I Own Nothing
Segment 2:
The Last Light on the Horizon
Summary:
Ten years have passed since the Eve Wars. It is now AC 207, and a small vandal group has emerged in Romania. After a young intern from the Preventors, Lita Kino, is involved in an undisclosed event during her investigation, Sally Po and Chang Wufei gather the former Gundam pilots from around the ESUN. While in Budapest, Duo Maxwell is attacked by an unknown assassin, but manages to subdue them. Finally, the pilots gather at the Parliament Hotel and wait for the head of the Preventors, Lady Une, to arrive. However, they are met by someone else…
"Who the hell are you?" Duo blinked at the woman who walked in. She was tall, dressed in a maroon business suit (with a short skirt that showed off her long legs nicely, he noticed) the same color as her eyes. Her hair was long and ivy green, pulled away from her face in a bun. The exotic look was enhanced by her smooth olive skin tone.
The woman smiled slightly. "I'm sorry. Lady Une was unable to meet with you, so I took the liberty of visiting myself."
Her smile disappeared suddenly when she heard a click and saw Heero's gun pointed at her. Sighing, she reassumed the calm, emotionless expression she'd worn upon her entrance.
"Please put the gun down, Mr. Yuy. We really don't have time for this," she said.
"Oh, I think we do," Sally replied, drawing a gun herself. "I think there's a few questions you're going to have to answer."
The woman was silent, then reached inside her jacket. A split second later, a gunshot went off. She winced and dropped something on the floor.
"Keep your hands where I can see them," Heero said as he kept his firm grip on the smoking gun, then stepped forward to retrieve the fallen object.
Quatre noticed the bleeding wound on the woman's hand and gave her a sympathetic look. He pulled a handkerchief out of his pocket and reached for her hand. But he remained silent as he bandaged it, ignoring Wufei's scathing look.
Heero picked up the thing the woman dropped, a small badge. Her maroon eyes studied him closely. "Meioh Setsuna, Earth Sphere Intelligence Agency," she stated.
Sally paled. "Oh my god…I am so sorry…" she gasped, glaring at Heero. "I swear, we had no idea."
"It's quite all right," Setsuna replied calmly. "Just a flesh wound."
"Hn," Heero grunted, tossing her the badge. She caught it with her good hand.
"Okay, okay. Sorry for shooting you. But what are you doing here? How did you know what's going on?" Duo asked.
Setsuna raised her eyebrow. "I told you. I'm here on Lady Une's behalf. She's currently working on a project that is proving to be very time consuming. And anyways, I think I can be of more help to you than she can."
"More help? How?" Wufei asked cynically.
"I know who killed Lita Kino. I also know when, where, and why she was killed," Setsuna replied.
Sally gasped. "How did you…?"
"It's my job to know, Miss Po. I have my sources, as I'm sure you have yours. And mine also must be kept confidential."
"Um, before you get into that, could you fill the rest of us in on what's been going on?" Duo asked, sitting on the couch and leaning forward.
"Very well. Miss Po, Mr. Chang, shall I leave you to tell the story?" Setsuna asked, standing near the window and looking out at it.
"I'd be more interested to hear exactly how much you know, Miss Meioh," Wufei replied icily.
"I have to agree," Sally added.
"All right then. Events are as follows. Two days ago, the Preventors received a phone call from Secretary of Defense regarding vandalism to property at the Colonial Embassy in Bucharest. The nature of the vandalism was prejudice against the colonies, which is treated as a hate crime. However, Bucharest police were unable to apprehend the culprits, and the crimes were getting more serious. Lita Kino, an intern from the Preventors was sent to investigate. She made three phone calls to Mr. Chang reporting her status. The latest was made at 11:30 PM. Four hours later, Budapest police found her body in an alley, dead of a stab wound to the heart. The murder weapon is missing, and there is only one suspect, Anya Karikov, who was sent to meet her at the Budapest Spaceport. It is concluded that she did accompany Miss Kino as far as the spaceport parking ramp. There is no further information released about what occurred between then and the time Lita Kino's body was found," Setsuna concluded.
