By: Jupiter
Chapter Four: Rastloser Widerstand (Restless Resistance)
The room was gleaming white and silver.
Only a gargantuan two-way mirror set in the west was offered relief from the suffocating, pale room.
Lady Une stood at the head of the long rectangular room, staring through the double pane, tinted glass to the security guards on the other side. Around the table in front of her, sat her beloved preventors, the gundam pilots, Hilde (whom Duo had snuck in) and Relena Dorilan.
The hospital security loomed in the adjacent room, watching the assembly of the Earth Sphere's most trusted protectors.
"Now that I have at last gathered you all into one place, I ask your assistance," Lady Une began. "As far as I can tell, this only the first attack to take place, though, as long as preventors exist there should be no first attack. I do not know where we have erred, but I intent to find out. I will not tolerate another incident like the one we encountered with the Barton Foundation.
"If I may, I wish to employ the temporary aid of Mr. Barton, Mr. Winner, and Mr. Yuy."
THe three pilots nodded, though Heero could not keep back his correction.
"I would appreciate it if from now on every address me as Odin Lowe." Relena cringed.
"Alright then Mr. Lowe, I request the use of any skilly you might be able to provide." Again Heero nodded.
"Relena, I expect you to go about business as usual. I understand that you are in no way under my jurisdiction. But, if you'll allow me, I'd like to entrust you to a preventor body guard."
"That is perfectly acceptable Miss Une," Relena nodded.
I hardly feel as though I am in any danger, though I trust the instincts of these people. Who am I to question the intuition of those I trust with all my heart. I am not the damsel in distress this time though. This is one time where Heero is not my hero.
Duo sat, his arm around his belov-ed. He worried slightly, that they were following the wrong lead. The Esel(1) on L2 said nothing referring to Relena. He had assumed he meant Relena in the beginning, since he was going with her, but there was no way it could be her that was causing such a threat. No way in hell.
"Now, I realize all of us are recovering from the shock of this major disaster. I suggest that we reconvene in fifteen hours back in Constance. By then, I should have some sort of game plan worked out, and we can start all investigations. Go home, let your loved ones know that you are unharmed, and get some sleep. I will not have a bunch of cranky people milling about my headquarters."
"Especially since we currently have a shortage of No-Doze," Preventor Legion joked.
Lady Une offered the man a courteous smile. "Quite right Legion. Meeting adjourned. Meet me at the preventor headquarters at 0600 hours."
------
The corridors of the hospital buzzed with civilians in hysterics over the incident. Television crews and newspaper reporters created a blockade around all exits. One particularly annoying reporter cornered Wufei as he went to check about transferring Meiran to Constance.
"Preventor, please, what are you and your colleagues planning to do about the crises here in Stuttgart?" She asked in a heavy accent.
"I cannot comment at this time," he claimed, pushing to get away from her and her camera man.
"Bitte Herr, eine moment.(2) Bitte, when can we expect a press conference from the Preventors?
"Entschuldigen Frau(3), but I have some business to see to," Wufei scowled and pushed passed the German television crew, rushing down a random corridor. He dreaded the knowledge that his image would be splashed across the news, refusing to comment on the situation, fueling feelings of incompetents toward the Preventor Organization.
Eventually, Wufei found his way back to the corridor where Meiran was being held. Hilde stood outside her door, tears in her eyes. Immediately his insides twisted in misery.
Awkwardly, Wufei stood at the door. Looking through the window he could see the heart monitor, still working. Suddenly he found Hilde clinging to him, tears streaming down her face.
"Gott helfen ihr. Es ist meine Störung Wufei. Ich kann nicht glauben, das ich dies sie antat,(4)" she wept into his chest.
Struck dumb by her surprising disregard of the fact that she did not know him well, he shyly returned the embrace.
"Kleines, sie wird leben.(5)" He said in her tongue without thinking.
Hilde wept as Wufei escorted her into the tranquil hospital room. "I am bringing her back with me. Sally will help out with her recovery."
"Can I stay with her, wherever she is staying?" Hilde asked meekly. "I feel to much remorse to leave her."
Wufei mulled it over in his head. So far, only Hilde knew his secret, it would make sense if he were harboring Meiran as a favor to his friends while they were in town. Somehow, he too felt guilty about his rouse. Still, he could not bring himself to reveal his wife's identity until he had figured out her part in his life--and his in hers.
"You may stay at my house, Duo also." Wufei cringed inwardly, not knowing how long he had offered his services. Soon though, he would be busy enough to let his colleague fend for himself.
"Danke sehr. Danke, danke(6) Wufei," Hilde was overjoyed. Wufei stood, still in a state of mild shock.
