Their Past and Present
"So how did it go with Heero?" Keyda asked Eve as she held the phone closer to her ear, curious to know how the little meeting had worked out given that Heero Yuy had a reputation that made him a deadly foe to have. "You're still in one piece I hope."
"Let's just say I understand why you insisted we allow him to know of our involvement. He appears to have a brain and has been well trained." Eve admitted grudgingly. She'd been impressed with how Heero had handled her midnight arrival and she'd respected him for his obvious love for his wife.
"See, Trowa told you it was for the best." Keyda said as she pushed some stray hairs behind her ear causing her earrings to sway back and forth.
"They haven't made the connection between me and the frumpy assistant yet so I'll continue in that form, I haven't found out yet what the building's importance is though I've searched all her files and found nothing on it." Eve said with a trace of annoyance.
"She'll slip up eventually, Eve just wait and see." Keyda said with a smile.
"If you say so, boss. I'd better get some sleep. I got a long day of promoting pacifism tomorrow." Eve said with perky happiness that showed her obvious dislike of the idea. Eve was many things but perky she would never be.
"I'll talk to you later then. Goodnight, Eve." Keyda said with a small smile.
"Same goes, boss." Eve said before she hung up.
"Sometimes I wonder if you'd have rather died then be saved." Keyda said quietly as she placed her cell phone back on her table after the other girl had hung up. It had almost been seven years since they met up and Keyda couldn't shake the idea that she'd only scratched the surface of her friend's personality. Sighing Keyda took off her robe and placing it over a chair climbed into bed, falling asleep thinking of how it had come to be that she and Eve became friends.
Even before she'd met Eve and the others she'd known of the Hunters Project. Her grandfather had supported the idea and it had been one of the few times he'd involved himself in something his ideal Treize wouldn't approve of. But super soldiers were super soldiers and so the experiments took place with a large part of it being funded by Yamachi Enterprises. If her grandfather's behavior in the past hadn't disgusted her his involvement in the murder and mutilation of over two thousand innocent children had done the trick. Before that she had just despised him but when he'd taken her to the lab to show her the future soldiers of the world the disgust had turned into hatred. She'd looked into Eve's pain filled eyes, a girl who'd done nothing wrong and had vowed to undo this atrocity if it was the last thing she did. But she'd been only fifteen and had no training in such things, had been at lose as to how to prevent them from being killed. When she'd heard her grandfather speak of their coming execution she'd prayed to God, as she'd never had before to help her stop them. And for the first time in her memory someone had heard her.
It had been the birthday of one of Treize's supporters' young daughter and so Treize had arranged for a special show put on by a traveling troupe of performers. Being fifteen she'd seen no point in going but her grandfather had forced her into it. She'd been so distracted by her thoughts that she'd missed most of the acts before one of the older girls had jabbed her in the side to point out the well built boy about to have knives thrown at him. Annoyed Keyda had glared but glanced in the rings direction and had almost fallen from her seat. For there, wearing the half mask of a clown was a familiar figure. Later she would question how she'd known it was him but something inside her that had lay doormat since their last meeting sprang forth and she'd known that it was her mysterious Trowa Barton in the ring.
She'd deliberately left her purse behind and using that excuse had headed back for the ring after the show when everyone had gone to leave. Keyda had deliberately waited until the last minute to realize she'd left her purse and had told them to go without her, she'd get a taxi. Amazingly enough her grandfather had agreed and with a slightly lighter heart Keyda had run into the tent to find him. It had taken her forever to assure the ringmaster that she wasn't some crazed fan and that Trowa really did know her. She'd finally asked the other woman to ask Trowa whether or not he'd see her. She'd been really nervous about using her name but the woman hadn't recognized it. She'd waited in the ring and had come quite close to walking in a ditch she'd paced back and forth so much. The out of the shadows he'd come and they'd just looked at each other like they'd never seen the other before.
"Hello, No name." Keyda said with nerves clearly showing.
"Why have you come, Keyda?" Trowa asked trying to hid his surprise, wondering what she wanted from him. He had only signed up for this show because he'd known Treize would be here, he'd never thought that she might be there as well.
"Is your side alright?" Keyda asked stepping closer to him. Her eyes searched his for any signs of change or emotion she didn't honestly expect to see.
"It's fine." Trowa replied curtly. He didn't know what she wanted but he had a feeling that it wasn't going to be something as simple as a kiss this time.
"I need your help, Trowa." Keyda said softly, as she looked into his green eyes and wished that she could know what was going on behind them.
"What do you need help with?" Trowa asked with a slight curiosity in his voice. He couldn't think of really anything he had that she could possibly want unless it was another kiss but he doubted that kiss had haunted her the way it had him.
