Snow fell softly on the city of Marseille. It had been warmer during the
day but now
the sun was setting, the temperature was going down. Perhaps that was why
the
streets were so empty. A bitter wind would pick up every so often, causing
those who
were out, to bundle up even more. The forecast called for more snow that
night.
Business owners closed their stores early in order to avoid the oncoming
storm. No one
wanted to be out when it hit.
This was the second time that he had been to this city. The first trip was a couple years back. The last time it was a lot warmer and the city wasn't as peaceful either. This time would certainly not be as eventful. He had arrived a little after noon, with the people he was assigned to. Although the Preventers normally sent two of their agents to these conferences, this time they only sent him. He never considered that they thought so highly of him but apparently they knew a former Gundam pilot could handle a small job like this.
The snow continued to fall and the wind kicked up again. He pulled the collar of his jacket up to keep his neck warm. He had decided to take a walk in order to see how much the city had changed but he hadn't realized how far he had gone from the hotel until the sun began going down. By now there was a good chance that he would not be able to return tonight but find somewhere else to stay. But he hadn't seen any places available on this side of town. He had tried to keep track of where he was going and how late it was getting but would get lost in his own thoughts.
He looked up at the sky. Was it snowing harder now? People were even scarcer then before. Anyone else would have probably panicked at this moment but he remained calm as always. He headed back the way he came hoping that that would help. After a while, the sun had fully descended behind the hills and the street lights came on. The city looked different at night. It was a shame no one else was out to see it. The Preventers were going to get an interesting report from the people who hired them. He made a mental note of the fact that no one else ever managed to get lost while on assignment.
He even thought about knocking on some stranger's door but that didn't seem right even in this kind of situation. But the cold was almost too much to take. Another gust and the snow became painful as it hit his face hard. He turned his back to where the wind was blowing. His feet and hands were numb by now. He found an alleyway nearby that allowed some comfort from the bad weather. He leaned up against the wall and attempted to warm his hands. Perhaps being a bodyguard wasn't the best job for him afterall.~
Several of the mechanics sat in the break room talking. They mostly took this time to relax from a hard day. And none of them wanted to talk about work. The only one there that didn't really belong was the tall muscular blond guy that everyone seemed to be around. He wasn't really a mechanic like they were but being the boss's son gave him the right to do whatever he wanted to. The others were just kissing up and he knew it.
Not only was he the boss's son but he also was the pilot of the machine that they were all working on for the past couple of months. In some sense that earned him respect among the other workers. The door to the break room opened and one particular worker stepped in. A middle aged guy who seemed bewildered by something.
"Man guys you wouldn't believe it." He said in an exasperated tone. The blond guy glanced up while the others inquired what he was talking about.
"Well it's that kid. You know, the one with no name. He's still working in there. Doesn't he ever take a rest." He told them. the blond guy grinned to himself before responding.
"What's the matter, afraid someone's gonna notice he works harder then you?" There were several laughs from the other workers. The guy who had just answered sneered back.
"Guess there's no point telling you about it Trowa, that kid's one of your favorite around here anyway." Trowa leveled the guy with a glare.
"I suppose you've forgotten who you are talking to. Maybe I do favor him over you but that's because he at least pulls his own weight around here." He pointed out.
The other guy decided not to respond. He knew he could never beat Trowa in a fight and he didn't want to loose his job. The Barton family was good at making enemies though. They never really put much effort into their people skills. At least Trowa never bothered with it.
Trowa stood up and headed towards the hangar. He looked up at the unfinished mobile suit. He smiled lightly.
"They're all jealous. They just wished that they were able to pilot such an amazing weapon." He said to himself. "We're certainly going to show em that no one is gonna push the colonies around, aren't we?" His smile became malicious.
Suddenly something caught his eye. He turned to see someone there.
"Whose there!?!" He demanded facing them. "Oh it's just you. Should have figured since you're always in here." He said to the young boy. There was no response though. Trowa didn't seem to mind though. Everyone else worked so hard to be noticed by him around here except for this kid. He never seemed to be trying to get anything out of their friendship.~
He hadn't been in the alleyway for long when someone walked by. He couldn't really make out many of her features except for her eyes. She stopped and starred at him for a minute before speaking. It was hard to hear her though over the roar of the wind.
"Hey don't I know you?" She inquired. She also seemed familiar to him as well. He straightened up some, getting a better look at her.
"Aren't you Sylvia Noventa?" He asked back. She nodded her reply.