The room was silent.
"You're good at gathering information, Miss Meioh," Sally commented.
"Thank you. But as I said, it is my job," she replied.
"So then do you think that Miss Kino was murdered because she found out who the vandals were?" Quatre asked.
"It would seem that way, wouldn't it Mr. Winner?" Setsuna turned and smiled slightly. "And yes, I am aware of who all of you are, so there was never any need for introduction. But anyways, no. Lita Kino was not being silenced."
"Then what other reason was there to kill her?" Heero looked at her.
Setsuna looked back out the window. "Have any of you ever heard of the legend of Crystal Tokyo?"
"Crystal Tokyo? Wasn't that a huge city in Japan, where Tokyo is now?" Duo asked.
"Correct. Supposedly, it existed during the thirtieth century of the Common Era, roughly four hundred years ago. It was ruled by one queen, her family, and her eight guardians. During the reign of this queen, there was much peace and prosperity, but soon there was a revolution and all records of Crystal Tokyo were lost," Setsuna explained.
"And this has what to do with Kino's murder?" Sally asked.
The ivy-haired woman drew a photograph out of her jacket pocket and dropped it on the coffee table. "This is a photo from Lita Kino's autopsy. Look closely at it."
Sally picked it up from the table and examined it. It was a shot of the intern's face, white and blank as a sheet of paper. Her green eyes were open, staring at nothing. It sent a shiver up her spine. But she had seen lots of autopsy photos through the years, and this one was no different. She said so.
"No? Then look at this," Setsuna replied, handing her another piece of paper. This one was a drawing. A rather famous one too, depicting one of the legendary guardians from Crystal Tokyo. It was a tall woman dressed in a long emerald gown. Her chestnut brown hair was pulled back in a high ponytail, and her green eyes emphasized a glowing green symbol of Jupiter on her forehead. Sally shivered again. Though she'd seen the drawing once or twice in art books and in a museum, only now did she notice it was a drawing of Lita Kino.
Setsuna saw the realization dawn on the Preventor's face. "Now look back at the photo," she said.
Sally did, and she paled.
There on Lita Kino's forehead was the exact same green symbol of Jupiter.
"What the hell is this?" Sally murmured, handing the pictures to the Gundam pilots.
Setsuna turned to face them, her figure outlined in the lights from outside, illuminating the dim room. "Hell indeed. That is what this place is about to become."
"What are you talking about lady? You don't actually mean this Kino girl is the girl in the drawing?" Duo asked.
"That's exactly what I'm saying. First of all, her name was not Lita Kino, it was Kino Makoto. She was born in Japan in the late twentieth century of the Common Era. If you want the proof, you can look at the files from the autopsy. It's amazing, but true. What's more, if you look back in past censuses, you will find either a Lita Kino or a Makoto living on Earth ever since the beginning of the age after colonization, and even some before. Photos accompany these, and they are all identical. There's no proof that she actually had the powers described in the legends, but if you want that, I think you'll be able to get it."
There was silence again as the group stared at her.
"Is this all real?" Quatre asked softly.
"Very real. Would you like to know who killed Miss Kino?" Setsuna asked.
He nodded.
"It was the same person who attacked Mr. Maxwell in the elevator on his way here," she answered.
"Now wait a minute, how in god's name did you know that?" Duo cried, standing up.
"People are always watching, Mr. Maxwell. There is at least one witness to every action," she replied.
"You mean it actually happened?" Sally asked.
"Yeah, it happened all right. I don't know what it was though. I was just coming up here, when this guy, or maybe a girl, I couldn't really tell, got in the elevator with me and came after me with a knife. Got it right here," he displayed his prize.
"What happened to your attacker?" Heero asked.
"I knocked him out and left him in the elevator," Duo answered.
Wufei shot him a furious glared. "So he'll be able to run back to his leader?"
"Exactly. But you see, you now have the advantage," Setsuna answered.
