6: Jin
_____________________________
Hilde stared outside the modern-rizzo's large window with a distant gaze she had barely spoken to Relena and barely touched her dinner; noodle soup and riceballs.
Relena who ate happily away at her BBQ chicken with salad on the side accompanied by spinach began to notice her friends odd behavior.
She looked up from her fork that she wrapped with salad staring passed the unopened bottle of wine that resided in the center of the table with a worried expression. "Hilde, are you alright?" Relena asked tentatively placing her fork on the edge of her plate.
Hilde's eyes widened blinking serveral times before she shifted her gaze toward her honey-blonde friend with a sheepish look, she bowed her head picking her spoon slowly. "Sorry, I kinda spaced out there for a moment, huh?" Hilde joked with a forced laugh.
Relena nodded shortly watching the German teenager sip slowly at her soup, the government official realized that this dinner wasn't getting her mind off of the boys any more than yelling at Heero for almost hitting her with a poorly aimed shot. Deciding not to press the issue of her wellbeing any farther Relena continued to eat her BBQ chicken a lot more lady like than she was before.
It was sheerly obvious that she spent too much time with Duo and Heero. Relena had told Hilde of the story of Duo and Heero fighting over the last piece of chicken while speed eating through the current piece of chicken in their mouths after the Mariemaia incident.
Une assigned them as her temporary bodyguards while her official bodyguards were off-duty for Christmas vacation. Hilde had found this odd, two of them were practically rival brothers they're egos got in the way every time they were asigned to a mission.
Duo would bet whoever hit the most rebels would win and the looser would have to pay for lunch everytime they went out. No one, however knew who the winner was exactly Duo and Heero always ended up with a tie on every mission.
Hilde giggled at the thought of Heero proclaiming himself the winnder despite the tie. "Those two... all they do is fight," Hilde chuckled under her breath taking another gulp of her soup with a short nod. Relena smiled knowing she had managed to get the German girl's mind off her worry for the time being, she placed her bone she stripped of its' meat onto the plate and proceeded to eat her salad.
Relena watched Hilde finish off her soup by drinking it from bowl itself as if it were a cup. Relena hoped no one saw the act the girl performed. "So Hilde, what do you want for desert?" She asked in hopes to draw the 16-year-old's attention away from the riceballs.
Hilde glanced up in confusion before grabbing up one riceball and shoving it into her mouth, her mind immediately shifted to desert. Hilde's hand placed itself on the side of her face as she positioned her elbow onto the tabel to hold her head up.
"Hmm... how about ice-cream?" She mumbled. Relena shook her head. "I've got keep my face pimple free Hilde, I'm still a teenager you know," Relena pointed out the obvious. Hilde rolled her eyes, ever the cautious one Rel. She thought shoving the last riceball into her mouth, Relena rolled her eyes.
Hilde had some mouth if she was able to just pop that thing into her mouth. Then again, she and Duo had big mouths and she wasn't talking about verbal wise. Well, at least they don't have mouths like Mick Jagger, or Steven Tyler...., Relena thought tapping her fingers against the edge of the table.
"Well, then I guess we should be going. I'll get the check," Hilde yawned rising from her chair. Relena gasped at her friends courteous decision of getting the check which could possibly cost more than what was in her pocket she shot her hand up in an attempt to stop her friend.
Hilde stopped in mid-step shifting her head toward the honey-blond government official with a ghost of an inquiring look. "Yah?" She asked almost in a annoyed tone of voice, Hilde wanted to leave and leave quick.
Relena smirked and motioned a waiter in they're direction Hilde watched as the man came over stepping beside Relena with a traw well balanced on his hand, his unoccupied hand was behind his back. "Yes m'lady?" He asked curtly.
Relena leaned over and whispered something in his hear before shooing him away, Hilde watched the man make a hasty retreat into the back of the restaurant she then shot Relena a look unaware that the Government official had payed the man (Relena had placed more then enough dollar bills in his unoccupied hand to pay his rent).
The honey-blonde girl smiled sweetly before grabbing Hilde by the wrist dragging her out of the building odd looks given to them by several people followed them curiously.
~*~
(Colony L4)
Trowa sat beside Catherine who laid curled up in the temporary bed inside the room for two Quatre had given him. His green eyes shifted toward the huge of window of the Winner mansion staring plainly at the metal walls that kept them separated from the suction of space, he groaned inwardly rubbing his eyes as sleep became evident to him before he fell onto the bed backward onto Catherine's legs.
