Chapter Thirty-one: The Tables Have Turned. Place Your Bets.

Jack Avis paced. He didn't pace often, only when he was annoyed or worried. And right now he was worried. Trowa had been gone for hours. He knew that the older man could take care of himself; after all he'd survived three wars and endless skirmishes. He wasn't quite sure how to tell him what he had seen. He almost had a sense of failure. He had to tell Trowa that Quatre Raberba Winner was dead.

Jack suppressed a shiver and made another turn in the carpet of Trowa's quarters. He knew it was inevitable, an only fair that he knew. Jack froze in place as he heard footsteps down the hall. Trowa was back. He placed himself in front of the door and stood at attention. The door swung open and Trowa stepped inside. He was startled by the younger man's presence but did not show it.

"Good evening, Jack." Trowa said.

He relaxed a little at the use of his first name.

"Evening. Did the mission go well?"

Trowa sat the laptop on the dresser and put the gun on top of it. "I completed the mission. There was a minor complication. Heero and Ryu witnessed it."

"I'm sorry."

"I know you are."

There was a pause as Jack mentally put together what he was going to say. Trowa sat at his desk chair and motioned for Jack to sit as well. Jack sat on the edge of the bed.

"You wanted to tell me something earlier. I'm sorry I cut you off. What did you want to say?" Trowa asked.

Jack breathed deeply and bit his lip. "I'm sorry Trowa. I'm so sorry I couldn't stop it."

"Jack,"

"Quatre Raberba Winner is dead."

Trowa's fists clenched up and his eyes shut. As soon as Jack had uttered the word `Quatre' he knew what was happening. He calmed his heart rate and his eyes flickered open. His gaze fell on Jack who was studying the floor. The younger man looked up and saw a brief flash of pain and loss in the emerald eyes. Trowa blinked and there was no sign of emotion left in him. The Silencer had taken over.

"Mei did it."

"Yes. He got in a cab and half a block down the street it blew up."

"Where is she now?" his tone was solid ice.

"The last time I checked she was at her apartment. I haven't seen Cavel since this morning."

"Very well. You are dismissed, Lieutenant."

Jack stood. "Yes, Sir." He whispered. As he reached the door, Trowa's voice stopped him.

"Jack,"

"Let come with you, Trowa. If you're going to go on a vendetta against her you may as well have back-up."

"I don't want you involved in this any more than you have to be."

"That's what I'm here for."

Trowa glared at him. "Very well. But so help me Jack, if you try to interfere with anything I try to do tonight," he warned.

"I won't."

"All right. Go change into civilian clothes. I meant what I said, Jack."

Jack grinned. "So did I."

Anna skimmed through Lieutenant Hornblower and lamented the fact that her Retribution tape was at home on the shelf. She was comfortable curled up against the cushions on the couch. She sighed and placed the book on the table and picked up the remote control. Just as she was about to turn the TV on, the room was flooded with a bright white light. Anna shrieked and jumped behind the couch, crouching in a defensive position. When the light had faded away, she peeked over the edge of the couch.

"Sparky!" she exclaimed.

The young man huddled on the floor, clutching the laptop to him as if it was the only thing keeping him up. He was shaking and had had a look of shock written over his face. Anna knelt in front of him.

"Sparky? What happened? Talk to me, babe." She murmured.

He didn't seem to acknowledge her presence. "Murdered him," he mumbled.

"Who murdered him, Sparky?"

"Trowa murdered him."

"Who?"

Cavel finally looked up at her. "I'm sorry, Anna. I'm sorry. I didn't know what to do."

"It's okay, Sparky. What happened?"

"I didn't ever think he'd do it. He always seemed like he still cared." He said softly.

"It would help me out if you'd tell me what happened."

"Trowa murdered him. I saw it. They saw it too."

"Who else saw it?"

"Heero and the blue haired man."

"Ryuujin."

"Yeah."

"What did the three of you see Trowa do?"

He fell silent. She pried the laptop out of his fingers and laid it to the side. Anna pulled the younger man up off the floor and took his jacket off before sitting him on the couch.

"Do you want something warm to drink?" she asked. She could see the signs of shock showing up.

He shook his head. She got up to get it, but he grabbed her wrist.

"No, no, no. Stay. I've got to tell you this."

She sat back down. "Take your time, kiddo. You're safe."

"He called. Said Trowa was after him. I went to find them. I saw Trowa do it."

"What did he do?"

He looked at her with wide, dark eyes. "Duo Maxwell is dead."

Anna stared at him a moment before the point set in. She leaned back in the couch. "I see."

"I'm sorry."

She shook her head. "I don't see why it should matter. It's like it was before. I had him for a day and now he's gone again. I don't see why I should be surprised."

This seemed to pull Cavel out of his stupor. "You aren't upset?" he asked.

"Yes. No. I don't know. I hate Trowa Barton. He knew...he knew how it was the last time. But," she trailed off.

"Aren't you going to cry?" Cavel whispered.

Anna steeled her gaze. "No. I grieved for him ten years ago. I'm not going to do it again." She smiled dangerously. "But don't think Trowa will get away with this. I wasn't Tenshi no Shinigami for nothing. Trowa and Victor both. I'm sure he was under an order from Victor."

Cavel started to say something, but was cut off by the sound of a car door slamming loudly outside. Anna automatically reached over and turned out the lamp, bathing the room in darkness and moonlight. Cavel carefully moved to the window and pulled the curtain back half an inch. Anna came to stand behind him.

