The L2 councilmen surreptitiously glared at Minako. They obviously felt contempt for this woman who would accuse their government of corruption.
Minako shuddered inwardly. They must have been plotting her death right then. She stood and placed her hands on the varnished table. "It is a good time for a small recess. Let us reconvene in one hour." A small murmur of agreement arose, and she walked out of the room to the stoic and solemn Hiiro.
"Miss Usagi, please reconsider. I know..." Quatre was clearly miserable, and he was making her feel guilty for being angry about anything at all. "I know you don't like the job and all the pressure that's being put on the two of you, but please do not abandon us now."
Usagi bit her lip and glanced at Duo. His face was still tilted away, his eyes shadowed by his clumping bangs. She turned back to Quatre with a frown. "I just don't think I can pull it off anymore. I think if I continue to try, I'm only going to end up leading us all into war."
She jumped when Duo finally spoke. "But don't you see? If you leave, then who will support Minako? Is it going to be Hiiro?" He sneered. "Hiiro doesn't care about anyone but himself. He thinks he cares about Relena, but all he cares about is how her being unhealthy is affecting him." He fell mute as his companions stared at him with worry in their eyes.
"It's not like you guys can't see it. Everyone knows how Hiiro is." Duo looked for confirmation, but only received confusion. "He's psychotic! He tried to kill himself when a stupid mission didn't go to plan. He mopes around and rants at us when he doesn't feel happy. Ever since we realized Relena was sick, he's looked like someone ate his Gundam."
Usagi's mouth twitched and Quatre acquired a suspicious tic in his left eye. Duo took no notice.
"Honestly, haven't you guys noticed any of this?" The two blondes nodded. He wailed. "Then why doesn't anyone say anything?"
Quatre coughed. "With all due respect, Duo, it's not really our place to delve into Hiiro's private life. He has never invited us to, nor even given us any real indication that we are his friends. If we were to go by his actions to us, we can only assume that he considers us business partners. No more, no less."
"That's crap, and you know it, Quatre. Hiiro doesn't say much, but when push comes to shove he's there for us. One hundred percent, all the way. He just has a funny way of showing it otherwise." He grinned. "And of course it's our place to nose into his private life. If we don't, who will?"
"Well, I assume he would prefer it that no one would invade his privacy."
Usagi watched the exchange in awe.
"So...? He obviously needs someone to do the dirty work. He's isn't exactly willing to attach himself to anyone by choice. Just look where Relena..." Duo trailed off as he finally realized who he was talking about. "Where she-"
Quatre's face paled dramatically. "I think that's enough."
Duo grunted and turned away, heading towards the hotel. Quatre followed, lost in his own thoughts and leaving Usagi behind.
She contemplated her options, weighing possible insanity against inevitable war. There was no real comparison. It was no wonder Relena had the problems she did if she had to make choices – that weren't really choices – like these everyday.
Usagi ran to catch up, decay and rot crunching under her feet with every step.
Hiiro stood in a foliage shaded corner on full alert. His eyes searched for possible threats from every direction, his gaze resting on the conference doors more often than not. He pulled out his gun and examined it, assuring himself that the machine was in perfect working order.
The doors opened on their well oiled hinges, the gun was back in its hiding spot, and he was crouched to attack if there was any sign of misbehavior. He nearly sighed with relief when Minako stepped out of the room, glancing around in her search for someone. Most likely him. The other council members trailed out behind her, their destination the other direction that he had situated himself in, and obviously food.
He cleared his throat and Minako's head whipped around to look straight at him. He stared coldly back, and nodded. She stepped forward and the question in her eyes was clearly evident.
"No, she has not been found as far as I know."
Minako's eyes cast downward. "I'm sorry."
Hiiro felt an odd impulse to comfort her. His voice was harsh. "It's not all your fault." Her gaze snapped to his and his eyes widened. He felt his hands surge up in an effort to defend himself from her shocked and accusing gaze. Hiiro took a deep breath and forced himself to relax, his arms dropping to his sides and his eyes returning to their naturally glaring state.
"How much time do we have?"
"I said to meet in one hour."
