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Hey everybody! So, questioning chapter! Well, wish me luck?

Ch 5: Questioning

The room was a sterile white, like that of a hospital ward. Athrun shuddered, he didn't like that everything was white. His clothes, the room, his skin. The only thing that stood out was his hair. Hell, even that blindfold had been white. They were really setting themselves up...white for purity. Dressing him in white, that was like trying to wash the evil out of him. The evil only they managed to see, and they saw it everywhere, except within themselves.

The door swung open, the hinges creaking slightly. The sound assaulted his ears, so he had to work hard not to flinch. Footsteps sounded across the room, and he instinctively corrected his posture. "Straight back, chin up, eyes level with the other person. Blink freely, staring only makes you look childish. Be confident - not cocky. Be calm, don't look down, don't look away."

He recited the list mentally, feeling his heart slow. Reminding himself he was a soldier with an image to present somehow worked wonders in this situation. And he'd be damned if he'd lose his cool in front of this natural bastard.

The man took a seat in front of him. It was neither of the guards that had brought him in. Though he didn't doubt that they'd want to have some say in what became of him. It was true that he'd probably over-reacted, but the situation really had called for it. Pain does funny things to ones head.

The man that sat in front of him was neither tall nor thickset. Quite the opposite. Small and thin, not even slender, just thin. His uniform was in perfect condition, his light hair combed to perfection. Small glasses sat on his long nose. His face was clean shaven and he looked to be in his late forties. He was, all-in-all, the perfect example of how to demand respect when it's obvious you don't deserve any. Athrun hated him on sight.

The man steepled him short fingers, staring at him over the tips. His eyes were brown, and set deep in his face. A small folder lay on the desk. And Athrun knew exactly what it was. His files. The EA had used his name and scraped together any information on him. Luckily most of the files ZAFT kept on him, his reports and such, were almost impossible to hack. So, for the most part, he was safe. Just as long as he didn't let something slip. The man smiled.

'So, Athrun Zala, it is a pleasure to meet you.' The voice was simpering and high. A real suck up voice. Athrun found himself hating the man more by the second. God, how he wanted to punch that stupid face. He forced his mask to stay in place. The man toyed with a corner of the folder, his hideous eyes gazing almost hungrily into Athrun's green ones.

'There are some people here who would love to hurt you, Athrun, I heard you caused quite a scene in while you were being escorted here. Dear dear, what were you thinking?' The man shock his head in a condescending manor. Athrun forced back the string of words rising in his throat.

'Well, Athrun, I won't hand you over to those thugs if you comply and talk to me. Just a little chat is all. It's much better then having the answers beat out of you. And I trust you don't want more pain, because you will get hurt. Even a coordinator can't fight two on one tied up.' The man's smile widened. 'Oh, how's your father by the way? Being such a powerful political figure must be hard for him.'

Athrun stiffened slightly. The man was good, whatever his personality may be like. He had learned exactly what to hit. Because it wasn't exactly rocket science that Patrick Zala was not as sane as he once was. This was dangerous. Very dangerous. Those hungry brown eyes seemed to eat his reaction. Drawing the life away from him. Ugly soulless eyes pulling life and power out of people. A dangerous creature, because whatever this was, it was no human.

Sai stared at the celing of his room. Murre had completely denied him promission to go and get Athrun. But like hell he was leaving the boy in there. It was really about timing. When to move. Hell, he'd already helped Lacus escape from their clutches, one more time wouldn't hurt, and if it did, to hell with it. He tightened his hand around Athrun's dog tags, counting down the minutes to ten. Then he'd move.

Milly walked briskly through the dark corridors. She knew full well that Sai had no intention of obeying the captain. She also knew that the captain knew Sai had no intention of obeying her. And Milly would be damned if she let Sai go through with this alone. She'd no intention of losing any more friends.

Sai had just stepped out of his room when she arrived. He glanced at her, raising his eyebrows. She smiled at him, noting the chain clenched between his fingers. He really did care about that ZAFT soldier? Why? That was the boy who'd killed two of his friends. What the hell had the two of them talked about? And why hadn't Sai told her any of the conversation?

'Milly...there's no sense in you getting involved. Why don't you go back t...' Sai started, but she cut him short, glaring at him with as much anger as she could muster.

'Sai, I'll ask you not to be an idiot. I joined the army with you. I risked my life several times with you. Do you really think I'm gonna let you sneak into our base, rescue an enemy soldier who I happen to hate, and explain to the captain on your own? Come on, are you really that thick!'

He smiled at her, wrapping her in a hug. 'Thank you,' he whispered. She hugged him back, tears filling her eyes. She got the awful feeling that something was going to go horribly wrong.

The man stood. Athrun followed the clumsy movement, his eyebrows raised. What was that idiot thinking? Was he just gonna give up? The man caught the look, and smiled. One short hand reached across the table and cupped his face. The skin on Athrun's cheek instantly felt like it was trying to crawl away.

'Don't worry, dear boy, we aren't through with you yet. I'll be back soon. And I may have some people with me. I did warn you. If you didn't talk to me, we'd have to force the answers out of you. Such a pity, you have such lovely eyes.'

Athrun glared at him, hiding the fear rising in the pit of his stomach. This man scared him, much more then the prospect of what was to come. He could handle physical torture, but not this man with his terrible soulless eyes.

Getting off the Archangel proved to be the tricky part. Milly had managed to download a plan of the base from her computer and between them they'd judged roughly where Athrun should be. She sighed, running a hand through her hair. This was possibly the stupidest thing they'd ever done, but what the hell.

Sai was walking in front of her. He looked worried as well. She was still confused about his feelings for the ZAFT pilot, apart from his obvious worry. Maybe she'd ask them both when they got back.

If they got back.

Athrun knew that fighting back against these men was stupid. He couldn't win. But still, it was hard to control his reflexes. And so far, the mens knuckles were getting as much punishment from the back of the chair as he was from them. But that was only proving to piss them off further.

The small man was still there, watching the display. After a few minutes, he walked forward. One of the guards moved off to the side of the room, the other moved behind the chair. Athrun glared at his questioner, his mouth shut and his head cocked arrogantly. The man raised his eyebrows.

'Still defiant? Dear boy, tell me if this is really worth it. No-one will know that you betrayed ZAFT. As far as I've read, your dead in their books anyway. So what harm would it do for your reputation if a dead man told us ZAFT's movements.'

Athrun smiled. 'Dead men tell no tales.' he said, his green eyes twinkling.

The man shrugged and nodded to the man standing behind the chair.

With surprising speed, the man's thick arm wrapped around Athrun's neck, pulling him up a bit off the chair. Athrun gasped out of shock, and the man leaned forward to whisper in his ear.

'Payback time, kid.'

Cool metal was placed against his cheek, and then drawn up towards his eye slowly. Sharp pain errupted and he bit his lip to stop himself screaming. They something crashed in the corridor with such force that the floor shook. All four occupents of the room looked round, staring at the door warily.

The man jerked his head and the two guards followed him out into the corridor. Athrun smiled, ZAFT was still safe, despite everything. Would his father be proud of that? The door reopened, and he looked around, expecting the three men back.

Instead, blue eyes stared at him from behind small round glasses. He relaxed against the chair.

'Sai...'

Well, constructive criticism welcome. Hope y'all enjoyed it! And if I did a shit job, tell me so I'll know the next time I try to write a questioning scene. You never know, I might, stranger things have happened. OK, excuse the ramble. R&R?