Trowa jumped at her slight shift underneath the covers but was all in all relieved that he plop onto her legs didn't wake her from her slumber. He averted his gaze toward the ceiling while his mind wandered to the whereabouts of his other friends and their well-being at the present moment.
Trowa reached his hand up and tucked it behind his neck trying to relieve an annoying itch that never seemed to vanish after he was bitten by a dragonfly that mistaken a lock of his hair that was out of place and laid against his neck for a worm ... from what he speculated he wasn't sure what the dragonfly was doing on his neck or how it got onto the colony. His finger nails began to scratch relentlessly on his neck running over the lump that resembled a hickey several times in the process.
That's when his nail suddenly became caught on the lump, he automatically yanked his hand from behind his neck accidentally cutting the hickey.
"Shit," He grumbled lifting himself into an upright position at the feel of blood on his fingertips.
He stared at the crimson liquid on his fingers before reaching in the back of his resting his hand against the lump wincing at the momentary pain that shot up his spine, carefully he lifted himself from the bed hoping he didn't wake Catherine from her sleep as he made his way across the hardwood floor silently unable to forget his stealthy ways.
Note to self; buy compact bug repellent, Trowa thought as he grabbed the door knob and opened the door quietly. He slipped out of the room with ease and jogged down the hall toward bathroom when someone grabbed him by the shoulder catching him off guard.
Trowa jumped and spun around to meet face-to-face with Quatre's sister Iria Winner. "Hn. Ireia, what do you want?" He grumbled never taking his hand off his neck. Ireia sent a pleasant smile his way tapping elbow while Trowa simply glared at her.
"I just wanted to tell you that there's someone on the vidphone who wants to speak with you," She paused staring at his hand that was clamped on the back of his neck. "Would you like me to treat that hickey of yours? I couldn't help but notice the blood on your fingernails."
Trowa shrugged walking past her toward the communications room, Ireia followed closely behind him trying to grasp his hand as he picked up his pace. Iria figured he was doing this on purpose so she picked up her pace following him around the corner.
Trowa glance behind him briefly annoyed by the woman's persistence in following him but tried his best to ignore her as he rounded another corner before coming to a halt in front of the door that would lead him into the communications room he felt Ireia bump into him, he sent a glare in her direction before pressing his hand against the scanner.
State your name please. Came a computerized voice. Trowa grimaced at before speaking. "Trowa Barton," He said calmly. There was a moment of silence when a hiss followed by the opening of the door was heard, Trowa smirked at the modifications Quatre made to the computer to accept him.
Slowly he lowered his hand from his neck venturing into the room that looked much like a living room complete with two chairs, one couch with a coffee table in front of in it and floral plaster design on the walls a chandelier hanging in the center of the ceiling and last but not least the vidphone in between 2-way windows.
Iria followed him into the room as the silent ex-pilot made his way toward the vidphone ignoring the injury on his neck she rolled her eyes and went after the little bugger. "Mr. Barton, I'm asking you to take a moment to let me take a look at that," Iria pleaded sternly just as he turned the vidphone that was in a state of remission at the moment back on.
Trowa was slightly surprised to find Une, chief commander of the preventers on the screen. "This is unexpected," He mumbled under his breath. "Good evening, Lady Une." The German woman nodded in response.
"Hello Trowa Barton, I hope you are doing well?" She said in her usual monotone voice. Trowa folded his arms across his chest with a skeptic look reflecting in his visible eye. "I'm fine, what is it that you want?" He asked. Une paused for a moment looking the boy over as if he were under some screen test before speaking.
"I need you to become a preventer, there's some trouble that's been brewing out of control for the past month. Remnants of the white fang, OZ, the Mariemaia and other rebel factions have decided to try and start another war, thought it hasn't made the news to my relief I need you to take care of it. I have already sent by best preventers, Zechs Merquies, Lucreiza Noin, Sally Po (who completed her mission already), and Wufei Chang out to handle what they could but--,"
"You need the remaining Gundam pilots who aren't preventers to throw in the two cents, am I right?" Trowa asked icily hoping Catherine was still asleep. Une blinked at the young man before nodding clearing her throat. "Yes, I have already informed Quatre Winner who gladly accepted," Une explained coolly unfazed by Trowa's tone of voice. "I have not received an answer from Duo Maxwell or Heero Yuy."
Trowa scoffed rolling his eyes, he really didn't feel like fight anymore, he found it to be tiresome no matter how much his mind reminded him it was for a just cause to protect Catherine and others he care for. "And what about Catherine? How will I know she'll be okay while I'm gone off on relentless missions?" He snapped unable to contain his anger.
