(Ch. 7)
It was nearly midnight when Hiragi got back to Relena's place. Just as he ordered, there was at least one Preventer standing guard at the entrance to the building and on in front of Relena's door. The guards immediately recognized their superior and saluted him as he passed by. Hiragi saluted back in habit, but told the guards to not do that whenever Relena was around. She didn't know about him being another Preventer officer, and he needed to keep it that way. If Relena only saw him as another politician then that guise would serve him well.
After dismissing the guards, Hiragi let himself in and headed straight to Relena's bedroom. He knew when she normally went to bed and what kind of sleeping habits she had, so it didn't bother him too much to just pop in. Just to be polite though, he quietly knocked on her door just incase. There was no answer so Hiragi ever so quietly turned the knob and peeked in.
There she was, the angel of the world and colonies, sleeping soundlessly on her bed. Her window was opened and it let in the cold chill of the night. Hiragi frowned at her carelessness. 'Does she want to catch a cold or get killed?' Shaking his head, he stepped in and shut the window.
Relena groaned a little from the noise and the change of atmosphere, causing her to shift in her bed. Hiragi hoped that she wouldn't wake and find him there in her room uninvited. Luckily for him she didn't, and she went back to sleeping. Sighing from a breath he didn't know he was holding, Hiragi wished her a goodnight and left the room.
It was late and he was tired, so he took one quick shower and got into bed. Today was full of many unwanted events, even though it got him closer to Relena. He began thinking how nice it would be if he were to take her out on a date, but right now it wasn't exactly an ideal time for that. Relena would need time to get used to him being around. He knew the perfect thing to do tomorrow that would help that little problem. Hiragi smiled at the thought and slowly drifted off into sleep.
Quatre and Trowa were on a shuttle heading back to L4 going over the things that they would look into for their newest mission. Even though they could focus completely on it they couldn't concentrate up to the best of their ability. The loss of their comrade and friend, Heero, just made everything all the more difficult.
"Trowa." Quatre spoke quietly. The emerald eyed young man only looked back in response waiting for Quatre to continue.
"Do you, do you really think Heero is dead?" It was a painful question to ask, but Quatre needed to say it regardless of how much it hurt.
Trowa understood how Quatre was feeling, but he didn't quite feel the same way. Trowa knew what emotions were, understood how deep they could run, and he even knew how poignant and joyous some could be. Trowa never really felt anything like that though out his entire life. Sure he would act upon his emotions like Heero suggested, but only on what little he felt. He hardly even experienced the emotion called sadness. When he destroyed Duo's gundam Deathscythe, there were a few tears that floated across his face. He didn't understand why he had shed them, but they were there. And every time he smiled it was only for a brief moment. Trowa could answer Quatre's question straight forward, but how to comfort and lighten it was something Trowa couldn't really do. He would tell Quatre in the most efficient way he could.
"Quatre, both you and I know the answer to that question. There was no way that Heero, even to the best of his ability, could have survived something like that."
"But what about how you survived the Vayeate while I was using Wing Zero? Your mobile suit exploded and yet you still survived!" Quatre was becoming desperate, hoping that Trowa would give some kind of hope to him that Heero was still alive.
"Unlike me, Heero's space suit was penetrated by several bullets in the process of battle. This was confirmed with one of Heero's transmissions sent to Preventer Headquarters during his mission. However, even if his space suit was intact, I doubt that he could have survived an explosion of that caliber; it was nearly 100 times stronger than the Vayeate."
Quatre winced at the last thing Trowa said, knowing full well that what Trowa said was true. Quatre had no choice but to accept the fact that Heero really was dead. It looked like Trowa had already let the fact of Heero being dead settle in, but Quatre thought that he too had a bit trouble taking it. Trowa's next words only confirmed it.
"We just need time, that's all. Time."
Wufei had done his daily routine exercises and showered. After having a quiet dinner he sat at his computer desk with a steaming cup of Jasmine tea. He began his research through the any new black market buyers, changes in any activities that involved the buying and/or manufacturing of weapons, and surveillance from satellites and security cameras. He used the information on the man named Zavien Knight from the Preventer Intel as a base for his line of work and went from there. He didn't find much about Knight except from whatever was already discovered about him. Wufei didn't like this one bit and slowly he became frustrated and he couldn't concentrate any more.
He grabbed his cup and drank the now cold tea, musing over what happened just recently. The one person he gave credit to and respected enough to call him friend was now presumed dead. Heero Yuy was the only one who he could see eye to eye with and have a decent fight. Triez was another matter, but as one of his friends, Heero was one of the best. He hated to admit it, but he was.
"Yuy, with you no longer in this world I no longer have a challenging enemy nor ally left. You were the last. Marquise, Barton, and Winner are not a problem, and Maxwell is just an insolent being that I will not even associate with even though he may have some skill." Wufei poured himself another cup of tea, sipping its hot contents as he went over the times that he fought side by side and even against the Wing Gundam pilot. Heero gave him many reasons to live, the biggest being a worthy adversary. Now who was Wufei supposed to challenge? Deciding that fate would reveal someone or something to him, Wufei shifted and place his cup back down.
"Rest in peace, my friend. You of all people at least deserve that."
Duo was trying his best to hack into the mainframe of a lead he just sniffed out, but for some reason he wasn't getting through. He couldn't believe how sloppy of a job that he was doing on such a rookie that Duo decided that he should call it a night.