Hiiro nodded in approval. "Let's go." He began to trek in the opposite direction of the hungry diplomats.
After a few moments of silence, Minako asked, "Where are we going?"
Hiiro grunted. "To the vid-phones – away from the hotel restaurant. I don't want to talk to the others while anywhere near anyone else."
"Oh..."
Their travels ended ten minutes later after a quick bathroom break and a small detour after a wrong turn. Hiiro set up the video phone and listened to the ringing of the other line as Minako wiggled her fingers and examined the palm of her hand. He raised an eyebrow, doubting the girl's sanity, but wiped his face of emotion when the ringing stopped and Quatre picked up the phone.
"Has she been found?"
Quatre's face was solemn. "She's right here." Usagi's face blinked into existence, before she was shoved out of the way by Duo.
"We found her! We got the girl." Duo winked and Usagi's high-pitched Hey! could be heard in the background.
Hiiro grunted. "Good. Let me speak to her." The vid-phone showed no one, though there was some definite struggling going on in the background.
Minako cleared her throat. "Try and be nice, Hiiro. I think this is harder for her than she lets on."
"Hn..." He turned back to the vid-phone with a scowl. Inevitably, Usagi was there with a scowl of her own. "You are not to leave the hotel room until Minako and I return. That is a direct order. Is that understood?"
Usagi glared. "Got it..." She mumbled a quick, "Asshole." Before turning her back on him and disappearing from sight. He ground his teeth together and waited for one of the guardians to return. Surprisingly, Trowa was the one to appear.
"Trowa, make sure she does not leave again. If she leaves, I will kill you."
Trowa narrowed his visible eye, nodded, and signed off, leaving Hiiro with an irritated Minako.
"Do you have any idea what you've done?"
Hiiro walked back toward the conference room with a short, "Hn..."
"She doesn't like you that much to begin with. She probably hates you now."
"I don't care."
"You should!"
Hiiro walked faster and Minako began to trot to catch up.
"Slow down!" Hiiro grimaced, but slowed down.
"That's better. Now, why is she going to listen to you now that you've just basically taken the most chauvinistic approach possible?"
"It's not my problem. She does not obey wishes, so she will obey commands."
"You're stupid, you know that?"
"Hn..."
"No girl likes to be bossed around. You're being the bossiest boss ever! No wonder she doesn't want to listen to you. What exactly did she do to get on your bad side? You were mad at her before she ran away."
"It does not matter. We have half an hour to get you food and into the conference. You should concentrate on making sure you do not say something foolish and initiate a war."
Minako's face fell at his critical words. "It's not like I'm trying to start a war."
Hiiro frowned in annoyance. He hadn't meant to accuse her. "I'm not accusing you. It's advice. Take it or leave it."
Minako didn't look any happier. He sighed. "You are a good diplomat. Obviously you are not as good as Relena, but you were not trained to it since birth. She was. Just concentrate on what you are saying and you will do fine."
Minako was practically beaming at his praise. She smiled her most genuine smile and he felt like he had been punched in the gut. It was an almost identically genuine Relena smile. He glanced away and avoided her eyes for the rest of the walk to the hotel restaurant.
Hiiro had said not to leave the hotel room, but in actuality the room was a suite. And the suite was about the size of a nice apartment on Earth. Usagi sat on her bed contemplating a picture of Relena she had swiped from Hiiro.
She scowled. Relena stood in a pair of pink silk pajama pants and shirt, her face shining as she cuddled a doll. On closer inspection, there were little white lines coming away from the doll, and Usagi wiped the picture. The lines never went away. Usagi snarled and flung the picture to the carpet.
She stood and her foot came down nicely on the picture, wrinkling it from perfection. Relena's face was now distorted and the doll sat in an awkward pose. She picked the picture up, crumpling it into a small ball - wrinkling into a state that could never become perfect again.
Usagi smiled with satisfaction when she opened the picture and smoothed it out. Relena wasn't perfect. But she was still smiling. Tearing hard down the middle, Usagi was pleased when the sound of ripping filled the air.
She hated Relena.
Rip, rip.