"Advantage? What advantage?" Sally asked.
"First of all, it was neither a male nor a female that attacked you, Mr. Maxwell. It was a Leute, a being that originates from a life supporting planet in the Draco Star System," she explained.
"You mean an alien?" he asked.
"I suppose you could say so, though there'd really be no point considering they've lived on Earth and the colonies ever since the fall of Crystal Tokyo. They were the ones that caused it after all," Setsuna answered. "Most of them are centuries older than you."
"Not the one in the elevator. That was just a kid."
"No. When the body of a Leute reaches a human's age of puberty, it simply stops there and no longer ages. Most likely it was Aethrin that attacked you; they've always been one of the more infamous assassins. And from the information I've gathered, it was also Aethrin that killed Kino Makoto. Perhaps even with the knife you hold in your hand," Setsuna suggested.
Duo hastily set the knife down.
"I don't know if I can believe any of this," Wufei said.
"It doesn't matter if you do or don't. You should be aware though, that not everyone in the Earth Sphere is human, and those that aren't certainly don't mean well for you. Once they've killed the queen and the rest of the guardians, neither the Earth nor the colonies will stand a chance,' she said.
"Then the queen and the guardians are still alive?" Trowa asked, startling everyone.
Setsuna nodded. "Yes. Serenity, her daughter Small Serenity, and seven of the eight guardians are still alive. They have already killed Jupiter, and Endymion, Serenity's husband, was killed during the wars."
"They must be very powerful then, to have kept the Earth safe this long," Quatre murmured.
"More powerful than you can imagine, Mr. Winner. But still, they are human. They live normal lives. That's why it will be so difficult to find them, both for us and for the Leute."
"Wait a minute. You want us to find these guardians?" Duo asked.
"Would you rather be ruled by the Leute, Mr. Maxwell? Because I assure you, the carnage suffered all the years of war will seem like catholic school punishment compared to the horror that the Leute is capable of and willing to carry out. The guardians still hold much power. Hopefully, they will be able to drive out this disease once and for all."
"What about the queen?" Trowa asked.
"Serenity is the key," Setsuna explained. "She is the one with the master power, the Ginzuishou. She can also unite the powers of the seven remaining guardians, and also bring forth the powers in her daughter."
"Well then, this should be interesting. We have to avoid miniature hermaphrodites that live forever and want to take over the world while finding seven all-powerful guardians, one princess, and one queen, all over five hundred years old. Oh, and probably deal with the vandalism while we're at it," Duo replied.
"The vandalism was a ploy to get Makoto Kino out here. Why do you think they had us send her to Budapest instead of Bucharest?" Sally asked.
Setsuna nodded. "Not only that, but the secretary of defense is basically a puppet to the Leute. One of them is pretending to be his child."
"Great. Also, avoid world leaders," Duo added.
"You shouldn't complain so much, Mr. Maxwell. I doubt this battle will be any less entertaining than your last," Setsuna replied.
"The only difference this time is that we don't have the Gundams," Heero said quietly.
"No, you don't. But I have faith in you. And you have faith in each other. I think that will be good enough for now," Setsuna replied just as soft.
The room was silent for a few minutes.
"Okay then, where do we start looking for these guardians?" Sally asked.
"They'll be scattered around the colonies and planet. I can't tell you where, but I do have this," Setsuna pulled a folded paper out of her pocket and handed it to Trowa. It was a picture similar to the drawing of Makoto Kino, but this also included the images of three other women, a little girl, and a man.
"Obviously, Makoto Kino, Jupiter, was found and killed. The man, Endymion, has been dead for over a decade. The others," she pointed to a woman with short blue hair. "Mercury, Mizuno Ami." One with black hair. "Mars, Hino Rei." A blond with a ribbon in her hair. "Aino Minako, Venus." The little girl. "Princess Small Lady Serenity, she may use the names Tsukino Chibiusa, Chiba Chibiusa, Chiba Usagi, Tsukino Usagi, or Serenity Chiba." Finally, the middle woman, dressed in white with long blond ponytails. "Queen Serenity, Tsukino Usagi, or Serenity Chiba."