Flopping unto bed, Duo tried his best to shut his eyes and get some rest but he just couldn't calm down. After tossing and turning for a about a good hour, Duo got out of bed and grabbed his keys and left.
He got into his black and silver rimmed 2004 Four Runner and took of into the night. He didn't know where he was going, but he needed to do something. Duo passed by several neighborhoods and finally reached the main city.
The night life never faded in the city and there was always something to do there. Finally deciding on what to do, Duo drove to one of his favorite spots in town, "The Drunken Soldiers Bar." It had everything from coffee to all the kind of drinks a depressed man needed.
Duo parked his car on the curbside and walked in. He picked his usual stool and sat down, waiting for the waiter.
"Well, well, well . . . if it isn't the famous Duo Maxwell. What can I do for you tonight?"
Not in his usual cheery self, Duo only asked for the strongest drink in the house. "I just want the strongest stuff you've got . . . " Duo stated. "And give me the whole bottle with ya Chad. I need it tonight."
Chad wasn't too pleased with neither the sound of Duo's voice nor his manner of posture, but it really wasn't his place to say so while on the job and he just gave Duo what he requested.
Duo motioned to Chad to leave the bottle and told him to not bother about giving him a glass. He just grabbed the bottle and took a swig of it, drinking about half its contents in just one gulp. Duo wasn't really one for drowning all his problems in alcohol, but this time it seemed like the only escape.
With the loss of Heero, things wouldn't be the same anymore. He was always better then any of the other gundam pilots in all fields. Sure Duo had some piloting abilities, Quatre with the strategic mind, Trowa with his stealth, and Wufei with his strength of honor, but Heero exceeded in all of those areas and more. Hacking was one of the best points in Heero, and being that Duo was assigned that very job made things all the more difficult.
"I'm not good at that stuff. Yeah, I'm better than some rookie, but he's the one for the job. If he was still around I wouldn't have to do it, or at least by myself. I'd just be back up, the spare. I would follow him and be in his shadow, like always. I know I've complained about it here and there, but I didn't mean it. He didn't have to die. He shouldn't have died!"
Duo slammed the empty bottle onto the counter and asked for more. Chad wasn't too pleased at the rate that Duo was going, but refrained from saying anything. Duo was only a distant friend of his, and whoever he was talking about sounded more than just a comrade in arms. Chad was never a soldier during the wars, and so he felt he had no right or had the right things to say to Duo. He'd just have to let it go.
Duo didn't take notice of the people around him and the looks of disgust they shot him, he didn't care. This was nothing compared to how he felt. He could die and go to hell and still he'd feel anger and sadness.
His Preventer pager was going off, but he only took the damn thing and threw it into the corner of the bar causing it to shatter into bits of plastic and chips. Duo was already passed feeling buzzed, and whatever else he would drink would only make it worse.
Half an hour later Duo was swearing up a storm causing a scene. Chad had no option but to kick the man out. As much as he hated it, he told Duo to get lost if he was going to continue on like that.
"Why mann?" Duo slurred. His total control of his body was finally gone. "I'm onnlee gettin' sta-ted. Gimmie an-da dri-nk will ya?"
"No, Duo." Chad stated firmly. "I think you had enough for one night. Go home and sleep it off."
"Well fine!" Duo shouted, spats of alcohol went flying unto Chad's face. "I'm takin' this here," he grabbed the bottle roughly and placed it within his jacket. "An' I-m leeevin' yo asss-sssho-ssssss."
Duo staggered out the door and unto the streets. He began walking down the ally while totally forgetting that he brought his car. Duo just kept on drinking and hitting lamp posts and newspaper stands along the way. He collapsed finally and couldn't get up, so he crawled his way over to a dirty wooden crate next to a garbage bin.
He had drunk every last drop of alcohol left in the bottle, so he took it and threw it unto the middle of the sidewalk. Some shards flew back at him and embedded themselves into Duo's hand, causing it to bled.
"Heh . . . I-m a ble'n." He looked at his hand in fascination. It's crimson color coated his hand much like it did Heero's when he first met him. With the thought of Heero again, Duo some how managed to focus his mind a little.
"You son of a bitch," Duo brought his hand down to rest while he closed his eyes and leaned his head against the dumpster. "You're not supposed to die."
"Who's not supposed to die?" A sweet sounding voice graced Duo's ears and he turned to see who it was.
A young girl with short ebony hair kneeled down next to Duo's wasted form. She saw Duo's hand and frowned but she said nothing while she waited for his answer.
"H-Hildie?" Duo couldn't see her face clearly, but it really did look like her.
Hildie only smiled and nodded her head. She was sent by Lady Une to locate and find Preventer Agent 02, or rather Lieutenant Commander Duo Maxwell, since he was not responding to her pages. Hildie went over to his place to find it pitch black with no car, so she took off to see if he went to Duo's favorite bar. Sure enough she found his car and discovered that he had gotten himself drunk and kicked out from Chad. Hildie only shook her head in frustration and collected the remains of the pager Duo had destroyed. Soon after Hildie left the bar after a few more questions and went in search of Duo. She finally found him in a filthy ally, and to this she held only grief for him.
"I-m a soorieee, Hildie." She only shook her head and helped him up.
"I need to get you home. Lady Une isn't going to be happy if I bring you back to Headquarters like this. I'll just call her and send you in the morning."
Duo only grunted in response as Hildie helped him to her car. This was one hell of a night, and things had only just begun.
