Part 9

"Zechs, you need to cancel all of my appointments for the next week", Treize said hanging up his cell phone.

The platinum-haired man shot a surprised look at his boss.

"Why that ?"

"We're going on a little trip to L3. I have business there. Important business that needs to be taken care of right now."

"We ?"

"Yes, I'm taking you. Any objections ?"

Zechs smiled.

"Absolutely none. That's my job, after all, isn't it ?"

Treize smiled back. He almost held out a hand to caress a strand of white blond hair, but thought better of it. This kind of affectionate gestures were alright as long as no one else was watching, and currently, there were quite a lot of people watching. Treize began to go back to his office.

"Oh, and Zechs, please call Lady Une and tune her in."

Zechs nodded, and began looking for a phone number. When the door of Treize's office shut, though, he stopped what he was doing and checked the recorder in his desk's drawer. After that, he went back to looking up phone numbers and dialed one.

O.O.O.O.O

"Lady Une speaking."

"Lady Une, this is Zechs Merquise. Mr Kushrenada requested to have a talk with you, if you would please wait for just a minute, I'll let you through."

"Treize-sama, it's been a long time", Une's voice said.

"My dear Lady Une", Treize answered. "I am so sorry, but this time, I do call for business."

"It is my pleasure to help you when I can, Treize-sama. What do you wish ?"

"I can't really tell it on the phone, Lady. Zechs and I are leaving for L3 in a few hours to meet the Doctors and Dermail. H requested your presence. It looks like they are having a problem with Mr Yuy. I think you might get a contract."

"I am currently on L3. Do I meet you at the usual place ?"

"Please. We'll be there in fifteen hours. The meeting will take place immediately when we arrive."

"I'll be there."

O.O.O.O.O

Zechs was absently chewing his lower lip while listening to the phone conversation. He tried to remember everything he knew. The Doctors had hired Heero Yuy to eliminate Quatre Raberba Winner, he was sure of that. But then, they had called to say there was a problem and asked for an assembly. And they had asked for Une's presence and mentioned a 'problem' with Yuy. There shouldn't have been a problem. At least, not a big enough problem for the Doctors to request the presence of another hired killer, and not the nicest one. Something was definitely wrong.

"Zechs-sama ?"

Zechs almost jumped in his chair. He had been so lost in his thoughts that he had not heard the man approach. 'God, I must relax', he thought.

"Yes ?"

The man put a file on his office. It was labeled CW, and plain looking. Zechs shot an interrogative look to the man.

"The information about Chang Wufei", the man answered to the unspoken question. "That is all my men could gather in so little time, but I think you will be pleased."

Zechs took the file and began ruffling through the pages. His eyes grew wide at what he read. He took out one of the pictures and winced internally when he saw it. It was clearly not an official shot and showed Chang Wufei holding the body of a woman in a street full of corpses. She had been shot in several places, and the young man was almost covered in her blood as he was holding her close, his lost gaze staring right in front of him.

Zechs shook his head and looked up at the man.

"Has anyone else seen this ?"

"No, Zechs-sama. I brought it to you as soon as it was completed."

"See to it that no one will speak of that. Ever again", he added, with a glare. "And then, forget it for your own good."

"Hai, Zechs-sama."

The man left with a quick bow. Zechs thought for a moment. Not too long. He almost ran to the copy room and duplicated the file. Once this was done, he put his copy securely into his suitcase, before getting ready to leave for the spatioport.

O.O.O.O.O

Zechs waited until the shuttle had taken off before taking out the file. Treize shot him a puzzled look. Zechs knew that he didn't like to talk about business during trips, so it must have been something serious.

"I think we're going to have more than one problem, Treize", the platinum-haired man said. "I don't like at all what I've been told. This could end up very badly."

"What do you mean ?", Treize said, frowning.

"I mean that I happen to know some stuff that you tried to hide from me, firstly", Zechs said, pulling on a hurt face with quite some talent. "If you needed to get rid of Quatre Raberba Winner, you know I could have found someone to do this for you."

"Zechs …", Treize started.

"I understand", Zechs interrupted. "It's just … well I thought this was my job to make sure that your enemies were taken out of your sight."

"I would have entrusted you with this mission if someone else hadn't already been called on it, Zechs, you know it. And I told you who it was."

"Yes. This was maybe the Doctors' greatest mistake", Zechs said, looking at the stars outside.

Treize shot a very puzzled look at him.

"What do you mean ?"

