Memento [Part Three]

Suspected mobile suit production in the L2 colony sector G? Hoax. L2 had long been known to limit its finances on weathering. They couldn't even get their systems to work properly. Sector G? Where was that? As far as he knew, the G sector was wiped out during the war years ago. Besides, the report didn't even specify just what kind of mobile suits were being produced. Several factories were now producing the suits that were necessary to do repairs in non-breathable atmospheres as well as to serve as constructive apparatus for the Mars project. The report was submitted by one LV Murron, the same bitter LV Murron who submitted another hoax two weeks ago. The man was horridly incorrect, apparently inefficient and obviously bitter. There was no need to make any further action. Trowa trashed the report in the garbage bin.

"Why can't they deal with their bitterness some other way?" he muttered as he opened another folder that most likely held another few pages of false reports. He didn't know what was worse - being suspended because he 'misbehaved' as so they called it or being burdened with useless paperwork as a consequence for said misconduct.

"Are you even looking carefully enough through those?"

Trowa jumped slightly to the sudden intrusion from his office door.

"Aren't you supposed to be doing something other than bothering me?" he replied without looking up from his paperwork. There was only one person he knew would come at such a time and that one person was most likely planning to stay. He groaned.

"Nope. Done with that," Duo answered as he poked his head in and then entered the office. Trowa looked up to find him covered in dirt and smelling of coal. It was obvious that he'd been out on surveillance and that there was a lot of conflict, enough to get him dirty. Trowa was jealous.

"Don't look so smug," he said, looking back down to finish his newest stack of paperwork. "Just because this has never happened to me before doesn't mean that you're free to ridicule my state."

"Who said I was going to? Boy, but Une sure got you this time. There's nothing worse that sitting your ass down and doing paperwork when you could be breathing fresh air elsewhere. Hmm, but it looks to me that you're more pissed off about something else other than my interruption. Am I correct in assuming so?"

Duo laughed heartily, much to Trowa's dismay. He tried to ignore as much of the laughter by humming inside his head. It was no use fighting back when he knew Duo had the upper hand. He was hoping that Wufei would come in and haul him out of there.

"But seriously," Duo said, this time sounding just as serious as he said he was. "What of our favorite assassin?"

"He's recuperating," Trowa answered. "He's recuperating and being uncooperative."

"I take it you questioned him?"

"Hah! As if they'd let me anywhere near him," Trowa responded. If only they let him near the guy then maybe he would have been able to get something out of him. It wasn't like he was planning on a second round of beating. He was the most composed one of the four and he certainly learned his lesson after the little stunt he pulled. Even if he didn't get it through his thick skull, there was always Heero to snap his ass back into place like he'd been doing for the past few weeks. So maybe he had been misbehaving... a little. He couldn't help it. There was something bothering him and he couldn't pinpoint the source.

"Who did the questioning?"

Trowa scratched his chin and trashed another stack of papers down the garbage bin.

"Huh? Oh, some random guy. Don't know who. Nobody seems to be able to get him to talk."

Duo got a gleam in his eye and started rubbing his hands together. It was unfortunate that Trowa didn't notice the predatory look in his eyes.

"Maybe I should go over and meet the guy," Duo said as he contemplated an effective method of questioning. "Don't worry buddy. We'll be getting answers before the day is over. If Heero looks for me, just tell him you don't know... don't want him to get me in trouble. If it's Wufei, tell him to come over. He might as well help me with that mighty 'are you worthy' speech - freaks the hell out of anyone. Ta ta!"

Before Trowa could even open his mouth to stop him, Duo was already out the door and most likely on his way to the confinement area. He was now aware of what that strange feeling he had earlier was pointing to.

Duo was going to get into trouble and he knew it. The last time he'd been asked to interrogate, he'd been suspended for weeks. Trowa remembered walking into the room seeing Duo's malicious look as he cheered on Wufei with his line of questioning. For some reason, Duo enjoyed cajoling Wufei as he played around with people's psyche to the point where one would admit that he or she was not worthy enough to carry out the evil act he'd been accused of doing, lest be in his honorable presence. He had to hand it to them. It was very effective but then it was a little too painful to the ears.

"Relena's joining us for dinner tonight."

Trowa suddenly snapped his mind back to the present to find out who was now at his door. It was strange to find people coming in again and again. Did they not want to leave him alone so that he could suffer in peace alone?

"Heero? Shouldn't you be somewhere else?" he asked, sounding disinterested.

"Obviously not," Heero answered taking a seat in the chair Duo had occupied earlier. Like Duo, he too was muddy.

"And Relena. You know it's a little too dangerous to have her over. I mean, anyone around me is a liable candidate for murder. We haven't found out who's been putting bullets through my house yet."

"Think again, Trowa," Heero answered. "Where would she be safer, in a home with four trusted and experienced soldiers or alone, in her home with bodyguards who couldn't even load their own guns? Trust me. She'll be safer with us. Besides, I've been asking her to come over for the longest time."

