Story Three: Remnants of Reality
Chapter Two
By Heartfire
~*~
Quatre's head tilted sideways, concern so evident in his eyes. He had felt that she needed help from the very start, and Une… Well… The Preventer Unit does not usually ask for help, especially not from a civilian- even if he was once a Gundam pilot. "What's the matter, Lady Une?" He glanced at the mask, clutched in her hand. "Why the disguise?"
"I think you should sit down before I start with the explanations." Une gracefully bent to the floor and grabbed a folder from the bag beside the chair while Quatre willingly complied with her suggestion just as a deep sense of foreboding dread slowly crept in him.
"I believe that you know the country Arche?" She placed the folder on his desk, the 'confidential' stamp in large, red, bold letters over the folder, sending a sense of foreboding.
Quatre nodded while his eyebrow shot up in question. Une waved her hand for permission and Quatre opened the folder while he stated some facts he knew of. "Saved throughout the years of hardship by proper manipulation of people in power. A military government with James Morley as the Supreme ruler… A hermit country, cut off from the world, yet they produce the most magnificent jewels on Earth, eradicating the theory that they may be a third world country. Not to mention that… nobody has set foot in, or out of Arche for the past half century save for its representatives…"
Une nearly smiled at the quick, efficient way Quatre answered. It was exactly her style. "We have reason to believe that Arche had been- and still is- building nuclear weaponry in secret."
Quatre's eyes, reading through a printed message, jerked up to look at Une. "Nuclear? But that's against the World Alliance's Constitutional Bylaws! True… they're not exactly an active member, but it was still a set rule." He couldn't keep the panicked tone from his voice. Nuclear weaponry had gone through many strides during the centuries since it first started… and with it, the lives of many people and Earth's defacement.
"Exactly." Une nodded her agreement. "But, according to our source, there are nuclear bombs being built. How many? Why? I do not know."
Quatre skimmed through the report and decoded messages, and got the gist of the situation. "Why are you asking for my help? Why not Heero, Wufei, Duo, or Trowa, or any other Preventer? Why me?"
Une smiled softly, though sadness echoed in her eyes. "There had been a leak in the Organization. According to our source, Arche has knowledge of every single Preventer in each region and quadrant." That was why she had started looking for Heero Yuy, but that detestable man just does not want to be found! Why wouldn't he show up when he is needed?
"I'm sorry." Quatre's aquamarine eyes showed his commiseration for his friend. Une had worked hard to protect her soldiers. Having information leaked to the outside world was exactly what she did not want to happen. It was the security breach she had tried so hard to prevent.
"That is alright. I am concerned for those under my command, but there is nothing we can do but be on our guard. They're trained to endure, not Gundam pilot training, but trained, all the same. We are still trying to find our bug, but we still do not have any leads. As for the others, Heero Yuy has a high profile as a Gundam pilot from the previous two wars..."
Quatre nodded his agreement. "Therefore, the moment he sets foot on Arche, he will be a suspect."
"Correct." A sort of grimace came over her face. "Duo Maxwell also has a high profile in Arche. He's…" Une coughed slightly. "Public enemy number One."
"Pardon?" Quatre's eyes widened in absolute shock- now this was news! It would be just like Duo… Something he'd do in style and with open eyes… but… "Why?"
Une frowned in slight confusion… Why doesn't he know? "Haven't you been following the news?"
Quatre shook his head, at the same time, tried to think clearly. "I have… I just don't know… Why he would be…"
"James Morley's younger brother was humiliated world wide by Duo at Hartwater. According to our source, James Morley took it as a personal insult, twisted it into a national insult, and declared Duo Maxwell the country's enemy."
The look of confusion instantly disappeared from Quatre's face as he remembered the incident. When arrived in Hartwater, he saw a wide screen monitor on top of a high building. The show? Duo was beating the daylights out of someone- actually, Morley looked as if he was winning, but Duo got the upper hand. He almost forgot that the person was James' brother.
"I see that you remember. How Duo ever got the nerve to insult a dictator's brother, I have no idea." Une didn't even bother to hide the frustration in her voice. Duo was her first choice for this job- cheerful, outgoing personality that belies the intelligence in his quick mind- Morley would surely think him dim-witted and slow. Also, his steel business would prick the interest of someone building nuclear warheads… And he just had to blotch it up!
Quatre just grinned. He could see exactly what Une was thinking… "It was all for love. It was Duo's best performance, actually."
Now it was Une's turn to raise an eyebrow.
Quatre's grin faded at Une's hidden question. "I presume… you never saw the tape?" The look of confusion on Une's face was his answer. "Oh, yes… Of course… I took the original taped scene so no one would be able to copy it." Quatre's grin reached ear to ear with enthusiasm. "Would you like to see it?"
Une's stared at Quatre incredulously. "You didn't!"
"I did." Quatre nodded. "My wedding present for both of them. I also made sure there was never a copy of it made… except for that last kiss and a quick look at Morley's younger brother." A short, mischievous laugh escaped him as he remembered the pains her sister Jasmine went through with a certain network. "Investigated and destroyed."
Une's lips turned upwards in the most cheerful smile Quatre had ever seen on her face. "You know… you have a black streak when you want to use it."