"I mean that if someone had thought to ask me, I could have told you that Yuy was never going to complete this mission. That man is one of the deadliest killer in the galaxy, but he is also one of the rare ones who doesn't kill for pleasure. He doesn't kill if there's nothing in it for himself. And I think he couldn't find any good reason to kill Quatre Raberba Winner. Which mean that he must be pretty pissed off right now."

"You do know an awful lot of things, Zechs", Treize said smiling. "I can't believe it took me so long to find you, but every day, you prove to be even more irreplaceable."

'That's what you think', Zechs thought, but he kept on smiling.

"If I sum up well", Zechs said, "Yuy called the Doctors to say the contract was off. They will tell us exactly what happened, I guess he wasn't too kind with them. But then, you ask me to call Lady Une."

"And what do you deduce of that ?", Treize asked, apparently enjoying the game a lot.

"I think that they asked you to make her come. Which mean they will probably ask her to finish the job. And that is where we're bad."

"Explain", Treize asked.

Zechs opened the file and scanned a few pages.

"This is what my informants found about Chang Wufei, the young man who was with Mr Winner at KI Banks."

Treize's eyes lightened with interest. Zechs ruffled a bit more through the papers as if trying to remind himself of the details.

"Here it is. Chang Wufei, born March 13th, AC 176. The Chang family is a branch of the Long Clan, who is the most respected clan in the L5 Colony Cluster. The Clan owns A 0206. They were exiled there by China in AC 68. That young man was something like a second cousin to Master Long. He was the designed successor, since there were no boys in the Long branch, and he learnt martial arts with Master Long. In AC 190, he married Long Meiran, the only heir of Master Long. As soon as they were of age, they started to run the martial arts school together. They were quite famous in the colonies, and even on Earth."

"Zechs, this young man's story is absolutely fascinating, but what does it have to do with those problems you talked about ?"

"It has a lot to do. Long Meiran was killed one year ago during the gang war. Random shot on the street, that's what the official police report says."

"Official ?"

"Yes, that's what the officer that first went to the scene said. Curiously, all other official reports about Long Meiran have disappeared. I found them back."

"Where ?", Treize asked, although he had a feeling he already knew that, or he should have, at any rate.

"They were in our archives. If I remember well, this is the last mission you asked of Heero Yuy. That was before my arrival, so I can only suppose what happened, but it's about the time when people started to investigate about the gang war and the closing of KI Import on A0206. You hired Yuy to retrieve every file concerning this."

"I remember that. How come those files were in it ?"

"Because, as I know Yuy, he ran a computer search to know exactly which files to retrieve. And because Long Meiran was shot by someone we both know very well."

"Who ?"

"Lady Une."

Silence fell. Zechs looked down at the file before he spoke again.

"And somehow, considering where her wounds were, I would say that was no random kill. Long Meiran was executed, and very cruelly, if I may add this."

"Well, we all know Lady Une always puts refinement in her kills."

"I know", Zechs said with a smile. "But no one had given her a contract to execute the woman. She took the initiative. That's where it all goes wrong."

"Explain."

"First we have Heero Yuy who calls the contract off. I don't know yet what his terms were, but we can be sure he will want some kind of payback. Then, the Doctors ask you to take Lady Une to the meeting. We will consider that they will probably ask her to finish the job. And suddenly, it occurs that one of the people protecting Quatre Raberba Winner, Chang Wufei, could become very aggressive if he discovered that the person sent after his boss is the same one who killed his wife."

Treize leant back in his seat, thinking.

"He does not know yet, does he ?"

"No. Yuy retrieved the files even before the police was informed. They are all here except for the first report, who does not say anything about it. I have the whole case file, and the files from the morgue where the autopsy was done, with a very detailed description of the wounds. By the time people realized they were gone, Long Meiran had been incinerated and buried. The only other person who could possibly know is Yuy."

"I see. That is what you fear. If he plays against us, he could tell Chang to send him after us."

"Exactly. I don't doubt that Lady Une is very gifted, but what is gift when you're confronted to the grief of a man who lost a loved one ? And I'm not even talking of the fact that fighting to avenge her memory is probably a sacred duty to him. It's just that for the moment, he doesn't know who to fight. But once he finds out …"

"Then, all we have to do is to make sure he will never find out, at least not before this whole affair is over."

'Not that simple', Zechs thought with an inner smile. 'Especially not if my infos about Yuy are correct. And for myself, I would find things a lot more interesting if Chang did know.'

"I don't want the Doctors to know about this", Treize kept on. "This is irrelevant to our current situation. Keep this file somewhere safe, and once we're done, destroy it."

"Yes, Treize."