"Whatever you say," Trowa said and then continued with the stack that was in front of him; the stack that looked like it didn't diminish since he started working on it. He picked up his cup and drank his now lukewarm tea before looking up at Heero. "Shouldn't you be telling Wufei this since he's in charge of preparing dinner tonight?"

"I was just trying to strike up a conversation. Duo said it was hell in solitary confinement."

"It's not as bad as it looks," Trowa defended. He hoped that he didn't look as pathetic as he felt.

"Besides," Heero added. "I've been getting this strange feeling recently, like I'm sensing something. I know you're busy so I'll tell you about it later."

"Fine."

Without another word, Heero was out the door and Trowa was left again to work out the rest of the reports. He wasn't even a minute into the next folder when he heard his office door open yet again and this time, there were two particularly loud voices that filled the room. He asked himself again just why he had to suffer through it all and looked up to confirm that Wufei and Sally were indeed the owners of the voices.

"I'm telling you. It's not wise. Why won't you listen to me?" Sally said.

"I'll decide what's wise myself. The matter concerns him and I will not hide something this important," was Wufei's retort.

Trowa knew it was going to be next to impossible to interrupt just yet so he watched the scene unfold in front of him. It wasn't like he didn't witness the same situation many times before.

"It's not called hiding. It's called protecting. Now hand me that so I could give to Heero myself."

"Why won't you just leave me alone to do it?"

"Because I was specifically ordered to hand all these reports to Heero without telling you know who about it."

"You know who? We're practically arguing in front of you know who. I see no point in concealing something that's already out in the open. Remind me please why we're even arguing about this."

"Because I'm going to be in deep trouble if he gets involved in this."

"He already is."

"Already involved in what?" Trowa finally said.

"You know I'm not taking responsibility for this, Wufei," Sally said before sighing in defeat and leaving through the door. "Act rationally, Trowa," she said before the two were left alone.

Trowa didn't say anything and instead looked at Wufei for answers.

"As she said earlier, I'm hoping that you're going to be rational about this," Wufei said and then handed him a folder. He just hoped that it wasn't another hastily written report like the ones he'd been going through for the past few hours.

"These are pictures of Heero without any clothes on," Trowa stated calmly.

"What?"

"There's a note here that says 'Wu, hide the evidence or use it for blackmail. Your pal, Duo.'"

"That's appalling! I don't even want to see those."

"I'm hoping this isn't the big secret," Trowa said as he put the pictures back into the folder. "Clever albeit a bit immature."

"No, of course not," Wufei protested before he took the folder. "That woman tricked me! I can't believe she'd do such a thing. I'll be back," he said and left quickly.

Trowa looked at his closed door. If his suspicions were right, Wufei and Sally would be heard bickering yet again. He applauded himself when, indeed, the arguing started. They were loud too.

"What is the meaning of this?" he heard Wufei bellow.

"Why don't you tell me what it is? I'd bet Heero would be delighted to find out that you're very fond of his musculature," Sally said. Even from afar, she sounded like she was provoking him into another one of his temper tantrums.

"You wouldn't dare."

"Oh, Heero. I've got something to show you. Hurry up before Wufei spoils the fun," she called out in a sing-song voice.

Trowa didn't want to know what was going to happen next. He looked back down to his half finished reading and tired to concentrate. He couldn't however hold back the snicker that was breaking free from his throat. How Heero would take the situation, he didn't know. He was only sure that Duo would get his share of Heero's wrath when he eventually found out who the perpetrator was. It was only a matter of time.

"Duo, where are you?"

Heero's sudden arrival was unexpected and that was it for Trowa. If there was something that would take away his concentration, this was it. He put his pen down and counted to ten as he watched his door in expectation. It wasn't unusual for Duo to come running to him for cover considering that Wufei was not one to cover up for the guilty party.

"Eight... nine... ten..."

"Trowa!"

He smirked. He was right. After so many years of being around them, he knew exactly how things worked. What he didn't expect was for Duo to come barging into his door, pulling the other two with a big grin on his face. If there was something that happened within the ten seconds he counted, he didn't know. If Duo won them over that fast then that meant that he was getting good at weaseling out of trouble.

"You're never going to guess what I found," Duo said.

Trowa crossed his arms. He wasn't going to ask.

"Fine. Be that way even if this would be benefiting you more than anyone else in this room."

"What is it Duo?"

Trowa looked just as bored as the other two who were on either side of Duo. They didn't look like they knew what he was talking about either.

"I found us a dead ringer."

===

Trowa didn't know how he got dragged from his desk and into the confinement area. He was busy and those reports on his desk were not going to magically disappear if he ignored them. For the past few minutes, Duo had been telling them about his supposedly mysterious encounter that only made his attention swerve back to the more important matters at hand. He was in no mood to stall and was just about ready to bolt while Duo wasn't looking.