"And you're friends with Heero Yuy right?" She pointed out. He walked out of the ally to face her.
"My name's Trowa. Trowa Barton." He explained. She would have shook his hand but was too busy holding her coat shut.
"What are you doing out here at a time like this?" She mentioned realizing the snow was coming down heavier now. He was going to answer but she didn't wait for it. Instead she motioned for him to follow her.
They headed in the direction of a large fancy building. At the gate she put in a password and it opened for them. Trowa didn't mean to but he memorized the code. The walk up to the front door was rough since the wind was against them. Once they made it inside, Sylvia closed the door before too much snow came in.~
"Something is wrong. They're trying to change the plans." The tall blond said starring once again at his machine. The boy who he had been confiding in, was sitting down next to him cleaning some tools and placing them in one of the tool boxes.
"If they think that they can do that after all the work we've done they can forget it. If I don't agree with it, it's not going to happen." He grumbled loudly. This hadn't been the first time that Trowa had complained about how things were being run around there to the kid. He glanced down at him.
"Yah know now that I think about it, you're probably the only person around here that I actually trust with this kind of stuff." He mentioned. The kid looked back up, his green eyes never revealing what he thought.
"Why is that?" The kid asked back. Trowa looked back at the machine.
"Well you seem to care about the Heavy Arms just as much as I do. None of the other workers seem to think much of it. It's just another job to them. They don't realize how this machine is going to change the course of history." He explained. The kid figured that Trowa liked to hear himself talk a lot of the time. But it didn't really bother him. No one else around there paid much attention to him, so it was nice for someone to talk to him.
"All I know is something around here doesn't seem right." Trowa pointed out again. He looked back down at the kid. He had gone back to cleaning a wrench.
"Have you heard anything?" He questioned. The kid glanced back up at him.
"No." Came the monotone response. Trowa squinted his eyes.
"Guess they're all smarter then that." He added.~
"There's a fire going in the other room." Sylvia offered as Trowa took off his coat. The house was warm. It felt nice just to be out of the bad weather although Trowa still felt cold. He walked into a large living room where the fireplace was. He took a seat on the couch as Sylvia came in from the kitchen.
"I put the kettle on. It should be ready in a little bit." She said as she walked. He looked up at her, The fire reflected in his green eyes. She sat down next to him.
"So how is Heero doing?" She brought up.
"Hm?" The question caught him off guard. "He's okay, I guess." He answered quietly. She nodded back.
"I was wondering how he was handling these peaceful times." She mentioned.
"Sometimes he works for the Preventers." He told her. She eyed his uniform and smiled lightly.
"And from the look of things you do too." She said back. He gave a small shrug. The kettle whistled from the kitchen. Sylvia stood and excused herself. Trowa stood up and got closer to the fire. He still didn't feel warm enough. Hopefully the tea Sylvia was making would help. He considered calling the hotel he was staying at to let his people know what happened to him. He looked around but didn't see a phone in the room.
Now that he thought about it, he really wasn't feeling well enough to make a call anyway. He could always call them in the morning. He made his way back over to the couch. It seemed too difficult to remain standing. Sylvia came in with two mugs and regarded him on the couch.
"Are you feeling okay?" She asked as she set the tea down on the coffee table. Trowa didn't respond.~
They were arguing again. Sometimes Trowa could be so stubborn. Although the whole plan about dropping a colony didn't seem to be the best way to get attention. Were the people of earth so bad? None of this concerned a kid that had no name. He was just there to work and not give his opinion. But he was born there, on earth, so if he ever was asked his opinion on this plan he probably disagreed with it just like everyone else.
"We'll proceed with Operation Meteor if we must do so ourselves." Trowa was saying. There was a sudden gunshot that rang out throughout the room. The argument was over now. The kid stopped his work to see what had happen. He was the only worker still there that night.
The tall blond's body lay motionless on the cold metal floor. It wasn't the first time the kid had seen someone die though.
"Now you've done it." He heard the older man say to the younger. The kid went to leave but on the way out he bumped into a chain hanging over one of the railings. The gun that had just shot Trowa made another appearance.
"Whose there?" The younger man demanded, trying to steady the gun. The kid stepped forward with his hands up.~
Trowa was leaning on the arm of the couch when Sylvia hurried over. She reached over to feel his face. He was really hot. She helped him to his feet and they stumbled into a nearby hallway. Sylvia used her free arm to push one door open and helped him into the room. It was a guest bedroom. Sylvia pulled all the blankets back and got Trowa under them. She turned on the light nearby.