-------
There was a soft knock on the door to Relena's hotel room. She sighed, flopping her suitcase on the bed in annoyance. At the door, she found a mournful Trowa, his arms crossed.
"I have been employed as you temporary body guard," he said upon entering the room.
Relena frowned slightly. She had been hoping that she would have more time to become acquainted with Odin.
"I appreciate it," she nodded. "I highly doubt that I am the one to protect. Not this time anyway."
"I would agree that you are not the main focus, but there is still somewhat of a threat to your well-being," the quiet pilot agreed.
"Where are you heading from here?" Trowa asked after a moment's of uncomfortable silence.
"I figured I would head back to Constance with the rest of you. This is somewhat my area of authority also. I would like to be kept up to date with the most recent discoveries."
Relena picked up her suitcase and headed out the door. Trowa followed closely behind her, but so it appeared that he was not escorting her.
"Close up the casement, draw the blind,
Shut out that stealing moon,
She wears too much the guise she wore
Before our lutes were strewn
With years-deep dust, and names were read
On a white stone were hewn.(7)"
Trowa recited the poem, brining it's relevance to the situation. His verse earned more credit than he realized.
------
The small, cozy house buzzed as preventors and civilians a like swarmed through it.
Sally had set up a small medical center, encompassing the entire lower level, excluding only the breakfast nook. Hilde stood, pacing the living room as Sally looked over the groggy Meiran, whom now had awaken.
Wufei stook silently against the side of his home, his arms folded across his chest. Duo stood under a birch tree, looking in awe upon the mountains in the distance. Quatre rested upon the concrete stairs which sprung from the back door.
"It really is generous of you to do this for everyone Wufei," Quatre said quietly. He wanted anything to break the awkward silence. He could sense the uncertainty welling in Wufei, though he couldn'tquite put his finder on what it was.
"Generous is not the word to describe it," Wufei said. He, himself was thinking more along the lines of selfish. Duo interpretted the statement as arrogance and scowled.
I wander what his motivation is anyway. Why would he offer to take in a complete stranger? Surely Hilde asking him wasn't all. There's something more to this guy than he's ever let on--something I don't think I'll ever understand.
"Come on Quatre, we should start think about food, since our host obviously has other things on his mind," QUatre stood, looking pitifully at the numbed Wufei, apologizing for Duo's behaviour.
"There's a small market stor about two blocks to the west," Wufei said searching his pockets for a wad of Eurodollars. Quatre refused the money, but followed Duo, counting off his own bills.
---------
Sally left momentarily to search for a new hypodermic needle to give Meiran a dose of pain killer. Hilde sat beside her, holding her hand.
"So, how are you doing?" Hilde inquired.
"Es geht mire gut(8)," Meiran attempted a smile.
Hilde grinned. "You remembered." Meiran nodded.
The twosat for a moment. Meiran's insides churned and tumbled, aching relentlessly. She contemplated asking where she was, even though she knew she was stationed in her husband's living room. She did not know the circumstances that lead to her being transported here. The last thing she really remembered was pushing Hilde out of the way of something falling.
"Wufei told me," Hilde blurted out, checking to see that no one was near.
"Wufei?" Meiran asked keeping her quise.
"Chang Wufei, you know the guy that saved your life..." Hilde pushed. "Your husband..."
"Oh," Meiran sighed," So he did tell you."
Meiran was even more puzzled by the circumstances that had caused her husband to reveal the secret he'd been so intent on keeping. Just like him to not want to say anything to anybody until he'd figured the situation out... Though, she supposed a gigantic tragedy was enough to make anyone reveal themselves more thoroughly....Even someone as stubborn as Wufei.
"I'm the only one who knows Meilun."
"Please, it's Meiran, call my by my real name."
"As you wish Meiran," Hilde stumblem a bit over the name. "Thank you for pushing me out of the way erlier."
"No trouble at all,"
"No trouble? You should be thankful you're alive. I know I am. And even if he doesn't show it, I'm sure Wufei is also."
Sally came back in the room, pushing air indignantly from the needle as she walked.
-----
As it grew darker, Wufei paced the yard, feeling as if he could not let his guard down. He heard the rustle of leaves and feet landing on the earth. He subtly tilted his head to find Heero sulking toward him, pulling papers from his jacket pocket.
"You may change your name, but you will never change you ways Lowe," Wufei sneered as Heero drew closer.
Heero grunted menacingly before stopping directly in front of Wufei. "Do you know a person by the name of To Meilun?" Heero asked.
"There is no such person."