"I need you to help me break into a laboratory and rescue four people from execution." Keyda said in a rush as though saying it faster would make him more likely to agree. "They haven't done anything to deserve it and no one else will help me."
"You want me to help you break into a building and rescue some people? Why?" Trowa said as he unconsciously moved closer to her till they were standing mere feet from each other, her eyes full of unshed tears and his full of surprise and an emotion neither could yet understand or believe.
"Because four of the people in that lab are going to be murdered in three days and they're only children." Keyda said with tears welling up in her eyes. No matter how hard she tried she couldn't prevent them from falling down her cheek. "They're just children and they're going to be killed because my grandfather and Treize's men are all heartless bastards who deserve to be shot or worse and..and I can't let them do it, Trowa. I just can't!"
Without thinking Trowa drew the silently sobbing girl to him and wrapping his arms around her giving her the comfort she needed. Having not been hugged in a long time Keyda stiffened but had soon fell into his embrace, hungry for any sign that someone else cared. Soothingly Trowa gently stroked her hair and wondered how long it been since she'd cried. He'd personally never seen the point in it but Relena had once told him that it released tension. Hugging girls though wasn't one of his specialties.
"I'm soorrryyyy." Keyda had sniffled but had continued to clutch onto his shoulders like a drowning man hangs onto a life preserver.
"I'll help you." Trowa said framing her face between his hands with a tenderness both would marvel at later on.
"You...you will?" Keyda said feeling a large weight come off her chest. Throwing her arms around his neck she buried her face in his chest and hugged him with all the relief and care she felt inside.
"I'll help you."
And he had. Together the two had broken into the small security laboratory and had freed Eve and the other three children. One had been killed in the escape and the other had died shortly after he was given his freedom, his little six year old body hadn't been able to stand up against the harmful chemicals alive in his system once he was no longer under the scientists care. So only two had survived the full two weeks, Eve and Darius. The two had sworn that they would repay Trowa and Keyda for saving them and they had a hundred times over. Now both Trowa and Keyda called Eve and Darius their friends and Eve and Darius continued the fight for peace and the end of all things related to Oz, their most hated creators.
Eve swore that if she had to smile at him one more time she was going to scream. In her twenty-two and a half years on this world she'd never met such a sexist, overbearing, pathetic excuse for a man. Chang Wufei, I'm going to seriously think about killing you when this mission is over. She may respect him for his battle skills and academic knowledge but when it came to him as a person she would rather go and work for Oz.
"Ms. Jackson?" Eve looked up and saw the object of her current anger along with the other Gundam boys, including Trowa. It had been Heero who had spoken.
"Yes, Mr. Yuy?" Eve said smiling sweetly up at them with eyes showing nothing but quiet intelligence.
"Is Relena busy? We need to talk to her." Quatre said smiling at Relena's shy assistant. The girl tended to keep to herself and all his attempts to draw her out of her shell had been unsuccessful. Eve smiled back with as much innocence as she could manage seeing as her present thoughts were anything but innocent.
"She's taking a break right now, Mr. Yuy. I'm sure she'd be happy for the company." Eve said trying not to look at Quatre who was looking particularly gorgeous today. Of all the times for me to get back in touch with what's left of my feminine side, Eve thought as she instead concentrated on Trowa who looked at her without any emotion.
"Thanks." Heero said and motioning to the others they headed for the office. As Trowa nodded at her Eve watched him casually leave the magazine he'd been holding on her desk. Watching them go Eve waited until their was no one in sight before flipping through it. Almost in the middle Trowa had tucked in an envelope with her code name Night on it.
Dear Night, Tell Darius that Milliardo's having him investigated. Also tell Keyda that she should look into the Marius building. Hope you're having fun.
Silencer.
"Like anyone could have fun acting like a spineless mouse." Eve muttered as she ripped up the letter and placed the magazine back on her desk so that he could pick it up when he came back out.
Inside the Office
"We need to find a way to get a hold of Keyda Yamachi." Heero said pacing in front of them looking ruffled for once. "She of all people would know where her grandfather is and even if she doesn't we might be able to get some information about our thief."
"What makes you think she'd cooperate even if she did?" Trowa said knowing perfectly well that Keyda had no idea where her grandfather was and that she'd die before she'd do anything to put Eve in danger. It was one of the things he loved about her.
"Keyda's not a bad girl. If we explain I think she might help us." Milliardo said thoughtfully as he watched Noin talk quietly to that new cadet of hers. They sure were spending a lot of time together which was really starting to bug him.
"You know her?" Wufei said in surprise. "Why didn't you mention this before?"
"Yamachi often brought Keyda with him to meetings, he thought it would be educational and I also knew her brother. I only talked with her occasionally but she always struck me as disagreeing with what her grandfather was involved in." Milliardo said as he began to get a little annoyed. The uppity cadet was practically ogling his wife and she hadn't so much as frowned at him. Far from it in fact.