Une raised her hand silencing Trowa before he opened his mouth again. "What she doesn't know can't hurt her," Une replied emotionlessly. "I await your decision, Trowa Barton." Trowa felt as if he were torn two; he didn't want to fight, yet if this emergency Une was talking about was this serious then it was possible Catherine could be in danger whether or not he told her what was going on.
Someone was bound to know he was close to Catherine, and if so they would use her as a shield to get to her. "Before I accept your generous proposal, I have to know that Catherine will be safe while I'm away. Can you do this for me?" He said with a spite in his voice.
The German woman stared at the Latin American teenager for a good while contemplating his terms, wondering why she even bothered to contact this twit of a child before closing her eyes in submission. "Yes, I can, Catherine can stay the preventers Headquarters while your out doing this for me. It this enough to put your mind at ease Barton?" Une grumbled.
Trowa smirked with a nod. "It is," He said. "I'm accept your terms. I will become a preventer. For Catherine's sake." Une smiled with a glint of relief in her eyes before sighing deeply. "Good to hear, I'm sure you know your way to the preventers HQ. It shouldn't be too hard to find. Quatre is waiting for you in a shuttle and be sure to bring Mrs. Bloom with you."
Trowa nodded pushing the feeling of dread aside. "Understood," He replied with a salute. "Over and out." He turned the vidphone off before bolting from his spot dodging the furniture and rushing past Iria who saw nothing but a blur of his figure running down the hallway toward his and Catherine's bedroom.
_______________________________________________
Quatre yawned sleepily as he awaited Trowa and Catherine, playing with the joystick lazily as he scratched his head. He had been waiting since seven, it was eight in the evening. The Arabic teenager yawned again rubbing his eyes before hearing the sound of the shuttle door opening aroused him from his half-sleep.
Quatre turned around and was relieved to find Trowa helping Catherine (who was wrapped in a blanket) into the shuttle. "Trowa, Catherine. It's about time you got here," He yawned resting his chin on the seat's head rest. Trowa turned the platinum blonde with a cocked eyebrow before coming toward the front with Catherine following behind before placing herself in the seat behind the front passengers seat.
Trowa rested his elbow on the edge of the pilots seat gesturing Quatre toward the passengers seat. "You need the rest," He said sternly. Quatre nodded yawning again before rising from the pilots seat and hopping into the passengers seat, Trowa hopped into the pilot seat and began to start up the shuttle.
"Why exactly are we going, Trowa? This all seems pretty pointless if you ask me," Catherine said buckling herself in with a yawn. Trowa shrugged as he and Quatre buckled themselves in. "Sit back Catherine," Trowa warned with a smirk. Catherine did as she was told just as the ship to took off.
___________________________________________________
Duo and Heero stared at the boy before them in shock the boy blinked at them in annoyance wishing they would stop looking at him so strangely.
Heero cleared his throat nudging his friend in the ribs, Duo snapped out of his supposed trance glancing at Heero who was completely baffled by this discovery.
"A war-orphan?" Duo managed to get out. The boy nodded to his question sliding over to the edge of the couch with a pained grunt, he had never seen anyone react this oddly to his mentioning of him being an orphan but on the flip side at least they showed little remorse over it.
"Yeah an Orphan. My parents abandoned me for all I care," The boy grumbled. "They told me they would be right back, leaving me at an airport on a colony in the L3 area with a space suit on. Everything else was is a big blank to me. I woke up floating in outer space with no memory of what happened to me. The people who found me said I was in an only survivor of a destroyed colony incident, everyone on the colony but me were killed for some odd reason. They sent me to earth on a shuttle that would take me to an Orphanage, but I snuck out of the ship the second it landed.
I lived on the streets from that point on, and one day I just happened to come across Tomeki and his band of lackey's after I had stolen something to eat from a market. And from that day on he accepted me as one of his own, Tomeki took care of me until I wanted to leave his jolly'ol band to find someone related to me. He didn't like that and said the only way I could leave was if I beat him in a fight, I obliged, I fought, I lost. And that's when you arrived, supposedly saving me." The boy pointed his finger at Duo almost in an accusing way. Duo cocked an eyebrow at him but didn't say anything. You'd think he thank me for saving his life..., The braided pilot thought with a scowl.
"What's your name, kid?" Heero spoke pretending to look unfazed by what the little boy had told them. The boy shrugged playing with the end of his braid he supported himself against the couch's arm as he placed his feet firmly on the ground.
