout the mass.  He couldn't get a good look at her eyes, but her skin was a pale, milky white and she looked to be in great shape.  Overall, she was put together very nicely. 

"Man, she can break into my building any day."

"Shut up Maxwell."

"Ooh, touchy.  What's the matter Wu-man, upset because a girl got past you last night?  Don't worry you caught her after a while anyway."

"Maxwell…" Wufei growled ominously.

"They're starting."  Trowa commented, drawing attention back to the scene in front of them.  Lady Une was preparing to question the prisoner with the help of Sally and Quatre.  They waited to see what the questions would reveal.

Melanie eyed her captors suspiciously.  She caught Quatre studying her out of the corner of her eye and turned to stare back at him.  He blushed slightly at her direct gaze and she smirked quickly before making her face blank once again.

"What's your name?"  Lady Une asked the first question.

'So it begins.'  Melanie thought.  She kept silent.

"What were you doing here at one in the morning?"

Silence.

"Who sent you?"

Still silence.

Lady Une sighed and looked to Sally and Quatre for help.

Quatre stepped forward.  "Miss, we need you to answer these questions, you're facing some pretty serious charges.  If you cooperate, we can try to get you leniency."

Melanie stared down at her intertwined hands.  Sweat was beginning to trickle down her spine. She was finding it difficult to breathe and her arm wound was throbbing even more incessantly than last night.  Finally she composed herself and tilted her head up to stare full force at Quatre.

Quatre met her gaze and almost flinched at the strength in the frosty depths.  Her eyes were a unique silver color, not grayish silver like some others had been described, but an actual silver.  She said nothing but the look in her eyes spoke volumes.  They wouldn't get any information she wasn't willing to give.

Lady Une tried a different tactic.  "Do you know anyone by the name Chameleon?"

Melanie continued to stare at Quatre, and he caught the imperceptible flinch at the mention of the name.  She quickly turned her gaze back to the tabletop and concentrated on keeping her breathing slow and even. 

Inside her mind was racing, wondering just who Seth had mixed himself up with this time.  It was now vitally important that she reach him and soon.  If the Preventors were wondering about this guy Chameleon, he had to be involved in something big.  She closed her eyes and brought to mind the various files he'd wanted from the database trying to find anything that looked remotely suspicious, but she drew a blank.  All she could focus on was the sharp pain burning through her arm and the incessant ache throughout her body. 

She was slammed back to the present when a hand landed on her injured left arm.  She tried to bite back the groan, but barely succeeded. A strangled gasp escaped turning all eyes on her.  The Preventor who'd grabbed her arm let go and stepped back.  He looked down at his hand and announced in surprise.

"It's blood.  Her jacket's sticky with it."

Melanie stood abruptly as Quatre made his way around the table.

"Stay away from me!"  She ordered.  The room started spinning and she struggled to keep her eyes from drooping shut.

Quatre held his hands out in an attempt to show he wasn't going to hurt her.  "It's all right, Miss, we just want to see how badly you're hurt so you can be treated."

Melanie backed into a corner and leaned into the wall for support.  "I'm fine.  Don't come near me."

The door opened and she watched as four more men entered.  She recognized Heero and Wufei from earlier and only vaguely realized that the other two were probably the other Gundam pilots.

'Boy do I feel special.'  She thought numbly.

"We've sent for a doctor."  Wufei told Lady Une.

"No doctor!"  Melanie all but shouted.  "I'm fine."

"Then let us see your arm."  Quatre responded.  "So we can see for ourselves."

Melanie watched the room spin and ordered herself not to be sick.  Somewhere in the back of her mind she registered the fact that she was probably running a fever, but it didn't seem to mean much at the moment. 

"Can't take it off."  She replied to Quatre's request.

He frowned.  "I realize you're handcuffed, but we can't remove your restraints.  Just lower the jacket off of your shoulders, that should suffice."

"It's stuck."  Melanie managed to get out before she lost her battle with consciousness and fainted. 

Quatre moved swiftly and caught her before her head could hit the floor. He lowered her to the ground slowly and attempted to peel the jacket off of her left shoulder.  It was indeed stuck.  With a wince and a silent apology he yanked it off quickly, breaking the seal the dried blood had created on her arm.

He studied the wound.  "Why did no one say she'd been shot?"

"She showed no sign of being injured last night."  Wufei responded.  "She fought hard not to be captured.  I'm sure that's not the only injury she sustained."  he added.

"What makes you say that?"  Duo wondered.

"She did jump off the roof in her attempt to escape."

"Wow, superbabe."

"Shut up Maxwell."

"How bad is it?"  Lady Une asked Quatre.

"I can't tell how much blood she's lost, she's wearing too much black." he answered as the doctor came in.

He quickly took charge of the patient and ordered the handcuffs off so he could examine her better, hastily removing the jacket the rest of the way from Melanie's arm.

Her arm was a swollen mess and had started bleeding again when the jacket was removed.  After applying a temporary dressing to the wound, the doctor had Melanie placed on a stretcher and taken to the hospital wing, with orders that she was to be restrained at all times, whether she was conscious or not. 

After she had been taken, Lady Une looked to the pilots and Sally.  "Any opinions?  Observations?"

"Nice legs."

"Duo!"

"Sorry, just an observation."

Quatre sighed.  "She's disciplined.  She won't tell you anything she doesn't want you to know.  You have to find a way to get her to understand the severity of the situation."

"She's fast and agile, strong for a female."  This from Heero.

"She obviously knows what she's doing, too."  Duo added, saying something serious for the first time since he had arrived.  "The security here is hard to crack, she's got to be a professional, probably one of, if not the best in the business."

"The question is, did she come here on her own, or was she hired out?"  Trowa stated.

"For now, try to find out what she was here for.  Run a detailed scan on the computer system.  Don't overlook anything."  Une ordered.  Sally and Wufei left to comply.  She turned to the rest of the pilots.  "The rest of you will be supplied with rooms and all the information we have on this so-called Chameleon.  Hopefully you'll give us a fresh angle and a new perspective.  That's really all we can do for now." 

The group disbanded in silence.

~L4, Melanie's house, 7:38 pm~

Seth paced worriedly in the living room, wondering why Melanie hadn't contacted him yet.  She was supposed to have finished the job last night.  She should have checked in by now.  He didn't want to contemplate the idea that she may have been captured, or worse, killed.  She was just too good for that, but still, he worried. Granted, there was still time.  There was at least 8 days before the client's deadline ran out, and Mel always delivered, but she always kept her word, too, and she had promised to call him when the job was finished.

He checked the computer screen for the sixth time in the last half hour, but there was still no message waiting.  With a frustrated sigh, he resumed his pacing.  He knew Mel would never renege on the deal, nor would she stop for any form of entertainment until the job was done.  That only left other, unpleasant possibilities, none of which Seth wanted to even contemplate. 

Finally, he walked over to the front window and stared at the empty street.  'C'mon Mel, give me some sign you're out there and you're ok.  The clock's ticking.'

To Be Continued…