"That's funny, because, you see, these documents say that she was just transported to Constance under the care of one Wufei Change and the medical care of one Sally Po. She was previously a patient at the Stuttgart Memorial Hospital."
"There is no such person," Wufei repeated.
"I believe she goes by the name Change Meiran as well," Wufei and Heero locked eyes. "Could she possibly be a relation of yours? Sister? Cousin? Wife perhaps?
"What's the relevance Lowe?" Wufei asked.
"I was just making sure I knew the location of the leader of our Rebellion," Heero said casually. "Expect the next attact to take place in the Sanc Kingdom."
------------
Relena paced the length of her room for the hundredth time that evening, murmuring to herself as she went. She had put down her briefing folder not long ago and now paced as she thought out the information.
"Why don't you sit down," Trowa suggested, lowering his thick, leather-bound book.
"I think better when I pace," she said. Trowa nodded returning the the gospels.
After pacing the hotel room twohundred time she stopped. Gathering her coat and tape recorder she turned to Trowa.
"I want to see Hilde," She said decidedly.
Troaw raised his left eyebrow in curiosity. Then, he stood and opened the door for the single-minded princess.
---------
Meiran lie in her bed unattended. All the otheres were gathered in the kitchen dinning. Silently, Wufei entered the room with a cup in his right hand. He set it on a coaster next to Meiran's bed and pulled up a chair. Giving him a look of suspicion, Meiran sighed.
"Can I get you anything," he asked politely.
"No thank you," Meiran answered absently.
"Sally says you're doing well."
Meiran scowled. "You expected the worst?" she questioned.
"You will always be ungrateful." It was Wufei's turn to scowl.
"I did not say that I was not thankful."
"You neve said you were either," he shot.
There was an uncomfortable silence between the couple. Meiran, still woozy from the pain killers was struggling to grasp the entire situation (which still had not been fully explained to her.) Wufei, aware that he and his wife were in full view from the kitchen, made sure that he made no suspicious movements.
-----------
Heero stood rigidly against a cabinet structure. He watched the Changs while absently sipping his bitter ice tea.
It had been as much of a surprise to Heero to learn that Meiran was alive as it had been for Wufei. He was one of the few who knew that Wufei had been married.
Secretly, he was jealous that he had no one to surprise him, to anger him, or to wait for him to come home at night.
Secretly, he was outraged that this small, fiery woman was the leader of the Earth Life Forces. She was the enemy that he could no longer fight.
Secretly, he was torn. Heero Yuy was being torn apart by Odin Lowe. Odin was to be his peaceful personality. Lowe was to be his second life. Yet, here he was again with the people who knew him only as Heero Yuy. No matter how he tried , Heero could not leave his being. Nothing he did could shake Yuy's nature from himslef while in the company of these people.
He spied the couple intently, watching every move. They were being careful to act like strangers. Genius on the female's part--Cowardice on the male's.
Heero was so completely engrossed with the Chang's that he uncharacteristicly did not notice the small woman watching him from the safety of Duo's embrace.
She studied his hard, emotionless face. She watched his lips part as hi sipped at the empty glass, which he seemed to believe still contained it's liquid. She followed his cold gaze into the living room where Wufei sat next to Meiran.
Her arm throbbed tremendously and she winced. Duo squeezed her waist.
"You alright babe?" he asked, concern apparent in his eyes.
She nodded, but her eyes decieved her. "I'll get you some pain killers." After squeezing her and kissing her forehead, Duo left to retreive the ibuprofen from his suitcase.
Hilde returned to her stake out, watching Pilot 01as pain seared through her arm, she knew that she was not the only one that knew of Meiran and Wufei.
-----------
Beep.
Blink. Blurbp.
The vidscreen next to Preventor Legion's bed beckoned him from his light slumber. Groggily, the name sat, answering the call. A silver haired man in a black suit stared back at him. In the background there was a bookshelf with half the glass missing on one of the doors.
"What the hell happened out there today?!"
"Sir?" Legion rubbed his eyes.
"At the University asshole!" The man bellowed. "You know that nothing that occurred there today was according to your orders."
"Judea panicked Mr. Phoenix, Sir." Legion chuckled as he passed the blame. "I told you he could not be trusted with the detonation device."
"Why the hell did Judas panic? I want legitimate reasons here Legion!"
"Pilot 01showed up, about gave us away Sir. He was trying to protect our facade."
Jonathan Phoenix sighed. "Where is Judas?"
"I'd try him at home Sir," Legion suggested.
"Good, because of his actions our first objective has not been accomplished."
"What was that sir?" Legion asked.