The sight from not far away was the only force that stopped him from doing so. From a distance he watched as Duo continued to talk, leading them into the room he'd animatedly been describing. It was one of those smoked glass rooms where the person on one side of a room saw a mirror while the other side was allowed to watch the developments within.

It was like seeing a ghost or perhaps a long forgotten dream. It was a mystery how he was able to move his feet and drag them close enough to see just what his mind was trying to relay.

"Told you it was interesting," Duo said, too excited to notice the apprehension on both Heero and Wufei's face as they watched Trowa. Their look of concern was lost to Duo, who by now was somewhere else in a world of his own.

"Isn't he pretty? I mean once you take out those geeky glasses and relax that stiff posture, he's practically huggable."

Although Trowa was not completely their either, he was conscious enough of his surroundings to nod in agreement.

"After having that talk with that unresponsive bastard of an assassin, I decided to get Wufei. You know, to do some of his magic and get him to talk and admit he was a filthy pig. On my way back, I discovered this lovely sight, talked to him for a couple of minutes before getting you guys here. He didn't want to tell me his name. I'm not sure he trusts me."

"I can see why," was Wufei's comment.

Trowa came to take a closer look. The man on the other end of the smoky glass was tapping his fingers on the desk, looking impatient and exasperated. He kept on shifting on his seat before finally deciding to bury his head in his arms which were crossed and atop the table. It was like watching a movie except that this one was live.

"I suggest we find out," Heero said all of a sudden. This made his other three companions look at him in question. Even Trowa had broken out of his reverie. "What do you think, Trowa?" he added.

"I think you know what you're talking about," Trowa answered and looked at Duo for assistance. "I'm sure you know of more than one way to find the answers we're looking for," he said.

"Oh yeah!" Duo answered in an excited voice. "Wu, since I caused you trouble this morning, I'm letting you choose - subtle or outright?"

"I don't know if being outright would be good," Wufei said and then smirked. "I think being subtle will be more appropriate."

"You heard it from the man himself," Duo proclaimed before unlocking the door and twisting the knob.

The current occupant of the room suddenly made a jump for the closest weapon available which to his dismay was a chair - a heavy chair he couldn't lift off the ground.

"Don't come any closer or I'll hit you," he said.

"Ooh, try hitting him," Duo said while pointing to Heero. "This guy won't even flinch if you beat him up with it."

"Who are you people?" was the nervous response from their newest target.

Trowa's eyes narrowed in suspicion. There was something not right about their encounter. He was starting to get uneasy. He pushed Duo forward to get on with it quicker. This caused an even more terrified reaction from the man but he didn't back down either. He looked like he was going to fight if provoked.

"What are you going to do?" he asked as Duo advanced.

All of a sudden, Trowa felt horrible for trying to frighten him in the first place. The big eyes behind the glasses were filled with such horror that he didn't know what to do. He fought the urge to slam his hand on the wall for not being more direct, for hiding behind his friends while they did the dirty work.

Much to the man's surprise and disbelief, Duo suddenly hugged him from behind, locking him into place. He yelped as Duo made a beeline for his shirt, tugging a bit and whispering something into his ear. Trowa had no intention of finding out what it was.

Slowly, almost rhythmically, Duo moved his hands around the flat of his stomach. Their target tried to pull back in alarm, the wisps of his shiny blonde hair swaying with the rest of his head.

"What are you four doing in here?"

Three heads immediately turned to the source of the voice but Trowa remained fixated on the image still before him.

"Well, well, I didn't expect to find all four of you harassing our newest charge and acting like lechers. I believe it's time to get back to work." Lady Une said, taking on her 'zero' mode as they called it. "Zero-one, I expected you to be more responsible. Zero-five, shame on you. Zero-two, get your hand off his pants this instant and Zero-three... you're salivating on your tie. Get back to work before I add another pile to that stack you already have."

Trowa looked at her, eyes not betraying his embarrassment and then wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.

"Let's go doctor," Une started again. "I apologize for the long wait and for this... inconvenience. Please accept my apologies."

The man nodded before fixing his shirt and following her out the door. Just when they thought they were out of harm's way, the door suddenly opened, revealing Une with her outraged look.

"I want all four of you in my office tomorrow at six a.m. sharp. Zero-three, don't get any ideas."

When he was sure that Une was no longer coming back, Trowa let out the breath he was holding in and looked at Duo who was sighing in annoyance.

"I was almost there," he said. "I was so damn close to feeling if the scar was there."

Trowa just looked thoughtfully at the door. The last thing on his mind was Lady Une's reprimand. All thoughts were focused on the ethereal figure who always seemed to be the subject of his recurring dreams. It almost hurt to see the look of non-recognition in the face that held the key to his unending anguish.

"It had to be him," Trowa said as the other three looked at him in sympathy. "He knew me from the moment I walked in the door."