Duo didn't bother to help the kid because he had a feeling that the kid's ego would probably restrain him to ask for help, he remained still and observed him. "Why do you wanna know my name so badly?" The boy asked staring up at Heero. Heero pulled out a gun and placed its barrel against the boy's forehead.
"I'll kill you if you don't tell me your name, spill," Heero snapped. A sudden panic washed over Duo, he made an attempt to grab the gun from Heero but the Japanese teenager grabbed the braided sweeper by the wrist and twisted his arm behind his back pulling it upward sending a pain up Duo's shoulder.
The 16-year-old American growled scolding himself mentally to think twice before trying to jump the 'perfect soldier.' "Damn it, that hurts Heero!" He hissed trying to wrench his arm free of Heero's death grip. Heero glanced over to his comrade with a stern expression before turning his attention back to the little boy in front of him.
The trained assassin noticed he was shaking like a leaf under his heated gaze. despite the face that Heero never had his finger on the trigger, the gun itself frightened him. "My name is... Jin," He quivered.
"Just Jin?" Heero asked pressing the issue. Jin nodded. Heero sighed retracting his gun placing back into its' holster that was hidden in his jacket, he released Duo who wanted to kick him but was considering the consequences if he were to miss Heero's ankle.
Jin siged before he attempted to move forward but instead of walking he fell forward crashing into Heero's legs with muffled train of sentences following, Heero rolled his eyes lifting the boy up by his braid with a quick yank.
Jin yelped swatting Heero's hands away before he was thrown onto the couch again, the 11-year-old watched the two men in front of him turn they're backs to him heading toward the kitchen speaking in a hushed tone to each-other.
He growled in annoyance ready to try and get off the couch to make sure his legs weren't damaged in any way when he tripped on his pant leg causing him to fall onto his chin almost biting into his tongue. Jin groaned surrendering to the numb pain in his chin before over hearing they're conversation when he stopped moving.
"......Une wants us to join the preventers? Doesn't she have Wufei, Zechs, Sally, and Noin to help her out? They're the second next best thing compared to us if you know what I mean." Duo grumbled in annoyance.
"That's true Duo, but if she wants us to join up with preventers. There's a good reason behind it. Une doesn't bother anyone without good reason. Last time I checked," Heero pointed out.
Jin heard Duo groan. "So what!! Doesn't she know that some of us want to lead normal lives, and put the past behind us, I've gotta job and Hilde to look after," The braided pilot snapped. "Unlike you.."
"...."
Jin figured Duo had hurt the ex-pilot's feelings. How, he wasn't sure he figured the silent man didn't have any feelings. "Er.... sorry Heero, that kinda slipped out," He said. Jin cocked an eyebrow. He had heard of the preventers and Une, but what did those two have do with it?
With a quiet grunt he lifted himself up with the use of his hands and he managed to position himself into an upright position groaning. He watched both Heero and Duo turn toward him with questioning gazes before sending a glare in their direction before climbing to his shaky legs. Heero shifted his glance from Jin to Duo who shrugged.
"So are you gonna take me to the hospital or what?" Jin snapped irritated by the silence that lingered between them. Heero shook his head stopping in front of the tweenager before lifting him off the ground flinging him over his shoulder, grabbing his jacket and laptop tossing them over to Duo.
The American barely managed to catch the contents Heero threw him fumbling with the laptop he watched the Japanese teenager enter the kitchen Jin yelled in protest as he tried to break free of Heero's grip on him.
"Eh? What's goin' on Heero?" Duo asked curious, following him into the kitchen with cocked eyebrow. Heero grunted in response pulling out his cell phone pressing the speed dial placing the phone up to his ear tapping his foot impatiently. Duo began to feel uneasy with the tension hanging in the air that emitted from Heero Yuy himself.
Heero was beginning to grow tired of the endless waiting for Relena to pick up her cell phone when there was a click a giggle followed along with a sigh. "Hello, Darlain speaking," Her proper voice made the silent teen blush faintly.
"It's me, Relena," Heero said. He could sense Relena's spirits perk up automatically at the sound of his voice. "Heero what's wrong?" She asked worried. Heero shook his head with a grunt watching Duo make his way over to the window.
"Nothing. I have another favor to ask you," Heero said emotionlessly. A giggle echoed against his eardrums. "You're suddenly asking me all of these favors Heero," Relena sighed playfully. "Is there's something the matter?" Heero grinned rolling his eyes, Relena had repeated part of a question Duo had asked him once before he requested the braided-baka to hit him.