Quatre almost clapped. Oh yes! It was fun to finally not think along the lines of strict business and politics. But, right now… back to business. "I take it that Wufei is out of the picture because Arche would have his profile from the Preventer's data?" Quatre stated, entwining his hands together.
Une nodded, rearranging her thoughts back in line. "Yes, and Trowa Barton is missing in action."
Quatre smiled softly at the mention of his best friend. He really doesn't have any clue about to Trowa's whereabouts, but his friend could take care of himself. "No… he's just hiding somewhere…"
"That leaves you. We do not have any file under your name, but you do have a file as a Gundam pilot. Being that, James will expect the Organization to contact you."
"Which leads us to why you were wearing a disguise, am I correct?" Quatre asked as he leaned forward and pointed at her mask.
"Yes. We cannot take any more chances. We need you to be clean. Even with your Gundam background, the fact that you have not been in contact with the Preventers and that you have lived your life as a civilian will question their suspicion.""
"What about your source in Arche? If Arche has files on each Preventer…" Quatre looked down at the papers in the open folder. A minute passed… two… still no answer from Une… Quatre looked up and saw a haunted look in her eyes.
"Lady Une? Are you all right?" Concern etched itself upon his face as he began to feel utmost sadness from this usually placid woman.
His question finally seeped through Une as she shook her head and faced him once again. "Pardon me."
Quatre stood up, walked around his table, and stopped in front of her. He reached out and touched her shoulder. "Lady Une…?"
Une stared into his mature aquamarine eyes and smiled sadly. "I would be lying if I say that I am…"
"What's wrong?" Quatre let her go and sat at the edge of his desk, ready to listen and give comfort.
Une sighed. "My source in Arche does not have a record with the Preventers because I did not created one for him. What use of it now…?" She looked away. "He might already be… dead."
Silence encompassed the room… The hopelessness in Une's voice shook Quatre. He didn't know what to say… Why would Lady Une do something like that? Then again, a nagging thought kept on tugging at his mind. "I'm sorry I have to ask this, but how trustworthy is your source?"
For a moment, Une's eyes hardened, then she saw through his question. She sighed once again. "Very trustworthy… He was one of the best in Oz… I didn't ask him for records because I knew him… He was…" Une looked away. She was so close to him… They grew up together… went to Oz together… 'Robert…' Une closed her eyes as old memories flashed in her mind. "My cousin."
Once again, silence encompassed the two. Quatre bit his inner lip. He knew exactly what she's going through…"He may not be dead…" It might be wrong to get her hopes up but…
"No Quatre… It is all right… The coded message relayed gunshots, and from that day on, we haven't heard from him…" Une clasped her hands together. "It's all right… really… we haven't seen each other for fifteen years… we knew what we were getting ourselves into when we joined the militia… it's all right…"
Quatre could only look at Une… She had said 'it's all right' so many times that it seemed as if she was also trying to convince herself of it, trying to make herself believe it. Then, he saw her back straighten and that look of confidence entered her. She was the Lady once again.
"As for your question of dependability, Rascal never missed a single due report to the base, except for twice in all his twenty years of service to me. His loyalty runs through blood, as my loyalty to him. The first time, he had not contacted the base two and a half months, nearly two years ago. The second time was two months ago."
Quatre reached for the folder once again and quickly skimmed through the decoded message. "I see why you would think that he's… dead… Aside from the recorded gunshots, he had also reported that they were on to him…"
"Yes. That is so."
The pros and cons weighed itself in Quatre's mind… Con: he'll have to leave his business, then again, Rashid can handle it quite well… Con: He might die, then again, he's not afraid to die… he had faced death before. Pro: He'll be preserving peace if there is a nuclear threat. Pro: He'll be helping a friend by investigating if Rascal is truly dead. Pro: He'll be helping the whole Organization if he finds the database with all Preventer's information and delete it… Pro: The future will be better…
Une saw the decisions flit through his expressive eyes. She wouldn't blame him if he answers no-
"What do you want me to do?"
For a second, she was stunned, and then a soft smile appeared on her face, a smile of gratitude. "We need facts that Arche does have nuclear threats, and that they have plans to use these bombs against the world. Once we have those, we will take over Arche and dismantle them."
Quatre walked to his window as another thought nagged at his mind. "This doesn't have anything to do with the President of the World Alliance's grudge against Arche's thriving anti-democratic government, does it?"
"I would be lying if I say that it doesn't. But that reason is at the bottom of my list. I want Arche because they are a threat. I believe my cousin's reports about James being a murderer. Being that kind of a person, he will not hesitate to use the bombs against us. I do not wish for our hard earned Peace to be ruined."
Quatre nodded. What Une had said is true. "Nor do I, Lady Une… Nor do I…"
Une glanced at the mature man in front of him… How he had grown, yet how little he changed… still the kind-hearted man she met a long time ago… It's still a wonder to her how he was able to come out of the wars unchanged!
Quatre turned around and smiled at Une. There's only one more question to ask.
"When do I leave?"
{Heartfire's Note: I think the infamous writer's block is finally leaving, though I still feel its strains at the back of my mind. I hope you all liked this so far. Do not worry. I will not just leave Heero and Relena behind. This is a saga, afterall. It is going to intertwine in the end. Enjoy the vacation while it last, since mine is already over. I'll try my old schedule of posting, but just in case WB hits me again, if you want me to tell you when I update, my email is open. Take care everyone!}