"Trowa," she said lowly. "Who's the man with him?"

Cavel looked more closely at the taller man's companion. He let out a surprised gasp. "That's Jack. He and I were very close."

Anna watched Trowa's movements. She noticed that both of them were in civilian clothing, and Trowa was donning the old green turtleneck and grey slacks. The man Cavel called Jack stayed close behind Trowa, keeping an eye out on everything. Anna gave a short humorless laugh.

"What?" Cavel asked.

"I love irony." Anna murmured. "Trowa's here because he thinks I killed Quatre. He's here to avenge the murder of one of his ex-comrades after he murdered one himself." She fingered her short hair. "I think I'll deprive him of the glory. Grab your stuff. We're leaving."

"Where are we going?"

"Tokyo. I have a friend there who can help us. I'm getting fed up with this." Anna said. "We'll go out by the balcony in your room."

He nodded and disappeared into his room. Anna scribbled a note and taped it to the TV screen. She picked up her book and went to grab her laptop and her bag. She got to the balcony as Trowa pounded on her door. Cavel had already tied a rope and slid down to ground level. Anna heard the door break open in the background. She slid down to her companion and looked up.

Trowa was pulling the apartment apart as Jack spotted the note.

"In one venue, out another window. See you later." He read out loud. Trowa looked up at him.

"What did you say?"

"I think they left out a window." Jack said.

Trowa slammed a fist into the counter. "Come on." He passed Cavel's window and saw it open. "Jack!" he called. He ran out onto the balcony and looked down. Hoshimawari Mei leered up at him.

"Missing something, soldier?" she asked.

He snarled something at her and Jack came to stand by him.

"Cavel." He said quietly.

Cavel shrugged at him, and Jack nodded.

Anna saw the look in Trowa's eyes. "Go." She told Sparky.

Cavel gave a small wave to Jack and took off down the street. Anna blew a kiss up at Trowa and was then on Cavel's heels. Trowa leapt off the balcony and landed gracefully below. Jack opted for the rope.

Anna pulled Cavel behind a building to wait for them to catch up a little. She turned to him. "How loyal is Jack to OWN?"

Cavel shook his head. "He's not."

"What do you mean?"

"Jack didn't take the blood oath to own. He took the blood oath to his immediate superior."

Anna frowned. "Trowa."

"Yes."

"That's what I call dedication."

"He's very dedicated to the people he cares about."

Anna nodded. "Let's go."

They ran down the street and Jack spotted them.

"Trowa." He called.

Trowa narrowed his eyes and was after them like a shot.

"We'll end this small chase at the dock." Anna said, indicating the direction to the shuttle dock.

"Right." Cavel agreed.

Trowa was gaining ground, and he was gaining it fast. Anna didn't remember him being that good a runner. He fired at her back, still thinking she was Mei. Anna dodged it, but tripped in the process. She slammed to the ground, the laptop hitting the concrete as well. The disguising program shut down and Hoshimawari Mei fell away, revealing the ex-Star pilot. Anna gasped as her curls fell around her face. Cavel stopped and bent next to her to help her up, and she turned, locking eyes with the ex-Heavyarms pilot. Blue eyes met stunned green ones and Trowa balked at what he saw.

"Anna," he breathed.

She held his gaze as Cavel helped her up and picked the laptop up. The boy held onto her arm, slightly pulling her in the direction of the dock. Jack came up behind Trowa and grabbed his arm.

"You murdered him," Trowa said quietly.

She shrugged. "What do you think?"

"I think one of us is a traitor." Trowa said dryly.

She grinned. "Only one, Trowa-kun?" she asked.

He narrowed his eyes again and aimed at her. "What did he ever do to you?"

She glared at him. "I could ask you the same thing." She snarled. Then she smiled again. "But c'est la vie, ne? Ja ne." She ripped the laptop open and hit a key. Trowa threw himself forward, but he was too late. The last they saw was someone running at Cavel and grabbing him, but they vanished in the telltale white light of the transport program.

"This isn't over, Maxwell." Trowa growled. He turned his heel on the scene and headed back to headquarters, Jack still with him.

Meg hummed as she pulled back the sheet on the corpse. She sighed and brushed a strand of blonde hair out of her face. She had never been afraid of bodies, but she regretted having to do an autopsy on this one. However, Heero had requested that she be the one to do it -or rather demanded she do it at gun point- so she acquiesced.

She studied his face. Before death had set in, he had been quite hansom. He had great eyes and hair. Meg sighed again and pulled her cart with her tools over towards her. She jerked it to hard and a vial of pale yellow liquid fell over and onto the chestnut locks.

"Crap!" she exclaimed, retrieving the vial and grabbing a towel. After she dried the mess off the table she looked closely at the hair the chemicals had spilled onto. Wherever the liquid had touched, it had stained the brown hair blonde. Meg frowned. She had not spilled bleach onto it. She felt her way up his scalp until she found what she was looking for.

"Extensions. This man is a natural blonde." She murmured.

She leaned closer and pulled an eyelid open. Under careful scrutiny, she found another interesting fact. This man had brown eyes underneath violet tinted contacts.

Meg stood back and placed a hand on her hip. "Either you were very insecure, Mr. Maxwell, or you are not Mr. Maxwell." She washed her hands off and sat down at her desk to dial Heero's cell phone. Something was extremely askew.