Zechs watched Treize as the man turned to his own thoughts. So, Treize was really trying to play the Doctors, the rumors were not unfounded. Zechs himself knew that Treize could have done it, if the man had not been so impatient and wanting everything right now. It had all started slow, with KI becoming involved in dark and illegal businesses. But now, Treize wanted to be the only respected crime lord around. And he was extraordinarily tactless. He was rushing things, taking wrong decisions and underestimating both his enemies and his allies. Not a good move in a world where your allies could turn into your enemies over night.

'Just watch and enjoy the show, that's what I am going to do', Zechs thought. 'I am not leaking out this information, at least not yet. If things don't evolve the way I want, I could always accidentally inform Mr Chang about who killed his wife.'

Satisfied with the resolution he had just reached, Zechs turned to lighter matters.

O.O.O.O.O

AC 198, August 11th, L2 Colony Cluster

"Show ya 'round ? What was Cat thinkin' honestly ? As if there is something to show here ! L2 has never been much more than a pile of ruins anyway !"

Wufei sighed loudly to hide the smile that was coming to his lips. Quatre had as well as thrown both Duo and him outside of the conference room, saying that the people he would work with today were charity workers, and that none of them would be likely to jump on him and cut his throat. He had suggested that Duo should show L2 to Wufei, which was why the American had been ranting for about half an hour.

"It could be more than a pile of ruins", Wufei said. "If Quatre makes it, I hope people here will find hope again and start working to improve their lives."

"That ain't gonna be easy though", Duo said thoughtfully. "There are only that much people here who have enough money to live correctly. The richest hold everything under their control. Everything being illegal activities, for most of them."

The two youths walked in silence for a while, Wufei looking around at the devastated neighborhoods they were crossing. Duo was right, most of the surroundings were miserable, and some buildings looked like they might just collapse if someone sneezed in them. A lot of children were running on the streets, none of them enough clad for the chilly temperature of the air.

"I was one of them", Duo suddenly said. "For seven years, me and Hilde were one of them. I still remember what it was like. It was rough, and yet in a way, those are the happiest days of my life. Weird, uh ?"

Wufei didn't reply. He was startled when Duo suddenly called a kid that was apparently trying to tuck something into his belt.

"Sonny ! Come here, lad !"

The boy looked up at Duo, shot a cautious look at Wufei and came closer.

"Watcha got ?", Duo asked severely.

"I just wanna make more money, Duo", the kid whined.

"Gimme that. Ya will make more money like this, but that's dirty money, Sonny. Thought I'd taught you that."

The kid handed a small package to Duo. Duo pocketed it, gave the boy a half-hearted glare and shooed him away. Once Sonny was out of sight, he took the package out of his pocket and threw it in a barrel where papers were burning.

"Drugs", he explained to a puzzled Wufei. "And it's not like the police ever comes here. Apart from prostitution it's what makes the most money, here. Solo prevented us to do that, so now, I'm tryin' to do the same with the younger kids, those I know, at least."

"Solo ?"

Duo frowned, and did not answer the question.

"Do you mind if I stop somewhere ?", he asked instead. "There's a place I need to see again before they rebuild it."

Wufei just nodded and followed suit curiously. Duo led them to an open space that looked like a big field of ruin. Duo stood at the edge of it apparently lost in thought. Suddenly, he bowed his head and crossed himself.

"You must find me hard to figure out, don'tcha ?", he asked softly.

"Well, I … I admit I do."

"Why don't ya just ask questions ?"

"I think it would be rude or nosey. I wish to be none. I think, when you are ready to tell me about your past, you will. After all, I didn't tell you about my past."

"True."

Duo jerked his chin towards the heap of stone at the far end of the field.

"That was my home. The Church and the orphanage. That's where Hilde and I lived for a year, before it burnt. Before Quatre found us. And now, Quatre told me that he is going to rebuild the orphanage and name it after Father Maxwell. He knows how much it means to me, and he's ready to do it just like this."

"Quatre is a good man", Wufei said.

"Always was, and always will be", Duo agreed. "That's gotten him into trouble before, and it will again, no doubt. But now, I couldn't care less. This is the greatest gift he could give me and he knows it."

Duo turned to Wufei and smiled.

"How did ya meet him ?"

"I just heard he was looking for a personal trainer. I needed a job so I gave it a try."

"You never speak too much, do you, Wu ?"

"That's Wufei, and I could say that you always speak too much."

"Probably. I don't like the silence."

"Why not ?"

Duo frowned again.

"I don't wanna talk about it", he grumbled. "Not now, at least. Not here."

"As you wish", Wufei said quietly, feeling like he had just stricken a nerve.