"Baka...." Phoenix growled. "To dispose of that woman. She hold important information as to the location of our headquarters, and our plans."
"Forgive me Sir."
Jonathan Phoenix huffed and closed his vidscreen, leaving Pal Legion to stare into darkness.
-----------
Relena approached the door with persistent grace and knocked without hesitation. Her call was not acknowledged, but she waited patiently.
Trowa hung behind her. "She doesn't know a thing, yet she can still act as if she is in charge of every situation. She truly is royalty."
Relena sighed, waiting for someone to open the door for her. She stood patiently, hating herself.
----------
Meiran watched from her bed as her husband finally attended to the door. The woman, Sally Po, was in the corner.
Meiran sized up the girl in her mind. The way Miss Po looked after Wufei did not settle well with her. There was a longing in Sally's eyes that Meiran knew well. Still, they longed for the same man, and inevitably, Meiran would win out. She was married to him after all.
She still did not know where her husband stood. Until he could finally bring himself to accept her--or cast her out--she would be clueless.
Relena Peacecraft (Dorilan) entered the small house, with her tall security guard behind her.
The young, determined politician stopped when she saw the injured Chinese woman. Ther was a familiarity about her.
Wufei seemed intent on leading the Vice Foreign Minister to the kitchen, but she had different plans.
Never being one to be impolite, Relena stopped near the bed, offering her hand to Meiran.
On the inside, Meiran panicked, but outwardly she smiled diplomatically and gingerly shook Relena's hand.
"I'm Relena Dorilan," she said.
Sally rushed to Meirn's side before the girl could respond.
This is Meilun To, she is a patient of mine, on request from Miss Schbeiker," Sally explained.
"It's nice to meet you," meiran got out in a meeker voice than she'd intended.
"Any friend of Hilde's is a dear friend of mine. I do hope you feel better." The Vice Foreign Minister bowed politely as Hilde scurried into the room.
The two embraced as sisters would, even maneuvering around Hilde's arm did not present a problem.
"You must tell me what happened," Relena pleaded as the gundam pilots filtered into the room.
Meiran listened to Hilde's explanation through one of her ears. Slowly, her present situation began to make more sense.
The blue eyes from the doorway stared coldly, accusingly. They pierced in a way that made the girl shiver, which in turn, caused her to wince from the spasms. The messy haired pilot, wearing black pants and a coffee-coloured oxford shirt glared at her. The glower created such a sense of lotihing inside her--a sense of loneliness like she had nevefr felt beforew. Though she did not even know the pilot, she wanted to reach out and help him.
His eye met hers and the danced for a moment before his stare turned to ice. Meiran shot heat back, trying to soften him. Heero, mistakenly took this as a challenge.
(1)Esel-German-Jackass
(2)Bitte Herr, eine moment-German-Please Mister (Man), one moment
(3)Entschuldigen Frau-German-Excuse me Mrs.(Woman)--wow, Wufei can insult women in three languages now.
(4)Gott helfen ihr. Es ist meine Störung Wufei. Ich kann nicht glauben, das ich dies sie antat--German-God help her. It's my fault Wufei. I can not believe that I did this to her. (okay, so I admit I used a translation site for that last sentence, because I had no idea how I would form it. It sucks the way they did it, I don't think it's right.)
(5)Sie werde kleines leben-German-She will live little one.
(6)Danke sehr. Danke, danke Wufei.-German-Thank you so much. Thank you, thank you Wufei.
(7) First stanza of Thomas Hardy's "Shut Out That Moon"
(8)Es geht mir gut--German--It is well with me.
It has really taken me a long time to get out the actual story line of the story, we still aren't quite there yet. I'm so terrible at starting stories.....
Anyway, I just wanted to thank all of you who have been reading this. And apologize for taking so long to get into the whole thing.
Duo: Oh you know no one reads this anyway...
Duo!
Duo: You know it's true.
So, we don't have to actually say that aloud or anything. Besides, I just enjoy being able to write it. It can be fun, even if it is a little weird.
Duo: Yeah whatever.
Hey, don't make me call Heero. You know he can beat you down.
Duo: Kinda like how you can beat down Jordan. (Jordan's Jupiter's boyfriend. He's 6'3". That's almost a foot taller than me!)
More like how I can beat down Dane. (Dane is a friend of mine, he's your typical scrawny, socialist, computer geek white boy. He's still pretty cool though.)
Duo:...
Duo? Duo? Duuooooo! Well, I guess he's gone. Too bad. Anyway, yeah. That's all. I hope to have more up soon. There probably already is, I don't know. Depends on how much I have to work I guess....