"Do you think she'd tell us anything if we sent you to talk to her." Relena asked curiously, eager to learn as much as possible about their current situation. Keyda could be the key to finding the former Oz leader and truly ridding the planets of his power.
"I doubt it but I could try." Milliardo said as he deliberately turned his back so that he didn't have to watch Noin make a fool of herself flirting with the cadet. If she was trying to make him jealous it sure as Hell wasn't working. And the cadet was no more then a boy, Milliardo thought darkly in his head, practically cradle robbing. Not that she could possibly be interested in the pipsqueak..she was his damn it.
"Here the latest number we have for her." Lady Une said holding out a piece of paper to him with a quiet smile, shadows under her eyes. Reading over it Milliardo nodded.
"This is the number of her mother's house. They were very close and she always did like me, thought I would be a good influence on her son." Picking up the cell phone Milliardo dialed the number and put it on speaker so that the others could hear what was said. A few seconds later the phone was picked up.
"Yamachi residence, how may I help you?" a female voice asked.
"I'd like to speak to Ms Keyda Yamachi please." Milliardo said in his most charming voice, not recognizing the voice on the other end.
"Who may I ask is calling?" The woman asked cautiously. Not many people knew that the young mistress was visiting her mother. Who could this be?
"My name's Zech's and I served with her father and brother. It's very important that I speak to her." Milliardo said using his Oz identity.
"Hold on a minute please." The people waited in the meeting room while they listened to her walk away to go see whether or not her mistress would take the call. A couple minutes went by then the sound of a different pair of heels came over the phone and the sound of the phone being picked up.
"Milliardo, to what do I owe the pleasure?" A husky female voice said as the sound of someone playing the piano in the background increased in volume. The Gundam pilots were a bit startled by the welcome in her voice. They'd expected her voice to be as hard and cold as her grandfather but that wasn't the impression her voice gave at all.
"It's good to hear your voice, Keyda. How are you?" Milliardo said a little surprised at the warm greeting. She had to know about the bad blood between himself and her grandfather.
"I'm well enough in the head to know this isn't a social call, Milliardo. What is it you or Relena wants?" Keyda asked playfully but with a hint of steel no one listening could miss.
"We were wondering about whether or not you knew where your grandfather was, Keyda." Milliardo said with continuing charm, not even bothering to ask how she knew it was for Relena.
"Now why would I tell you something like that, Milliardo? So tell me, has Noin wised up and dumped you on your ass?" Keyda said with a grin that split her face though they couldn't see it as she chuckled picturing his expression.
"I don't think that's any of your business, Brat." Milliardo said falling into the old habit of calling her by her brother's former nickname.
Immediately all was silent. Trowa, knowing the meaning of the nickname silently cursed Milliardo's use of it.
"I'm sorry, Keyda." Milliardo said softly speaking no longer as someone who wanted information but someone who'd once played with her and pulled her braids.
"That's alright. I don't know where he is. You always knew how it was between the two of us without having to say a word. He's crazy but he's not stupid. He doesn't trust me enough to tell me anything of importance." Keyda said in a softer voice as well though it lacked the emotion of before. "He's smart enough not to risk it.".
"What do you know of the Hunter Project, Keyda?" Milliardo asked carefully knowing that she was vulnerable and that it was time to strike.
"Why, don't tell me your baby sister is interested in that point in history. I thought she was a pacifist." Keyda said and now there was no mistaking her annoyance.
"We believe that one of the children involved might be after Lady Une." Milliardo replied.
"She deserves to die for what she allowed the Duke to do, Peacecraft so don't waste your time calling me again. As far as I'm concerned she deserves what she gets. Lady Une and my grandfather are both on the road to Hell and they need all the help they can get so why don't you pray for their souls instead of bothering me." Keyda said as she hung up the phone.
"Boy she really doesn't like you does she." Duo said looking over at Lady Une who'd turned a bit pale at the venom coming from a girl so young. She remembered Keyda as a fun loving girl with a bit of a temper from the few times they'd met through her grandfather. She'd had no idea that the girl had felt such hate for her.
"She knew about the Hunter Project." Wufei said as he watched the color slowly return to Lady Une's face.
"I think she was telling the truth about her grandfather though." Trowa said looking at the rest of the people in the room. Actually I know it for a fact but I can't mention that now can I, Trowa thought as he watched his friends. Relena and Lady Une had both paled at the conversation and the males had all looked grim at the conversation.
"I agree with Trowa. I think she was telling the truth." Noin said speaking up for the first time since she'd gotten there.
"I don't think we'll get anything else from her." Heero said as he recalled the slight bitterness in her voice.