A smile found his way back on Duo's face as the American began to hum softly under his breath. Wufei was puzzled by the change. Duo's face was very expressive, but the young man had a way to go from sadness to laugh, from anger to friendship, with an ease that unsettled the Chinese. And even now that he was smiling again, Wufei could see that the smile was not really reaching his eyes.

"Quatre has a gift to pick up lost souls, doesn't he ?", the Chinese said.

"Yeah. I suppose you could say I was a lost soul. And that killer certainly is. But you ?"

"Oh, I am one too", Wufei said. "When I met Quatre, I was completely lost. I just wasn't brave enough to face it. The revelation was … brutal."

"Oh, he did that to you too ?", Duo said, winking.

"He didn't intend to, and it came as a shock for both of us, I must say. But I feel better now."

"And what made you a lost soul ?"

Wufei looked into the violet eyes, and found himself trusting Duo enough to tell him. And wondering at how he was starting to trust a lot of people easily like this. But trusting Duo just felt right.

"My wife was killed last year in the gang war on L5, and I pretty much fled my house and my colony to try and get over it."

"And ?"

"And I'm obviously not over it yet, but thanks to Quatre, I am on the way."

Duo smiled widely at Wufei. The Chinese was a bit surprised. No one had ever reacted at the news of the death of his wife by smiling at him.

"I run, I hide, but I never lie", Duo said.

"What ?"

"That's my motto. The only rules I really follow. I know ya wonder why I always smile when I've had it that rough."

"Am I that obvious ?"

"Kinda. A childhood in the streets helps you learn to read people's face. Only way to know if they're friends or foes, see ?"

Wufei nodded.

"Well there's another thing I learnt. If I had to cry every time something bad happened to me, I'd have been crying all the time. It's best to laugh it off when you know you can't help it. My way of running away from my pain. Running, but never avoiding when it strikes me in the face. I am not that different from you than you imagine, ya know. We were both good at the running and hiding part as far as pain is concerned, before we met Quatre, uh ? "

Wufei could not say a thing. Duo was so right. That's what he had done, running and hiding from the pain. Meiran would not have been proud of him.

"We are so lucky to have found him", Duo kept on. "Or more exactly, we are so lucky he found us. Ya know, in the first seven years of my life, I can't even remember cryin' once. But that night when Hilde and I saw the orphanage burn, it was just too much. And after that, I guess Quatre just explained that it was not wrong to cry when you're sad."

"He explained the same thing to me", Wufei said thoughtfully.

"I can understand his point of view", Duo said grinning. "Cat cries an awful lot. He cries when he's sad, he cries when he's happy, he cries in the movies …. He's just a fountain !"

"I hadn't seen him cry before the first day of our trip", Wufei said. "But we were not spending that much time together."

Duo looked at Wufei intently, as if trying to read his mind. Suddenly, he extended his hand.

"So. Friends ?"

Wufei smiled and shook the American's hand.

"Friends."

"Good. Doesn't mean I'll stop calling you names, though."

"Doesn't mean I'll stop beating you up every time you call me names."

"That's great, 'cause that's the way I like you best, Wuffie !"

"Maxwell !"

"Can't you just call me by my first name ?"

"Why ?"

"I don't know. That's what people usually do in my culture", Duo joked.

"Well, in my culture, young people behave and respect their elders."

"Elders ?", Duo asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Forget I said that. Just remember that there might be a day where you will be glad your outfit is black."

"Why that ?"

"Because dried blood doesn't show much on black."

Duo stood stunned for a moment, before he began to laugh out loud. Wufei smiled.

"Ya have kind of a wicked sense of humor too, Wu. Not unlike mine. I like that in a man. Among other things."

"Put your hands off me, you fiend", Wufei spat jokingly. "That is not where my preferences lie."

"I know it. But teasing you is so much fun. Ya're cute when ya're blushing ya know that ?"

"MAXWELL !"

O.O.O.O.O

" … a payback for the fact that you almost made me lose my sanity on this case, J. And maybe I'll buy flowers for your funerals with it. That is, if there's enough left of you once I'm done with you to actually bury anything. Sayounara."

J stopped the recording. Heero Yuy's voice had been strangely resounding in the conference room. All the persons present, which meant the Doctors, Treize, Zechs, Une and Dermail had listened to the conversation very carefully.

'They're in even deeper trouble than I thought', Zechs thought with an inner smile. 'Yuy protecting Winner, I wasn't expecting that. And if someone puts Chang in the game also … that affair is about to become very interesting. Very interesting indeed.'