They studied the drawing for a while, when Quatre looked up. "But you said there were originally eight guardians. This shows the queen, her daughter, and four of them."
"I'm afraid images of the others are more difficult to come by. I'll contact you if I come across one. For now, worry about finding these three," she pointed to Mercury, Mars, and Venus.
Duo groaned. "Man…how the hell do we even start looking for these women?" he asked.
Sally studied the picture closely. "…I know her."
"What?" he cried, looking at it.
She pointed to Mercury. "That's Amy Anderson. We used to work together at the South J.A.P. Point. She was a surgeon; one of the best."
"Yes…that sounds like Ami…" Setsuna murmured softly, smiling to herself.
"What?" Heero asked, looking at her.
She shook her head. "Nothing. Nothing at all."
His eyes stayed locked on her. "Hn."
Setsuna rose. "I've given you all I can," she said. "I think it would be best if I left now. Trowa…"
He looked up at her.
"You will tell Lady Une everything she's missed?"
For a split second, she almost thought she saw surprise on the usually stoic man's face, but the expressionless mask remained. He said nothing, just nodded.
"Thank you." She rose and headed for the door, then paused to examine her wounded hand. "I think I'll stop in at the hospital and have this examined. I must be more careful handling my firearms."
"You'll contact us when you get any more information?" Heero asked, ignoring the comment
"Of course, Mr. Yuy. Don't worry about finding me; I'll find you," she smiled.
Duo groaned. "That's what worries me."
"I look forward to seeing you again as well, Mr. Maxwell," Setsuna replied, then strode out the door.
The small group looked at each other for a while.
"She's a very strange person, isn't she?" Quatre commented.
"That's the understatement of the century. I want to know how she knows all this stuff! If any of it's true, that is. Personally, I think the lady's got a screw or twelve loose," Duo remarked.
"Lita Kino, or Kino Makoto, or whoever she was could've been one of the best Preventors ever," Sally said quietly. "But she will never have the chance now. I'm going to do this for her. I don't know if any of you will go along with it, but that's your decision."
Wufei was shocked. He had known his partner for over ten years. She was kind enough to her friends and family, but always practical and sensible. True, there was no better explanation available for what happened to Kino, but he never guessed that the levelheaded Sally Po would actually believe the story. Then again, there were so many coincidences. The call from the Secretary. Budapest instead of Bucharest. Kino's murder. Duo's attack.
"If this is true, we're looking at more than a civil war here," Heero said. "I think we'd better pay some attention to this. Not too much, but some."
"I agree. I'll start searching colony records for any of these women," Quatre offered.
"That's not a bad idea. Trowa, you should check in with Lady Une. I'll look up Amy on he Internet. The rest of you…" Sally looked at Heero, Duo, and Wufei.
Duo grinned evilly. "I think I'm going to see what else I can find out about our mysterious informer. I don't like that Setsuna Meioh. I'll keep my eyes on her for a while. How about you Heero?"
"I'll see what I can find. There's other research I'll have to do too," he answered shortly.
"Well Wufei?" Sally asked, looking at her partner.
"If you really need the help, I'll offer it. Kino did have promise," he admitted.
She smiled sadly. "Always knew you liked her, Chang."
He rolled his eyes.
"I think since our presence is obviously known here," Quatre said, shooting a glance at Duo, "We should leave as soon as possible. Let's check in with information as we get it."
"Sounds like a plan," Duo agreed. He shook his head and smiled. "I thought we were done with all of this ten years ago. We're getting old you guys."
"If it's too difficult, Maxwell, I could end your misery now," Wufei offered.
"Nah, you'll need your strength to go kill those immortal guys," he replied.
Sally cleared her throat to shut the two men up. "Okay then, we've all chosen our assignments. Let's take care of this as quickly and painlessly as possible."
One by one, they left the room, until it was completely empty.