"Not at the moment. I want you to head to the preventers HQ with Hilde. Don't ask why I'll explain everything later when I get there ... somehow," Heero mumbled the last part of the his sentence to himself. "Okay, see you then," Relena said before hanging up.
Heero turned and closed his cell phone all in one swift movement just as a figure's shadow blocked out the evening moon landing on the ground with an earth shaking landing, both men fell over gripping the sides of the kitchen counter quickly recovering from the surprise.
Jin fell off of Heero's shoulder onto his back with grunt unaware that he was staring at the bulk of a familiar structure. "A shuttle!" He cried scrambling to his feet. "What?!" Duo pulled himself up with the aid of the counter gazing out the window at what was indeed a shuttle but why in the seven hells was it in his backyard!?
Heero climbed to his feet grabbing Jin by the wrist heading toward the door leaving a confused Duo behind him. "Hey, where do you think your going?" Duo cried rushing after the antisocial young man careful not to drop his belongings. Heero wasted to time to answer the American's idol questions, he dragged Jin along toward the shuttle door that was opening followed closely by Maxwell.
"Why are we here, Trowa?" Catherine asked staring out the window on her side. Trowa said nothing, he watched Quatre throw out a ladder for the others to climb while Catherine was a bit hurt that he didn't answer her question when a familiar and cheerful voice caught her attention.
"Hey Q-man, what's up?" She recognized it as Duo Maxwell, one of Trowa's comrades. Catherine shifted her gaze toward the opening of the shuttle staring curiously at the long-braided teenager behind her before noticing Heero and a younger boy's arrival on the ship.
What's going on here? Catherine thought perplexed by everything that was going on around her. Quatre smiled pleasantly at his friends pulling the shuttle door toward him, shutting it locked. "Nothing much, how have you and Hilde been?" Quatre asked curiously. Duo shrugged with a wave of his hand heading toward a seat on Trowa's side.
"Pretty good, Hilde's fine. So is Heero over there," The ex-pilot pointed at the silent man behind him. Quatre smiled with a short lived chuckle shifting his gaze toward the boy who sat behind Duo. Surprised by his presence, the Arabic teenager parted his lips to ask a question when Heero spoke up.
"His name is Jin, he's a war orphan," Heero explained briefly striding pass Quatre (who was shocked by his comment) toward the front. Quatre grabbed the last seat behind Catherine buckling himself in. "Hey Trowa," Heero sighed placing himself in the side beside Trowa.
Trowa nodded in response before staring up the shuttle. "Where's Relena and Hilde?" The Latin American asked. "On they're way over to P.HQ," Heero replied. "Thanks for coming." Trowa smiled with a shrug. "Your welcome." He replied moving the ship forward. Duo glanced at Trowa then Heero.
He began to formulate a sneaking suspicion that Heero had called Trowa with his cell phone which was no surprise; he and the young clown were the only ones (next to Relena and Quatre) that carried cell phones around. He never really believed in using cells phones, if he wanted to speak to Hilde then he would take the fastest route to home to do so when he was out.
"How are you gonna get this thing off the ground without frying the entire neighborhood in the process mister?" Jin said in a skeptic tone of voice. Trowa smirked rolling his eyes. "I'm talented, don't worry I won't fry the neighborhood," Trowa replied. Jin scoffed sitting back in his chair awaiting the 'talented' man to perform this task he deemed impossible.
Duo looked around the inside of the shuttle curiously; there was a preventer's logo right above his head meaning it had to been made by the engineers of associated with the PHQ or the president at least to build this kind of spaceship, he turned his attention to Trowa who was carefully explaining how he was going to take off with destroying the neighborhood to the highly skeptical Jin the minute his ears picked up on the conversation.
"...You see Jin, a very special company created this shuttle with two very important attributes attached to its boosters. One part is that this ship can use fuel when it taking off to space, the other is that it uses nothing electricity to power the takeoff when on earth; almost like a plane but different. Plus this happens to the fastest shuttle model ever created, so it would only take an hour or so to get to earth if your in the L3 or L1 area. If that's any consultation to you," Trowa answered with a smirk.
Jin blinked in bewilderment at what he had just heard but regained his composure replacing his bewildered expression with a deep scowl proceeding to stare out his window. The four ex-pilots smirked just as the shuttle began to lift from the ground.
Author's note: Sorry if this chapter seems short, I couldn't save the entire story [it was longer than this]..... well I did but the when I tried to open it, the computer said it was tooo large and I had to shorten it a bit. So the next part of the chapter will be coming up soon, fear not! Enjoy and review! ~Sakura123~