"Would Keyda know Dorothy?" Duo said as he watched Trowa carefully, trying to figure out why his gut was reacting the way it had. Trowa had deliberately left that magazine on the desk for Eve. But why? Was he interested in the little mouse? Intrigued by the idea Duo made a mental note to find out later.
"I wouldn't recommend mixing the two. If I were Keyda I'd look down on Dorothy as much as the Duke. Keyda would know the family connection and judge Dorothy accordingly." Noin said quietly as she consider things. "Plus Dorothy caused her fair share of trouble.".
"And she'd judge right." Heero added with a slight grin as he placed a calming hand on his wife's shoulder. "Looks like were back to square one."
"Who the Hell are you?" Quatre said as he bit back several other words that came to mind. What is it about her he wondered as he paced around his office, his desk covered in papers as he tried to figure out what made him so confused. He had reports to go over, papers to sign and all he could think about was her. "She's even got me swearing now." He added under his breath.
"What's the matter?" At the sound of his best friend's voice Quatre quit his pacing and smiled at Trowa who stood in the doorway looking at him in curiosity. "You never swear."
" Lets just say I've got something on my mind that I can't shake." Quatre said ruefully as he rubbed the back of his neck.
"Want to talk about it?" Trowa asked leaning up against the wall.
"It's a girl." Quatre said with a self-pitying smile on his face as he leaned up against his desk figuring that would end Trowa's interest right away.
"Who is she?" Trowa said with interest. He'd never seen Quatre worked up about a girl before and he'd certainly never heard Quatre swear over one.
"I don't even know her name. I don't know how old she is or where she lives. I don't even know her phone number!" Quatre said as he threw his hands into the air in defeat.
"You don't even know her name? Quatre, where did you meet this girl?" Trowa said, slightly concerned now.
"I got trapped in an elevator with her." Quatre said dryly.
"Oh God no." Trowa said as it hit him exactly who his friend was talking about. Quatre was mooning over Eve. This could not be happening! He'd sent her to protect Relena and Noin not add his best friend to her long list of broken-hearted idiots. Eve dated guys simple to prove how easily she could manipulate them if she dated at all.
"I know it's stupid. I mean we were only trapped for fifteen minutes tops but there was just something about her that got to me. Crazy isn't it?" Quatre said taking Trowa's shocked look as agreement. "So why can't I get her out of my mind?"
"Quatre I know I've never met the girl but I have it under good authority that relationships based under extreme conditions never work out." Trowa said looking Quatre straight in the eye as he quoted a fairly popular 20th Century movie. He may like and respect Eve but she'd never suit his best friend in his opinion. She'd eat him alive and Quatre would never recover after she was done with him. Eve tended to have that impact on men though Darius was fond of saying that having Eve for a while would probably be worth it.
"You think so?" Quatre said surprised that Trowa felt so strongly against it. Of all of the Gundam pilots Trowa was the slowest to make judgment on others.
"I'm sure." Trowa said laying a hand on his friend's shoulder. "Forget her. You'll probably never see her again anyway."
"Keyda, you have to keep Eve away from Quatre." Trowa said as soon as she picked up her personal phone.
"Well hello to you too." Keyda said laughing at the interesting hello. "And why do I need to keep Eve away from Quatre? You've seen her get-up, not even J.C. would recognize her."
"Keyda trust me on this, keep the two apart." Trowa said with worry evident in his voice.
"What happened, Trowa, why are you upset?" Keyda said now concerned as well. For even a tiny bit of worry to be heard in his voice was not acceptable to her.
"Quatre has developed a crush on her." Trowa said without emotion this time.
"You're joking right?' Keyda said with a laugh. She'd never met Trowa's best friend but she'd learned enough about him over the years to know that Eve was definitely not his type. Quatre was the cool and kind upper class girl type. Eve's was the tall dark and built type not that Eve really dated to begin with.
"I wish I was but apparently he can't get her out of his mind. She's even got him swearing!" Trowa said with disbelief.
"You're serious aren't you?" Keyda said as a smile began to form as a quite nasty idea popped into her head. Quatre just might be what the doctor ordered.
"What are you thinking?" Trowa said suspiciously. He'd been her friend and then lover for a long time now and he knew when she was planning something.
"Nothing important. Don't worry, I'll take care of everything." Keyda said already thinking of an excuse to get Eve and Quatre in the same room. Call her crazy but Eve was her friend and as her friend it was her duty to do what was best for her whether she liked it or not.
"You're planning something and I have a feeling I don't want to know but likely should so I can talk you out of it." Trowa said practically hearing the wheels turning in her head.
"I'm just thinking about what we're going to do when you get out here to visit." Keyda said with a slight purr in her voice. The better to distract her prince.
"Sounds like I should think about hurrying through my visit." Trowa said as he allowed her to distract him for the moment. "So what are we doing?"