She hated everything about Relena. She hated the grace with which Relena ruled the world. Even if she hadn't been technically, everyone knew she was. She had ruled with an iron fist, but made it seem as if she cradled society with a silken glove.
Rip, rip.
Relena was dying though. She deserved anything bad that happened to her.
Rip, rip.
Everyone knew that no one could be that perfect without being a bitch at heart.
Rip, rip.
Then again, that was the problem, wasn't it? She wasn't a bitch. Not one bit.
Rip, rip.
She was perfect. Even with her sickness, she was perfect in every way.
Rip.
Perfect in ways Usagi could only dream of. The tiny pieces of picture fluttered onto the bed.
"So what should I talk about while I'm in there? I think the meeting is wrapping up. When I go back in, there isn't really anything else to discuss."
"So finish it. We'll discuss everything that went on with Usagi and the others. They need to be informed, and it will be easier to do it all at once, rather than being retold."
Minako smiled briefly and made ready to walk into the boardroom. "Well here goes."
Hiiro nodded and faded into the shadows of the potted plants. "You'll be fine."
Minako walked into the easy camaraderie of the L2 delegation, only to have them each stiffen and throw her cold glares as she took her seat. She steeled herself with Hiiro's encouragement and remained emotionless. "Is there anything else that is need of discussion?"
A portly man to her left spoke up. "Yes, Lady Relena. It would seem that..."
The discussions continued for another four hours.
Duo reclined in a wonderfully plush leather ottoman as he watched Big Brother 5034. God, it was a horrible show. Unfortunately, it was strangely addictive. He watched with fascination as Shinji said he was sorry - on the pre-taped video - to the irate Asuka for voting her out.
The television went black at just the moment Asuka started her reply to the backstabbing Shinji. Duo's mouth gaped open and he whimpered. Looking around for the remote, he came face-to-face with Wufei.
Wufei smiled at him with sadistic glee. "Now you'll never know what she was going to say. That was the last chance to see that episode."
Duo paled. "It's not true. It's not true."
"Oh, yes it is."
"Noooooooo!" He wailed for another five minutes before something in his mind clicked. His brow furrowed. "How did you know that?"
Wufei raised an eyebrow before turning from the television and walking from the room. Duo lurched after him, but was stopped short by the entrance of Hiiro and Minako. Hiiro glared at him and Duo backed down. "So er...how was the meeting?"
Minako opened her mouth to answer but Hiiro cut in. "It went fine. Where is the girl?"
Minako's mouth snapped shut and Duo coughed. "Uh, she's in her room."
"Fine." Hiiro pushed past Duo and dragged Minako to Usagi's room.
Duo trailed after them and then stared, enthralled, as Usagi blew up at Hiiro.
"How dare you order me to stay in this room? How dare you?" Usagi's face was florid and she clenched something very tightly in her fist.
Hiiro grunted. "You were disobedient."
"I don't care what I was. You don't have the right!"
"I do."
"Like hell you do!"
"Hn..."
Usagi threw what seemed to be pieces of paper at Hiiro. He never even flinched.
"That's what I think of you and Relena. You order me around and then expect me to be loyal to you. I'm not stupid and I'm not in the military. I only give respect when it is given to me."
"Hn..."
Usagi looked at Hiiro with disgust. "It looks like I was wasting my time. You are obviously not even intelligent enough to reply properly." She looked off to the side and smiled with cruel intensity. "No wonder Relena can't stand to live. She loved you and you probably can't even pronounce the words I love you."
Usagi gagged as Hiiro's hands wrapped around her neck. Duo ran to drag Hiiro off Usagi, but Hiiro had a death grip on Usagi. "Don't you ever insult Relena like that ever again. Do you hear me? NEVER SPEAK OF HER!" Hiiro's face was red with fury and his lips were pulled back in a vicious snarl.
Usagi's face drained of color and she fell unconscious as Duo cracked Hiiro over the head with his own gun.
AN: Ashika speaking. Well people, please don't expect chapter to come this quickly all the time. You might have noticed that RTI is going slowly. Very slowly. I hope guys liked this chapter, and continue reading! Please? ;)