"So how long were you out there before I found you?" She inquired as she got his boots off. Once again he didn't respond. He glanced around, taking in the room.
"Do you live alone?" He asked wearily. She looked surprised at the question but politely answered him.
"Yes, after the war I just decided that I didn't want any publicity. So I live alone here. Guess I just like the quiet life." She smiled. Trowa nodded his head slightly.
"I don't think it's anything serious. You probably just need some sleep." She told him. With that she turned out the light and closed the door on her way out.~
"I was feeling insecure without a name. How about taking his?" He had suggested. Now he was in charge of Operation Meteor. In some ironic sense he felt that the real Trowa Barton would have wanted it this way. So now he had a new mission as well as a new identity. All the skills he had learned from years past as a soldier would come in handy as well. And in this kind of mission, people with nothing to loose such as himself were the best for the job. Piloting the Heavy Arms suited him well given his background. After all he had only been on that colony for a couple of years and was at the right place at the right time.
It had worked out perfectly...~
By the time he woke up, Trowa realized it was dawn. It was no longer dark outside but a light grey. He stood up and walked over to have a look. It was still snowing but not as bad. He rubbed his forehead and he didn't feel as hot as the night before. He was surprised that he slept so well. Not once did he ever wake up during the night. He didn't bother getting his shoes back on but headed out to the living room. He didn't see Sylvia anywhere. Walking into the kitchen he sighted the phone and made a call to the hotel he was supposed to stay at, the night before. By the time he was done he heard Sylvia's door open and her footsteps coming his way.
"Are you feeling better yet?" She inquired as she walked in. He nodded back silently. "I'm glad. I guess since the weather has gotten better that you can leave whenever you wanted." She added. Trowa noticed a slight sad tone in her voice. "Well I do have somewhere that I need to be." He mentioned, looking at the clock on the wall. As much as she claimed to enjoy the quiet life, she probably did miss having people around.
"I have an idea. When my job here is finished, I'll stop by again." He suggested. Sylvia seemed to like that idea. "Alright, sounds good." She answered. After breakfast Trowa left heading back towards the hotel. Sylvia watched from the window till he was out of sight.~
The End Author's notes-I don't know for some reason the story seemed like a better idea when I was thinking it up but since it is a one shot type of thing I can't really elaborate too much from this point. So no flaming! ~_~ I'm not sure if I will write one for Quatre and Wufei. I already did the other two pilots. Guess everyone's just gonna have to wait and see.
This was the second time that he had been to this city. The first trip was a couple years back. The last time it was a lot warmer and the city wasn't as peaceful either. This time would certainly not be as eventful. He had arrived a little after noon, with the people he was assigned to. Although the Preventers normally sent two of their agents to these conferences, this time they only sent him. He never considered that they thought so highly of him but apparently they knew a former Gundam pilot could handle a small job like this.
The snow continued to fall and the wind kicked up again. He pulled the collar of his jacket up to keep his neck warm. He had decided to take a walk in order to see how much the city had changed but he hadn't realized how far he had gone from the hotel until the sun began going down. By now there was a good chance that he would not be able to return tonight but find somewhere else to stay. But he hadn't seen any places available on this side of town. He had tried to keep track of where he was going and how late it was getting but would get lost in his own thoughts.
He looked up at the sky. Was it snowing harder now? People were even scarcer then before. Anyone else would have probably panicked at this moment but he remained calm as always. He headed back the way he came hoping that that would help. After a while, the sun had fully descended behind the hills and the street lights came on. The city looked different at night. It was a shame no one else was out to see it. The Preventers were going to get an interesting report from the people who hired them. He made a mental note of the fact that no one else ever managed to get lost while on assignment.
He even thought about knocking on some stranger's door but that didn't seem right even in this kind of situation. But the cold was almost too much to take. Another gust and the snow became painful as it hit his face hard. He turned his back to where the wind was blowing. His feet and hands were numb by now. He found an alleyway nearby that allowed some comfort from the bad weather. He leaned up against the wall and attempted to warm his hands. Perhaps being a bodyguard wasn't the best job for him afterall.~
Several of the mechanics sat in the break room talking. They mostly took this time to relax from a hard day. And none of them wanted to talk about work. The only one there that didn't really belong was the tall muscular blond guy that everyone seemed to be around. He wasn't really a mechanic like they were but being the boss's son gave him the right to do whatever he wanted to. The others were just kissing up and he knew it.