"You can see where our trouble lies, gentlemen, my lady", J started. "Not only has Yuy betrayed us, but he clearly intends to hinder our actions."

"That is a little weak", Treize said. "From what I heard, you are sentenced to death, my friend. I am amazed to see you taking it so calmly."

"We haven't said our last word", J replied dryly. "Why do you think I asked you to bring Une ?"

The only woman in the room crept out of the shadows. She was wearing round glasses that attracted attention to her brown eyes. Her brown hair was held up in two plaited buns, and she wore a long black coat that hid every other garment.

"You would like me to finish the job Yuy started", she said.

"Actually, we are so willing for you to finish it that we give you absolutely free reign in the matter. Do whatever you wish as long as the charity programs are removed."

Une's smile widened, a very cold and vicious smile.

"Be careful of what you ask, J. I have a tendency to take instructions very … literally."

Treize smiled at the witty retort.

"I suppose that the matter is urgent enough for our dear Doctors to come to such an extent, my dear Une. However, I would like you to be careful. It would not suit me to know you are putting your life into danger."

"I have been willing to fight Yuy for a long time now, Treize-sama. His reputation is true. It will be hard. But if given enough resources, I will succeed."

She looked pointedly at the Doctors and Dermail.

"You will be well paid, rest assured of that, Lady Une", J said. "Feel free to ask everything you want, and if it is in our power to give it to you, we certainly will."

"I will do this for free, J. Getting rid of Heero Yuy will certainly be the most exciting thrill of my career. The uttermost pleasure of killing him surpasses every reward."

Treize smiled fondly to the woman and gave her a light kiss on the hand.

"My dear Une, you haven't changed a bit. I know why I always want to work with you. You truly are a killer. A predator hunting for its prey."

"Just let me remind you that the Winners are our priority", G said. "Taking care of Heero Yuy should not hinder that mission."

'Things are getting complicated', Zechs thought. 'They're launching one killer after the other, and even I don't know who will win, but I think Yuy is a safe bet. As good as Une is, she's no match for the Perfect Soldier. But now, should I decide to put Chang in the game too, or would it be unfair to the Lady ? Oh, and I mustn't forget the threats about the Winners. Why in space did I agree to take on this job, somebody tell me !'

No one noticed the light scowl on Zechs' face as the young man lost himself in his thought. He had not uttered a word since they had come into the conference room, leaving the matters of deciding who should kill whom to the people who should decide. Merely watching was enough for him at the moment.

Treize had successfully wormed his way out of trouble. He even had the Doctors believe that it was his idea and not theirs to put Lady Une on the case. And it was obvious that Lady Une had accepted only because it served Treize's interests as well.

"Nothing will get in my way", Lady Une said coldly. "If you'll excuse me, gentlemen, I have some preparations to make for my mission. Treize-sama, thank you for taking the time and concern to call me and signal me this interesting affair. You will not be disappointed."

"I know I will not, my dear Une. If nothing else, you have always kept your promises."

Une left the room. The Doctors looked a bit relieved to see her go, and to be honest, Zechs was too. The woman was the greatest psycho he had ever met, and he felt less than at ease in her presence. Not to mention the fact that she was practically worshipping Treize in a manner that was almost disgusting. Zechs turned his attention to the conversation. The Doctors had begun to talk about the possible partnerships they could develop with Treize. That was boring as hell, and he was not required to help, since technically he was only suppose to make sure everything went smoothly after the decisions were made. Zechs thought it was the right time to slip away.

"Treize ?"

"Yes, Zechs, what is it ?"

"If you will excuse me, I have a few phone calls to make. Would it be alright if I used one of your desks ?", he asked to H

"Please be our guest, Mr Merquise."

Zechs left the room, but he didn't go into one of the offices that railed the long corridor. He went out of the building, took out a cell phone and typed a code on it, before dialing a strange number.

"Identify yourself", a cold voice said at the other end.

"Agent Wind, code number 145MPF68905. This is an emergency call about case 6587M."

"Please wait."

Zechs' fingers tapped impatiently on the phone as he waited for someone to take the line. When he heard an audible click, he began to speak immediately.

"Things are getting out of hand. We are in the middle of a crime lords strife, I have the two best hired killers fighting each other, and the Winners are potentially endangered. Another case is concerned also. I need some time to put in a report and define an adequate strategy with my men, and a backup story to get away."

"How much time ?"

"As long as you can give me. There are … people I would like to see as well."

"Details will be sent to you in an hour. You are expected to report fully to Headquarters tomorrow at 9:00 hours."

"Roger. Wind out."