Not only was he the boss's son but he also was the pilot of the machine that they were all working on for the past couple of months. In some sense that earned him respect among the other workers. The door to the break room opened and one particular worker stepped in. A middle aged guy who seemed bewildered by something.
"Man guys you wouldn't believe it." He said in an exasperated tone. The blond guy glanced up while the others inquired what he was talking about.
"Well it's that kid. You know, the one with no name. He's still working in there. Doesn't he ever take a rest." He told them. the blond guy grinned to himself before responding.
"What's the matter, afraid someone's gonna notice he works harder then you?" There were several laughs from the other workers. The guy who had just answered sneered back.
"Guess there's no point telling you about it Trowa, that kid's one of your favorite around here anyway." Trowa leveled the guy with a glare.
"I suppose you've forgotten who you are talking to. Maybe I do favor him over you but that's because he at least pulls his own weight around here." He pointed out.
The other guy decided not to respond. He knew he could never beat Trowa in a fight and he didn't want to loose his job. The Barton family was good at making enemies though. They never really put much effort into their people skills. At least Trowa never bothered with it.
Trowa stood up and headed towards the hangar. He looked up at the unfinished mobile suit. He smiled lightly.
"They're all jealous. They just wished that they were able to pilot such an amazing weapon." He said to himself. "We're certainly going to show em that no one is gonna push the colonies around, aren't we?" His smile became malicious.
Suddenly something caught his eye. He turned to see someone there.
"Whose there!?!" He demanded facing them. "Oh it's just you. Should have figured since you're always in here." He said to the young boy. There was no response though. Trowa didn't seem to mind though. Everyone else worked so hard to be noticed by him around here except for this kid. He never seemed to be trying to get anything out of their friendship.~
He hadn't been in the alleyway for long when someone walked by. He couldn't really make out many of her features except for her eyes. She stopped and starred at him for a minute before speaking. It was hard to hear her though over the roar of the wind.
"Hey don't I know you?" She inquired. She also seemed familiar to him as well. He straightened up some, getting a better look at her.
"Aren't you Sylvia Noventa?" He asked back. She nodded her reply.
"And you're friends with Heero Yuy right?" She pointed out. He walked out of the ally to face her.
"My name's Trowa. Trowa Barton." He explained. She would have shook his hand but was too busy holding her coat shut.
"What are you doing out here at a time like this?" She mentioned realizing the snow was coming down heavier now. He was going to answer but she didn't wait for it. Instead she motioned for him to follow her.
They headed in the direction of a large fancy building. At the gate she put in a password and it opened for them. Trowa didn't mean to but he memorized the code. The walk up to the front door was rough since the wind was against them. Once they made it inside, Sylvia closed the door before too much snow came in.~
"Something is wrong. They're trying to change the plans." The tall blond said starring once again at his machine. The boy who he had been confiding in, was sitting down next to him cleaning some tools and placing them in one of the tool boxes.
"If they think that they can do that after all the work we've done they can forget it. If I don't agree with it, it's not going to happen." He grumbled loudly. This hadn't been the first time that Trowa had complained about how things were being run around there to the kid. He glanced down at him.
"Yah know now that I think about it, you're probably the only person around here that I actually trust with this kind of stuff." He mentioned. The kid looked back up, his green eyes never revealing what he thought.
"Why is that?" The kid asked back. Trowa looked back at the machine.
"Well you seem to care about the Heavy Arms just as much as I do. None of the other workers seem to think much of it. It's just another job to them. They don't realize how this machine is going to change the course of history." He explained. The kid figured that Trowa liked to hear himself talk a lot of the time. But it didn't really bother him. No one else around there paid much attention to him, so it was nice for someone to talk to him.
"All I know is something around here doesn't seem right." Trowa pointed out again. He looked back down at the kid. He had gone back to cleaning a wrench.
"Have you heard anything?" He questioned. The kid glanced back up at him.
"No." Came the monotone response. Trowa squinted his eyes.
"Guess they're all smarter then that." He added.~
"There's a fire going in the other room." Sylvia offered as Trowa took off his coat. The house was warm. It felt nice just to be out of the bad weather although Trowa still felt cold. He walked into a large living room where the fireplace was. He took a seat on the couch as Sylvia came in from the kitchen.
"I put the kettle on. It should be ready in a little bit." She said as she walked. He looked up at her, The fire reflected in his green eyes. She sat down next to him.
"So how is Heero doing?" She brought up.
"Hm?" The question caught him off guard. "He's okay, I guess." He answered quietly. She nodded back.
"I was wondering how he was handling these peaceful times." She mentioned.
"Sometimes he works for the Preventers." He told her. She eyed his uniform and smiled lightly.
"And from the look of things you do too." She said back. He gave a small shrug. The kettle whistled from the kitchen. Sylvia stood and excused herself. Trowa stood up and got closer to the fire. He still didn't feel warm enough. Hopefully the tea Sylvia was making would help. He considered calling the hotel he was staying at to let his people know what happened to him. He looked around but didn't see a phone in the room.
Now that he thought about it, he really wasn't feeling well enough to make a call anyway. He could always call them in the morning. He made his way back over to the couch. It seemed too difficult to remain standing. Sylvia came in with two mugs and regarded him on the couch.
"Are you feeling okay?" She asked as she set the tea down on the coffee table. Trowa didn't respond.~
They were arguing again. Sometimes Trowa could be so stubborn. Although the whole plan about dropping a colony didn't seem to be the best way to get attention. Were the people of earth so bad? None of this concerned a kid that had no name. He was just there to work and not give his opinion. But he was born there, on earth, so if he ever was asked his opinion on this plan he probably disagreed with it just like everyone else.
"We'll proceed with Operation Meteor if we must do so ourselves." Trowa was saying. There was a sudden gunshot that rang out throughout the room. The argument was over now. The kid stopped his work to see what had happen. He was the only worker still there that night.
The tall blond's body lay motionless on the cold metal floor. It wasn't the first time the kid had seen someone die though.
"Now you've done it." He heard the older man say to the younger. The kid went to leave but on the way out he bumped into a chain hanging over one of the railings. The gun that had just shot Trowa made another appearance.
"Whose there?" The younger man demanded, trying to steady the gun. The kid stepped forward with his hands up.~
Trowa was leaning on the arm of the couch when Sylvia hurried over. She reached over to feel his face. He was really hot. She helped him to his feet and they stumbled into a nearby hallway. Sylvia used her free arm to push one door open and helped him into the room. It was a guest bedroom. Sylvia pulled all the blankets back and got Trowa under them. She turned on the light nearby.
"So how long were you out there before I found you?" She inquired as she got his boots off. Once again he didn't respond. He glanced around, taking in the room.
"Do you live alone?" He asked wearily. She looked surprised at the question but politely answered him.
"Yes, after the war I just decided that I didn't want any publicity. So I live alone here. Guess I just like the quiet life." She smiled. Trowa nodded his head slightly.
"I don't think it's anything serious. You probably just need some sleep." She told him. With that she turned out the light and closed the door on her way out.~
"I was feeling insecure without a name. How about taking his?" He had suggested. Now he was in charge of Operation Meteor. In some ironic sense he felt that the real Trowa Barton would have wanted it this way. So now he had a new mission as well as a new identity. All the skills he had learned from years past as a soldier would come in handy as well. And in this kind of mission, people with nothing to loose such as himself were the best for the job. Piloting the Heavy Arms suited him well given his background. After all he had only been on that colony for a couple of years and was at the right place at the right time.
It had worked out perfectly...~
By the time he woke up, Trowa realized it was dawn. It was no longer dark outside but a light grey. He stood up and walked over to have a look. It was still snowing but not as bad. He rubbed his forehead and he didn't feel as hot as the night before. He was surprised that he slept so well. Not once did he ever wake up during the night. He didn't bother getting his shoes back on but headed out to the living room. He didn't see Sylvia anywhere. Walking into the kitchen he sighted the phone and made a call to the hotel he was supposed to stay at, the night before. By the time he was done he heard Sylvia's door open and her footsteps coming his way.
"Are you feeling better yet?" She inquired as she walked in. He nodded back silently. "I'm glad. I guess since the weather has gotten better that you can leave whenever you wanted." She added. Trowa noticed a slight sad tone in her voice. "Well I do have somewhere that I need to be." He mentioned, looking at the clock on the wall. As much as she claimed to enjoy the quiet life, she probably did miss having people around.
"I have an idea. When my job here is finished, I'll stop by again." He suggested. Sylvia seemed to like that idea. "Alright, sounds good." She answered. After breakfast Trowa left heading back towards the hotel. Sylvia watched from the window till he was out of sight.~
The End Author's notes-I don't know for some reason the story seemed like a better idea when I was thinking it up but since it is a one shot type of thing I can't really elaborate too much from this point. So no flaming! ~_~ I'm not sure if I will write one for Quatre and Wufei. I already did the other two pilots. Guess everyone's just gonna have to wait and see.