Chasing Time
by heaven'sgirl
Standard disclaimer applies. Any names used in this story (that are not in the canon GW timeline) are fictional; they were randomly chosen for the purpose of this fanfiction.
Chapter III: Many Meetings
[ December 4, AC 199 ]
The sound of footsteps from a dozen or so individuals reached Commander Une's ears. Turning around on her swivel chair, she watched as the squad of Preventers, led by Agent Rogers, entered her office and gave her a quick salute.
Une stood and returned the gesture. "What's the report?"
"All clear, ma'am," said Agent Rogers. "No signs of any suspicious weapons or individuals."
Sally and Wufei walked in. Une dismissed the Preventers squad then sat down, a frustrated look on her face. Three nerve-wracking hours and no apparent signs of an attack, though Une knew it had to be intentional. "These deaths are starting to pile up, and we don't even have anything concrete to give to their families about their unexpected deaths," she said.
The two Preventers took a seat across from their Commander. "Rest assured, Commander Une, the results for the three ESUN officials should be sent out by tomorrow," said Sally.
Une looked at her watch. It was almost midnight. "I will issue an all-clear. All agents and other employees can exit the premises. That includes both of you," said Une. "You both have done a lot tonight; get some rest," she added, looking at Sally and Wufei in gratitude.
"You should go home as well, Commander," said Sally.
"No. I have to prepare for the press tomorrow. Three ESUN deaths within a matter of days, a kidnapping attempt on Miss Darlian, and an attack within Preventers do not look like just accidents or coincidences," Une said gravely.
Wufei and Sally exchanged looks. "We'll stay here with you," said Sally.
"You asked us to help investigate these deaths," said Wufei. "We'll help you prepare whatever you want to tell the media tomorrow."
Une knew there was no arguing with these two. Besides, she wouldn't mind the company. "Thank you," she said.
[ December 5, AC 199 ]
"Does it still hurt?" asked Heero as he noticed Relena absentmindedly rubbed her head where her injury was. They were headed to Heero's vehicle in the underground parking lot of the apartment building.
"Hm?" Relena gave him a reassuring smile. "Just a bit."
Heero glanced at her but remained quiet. However, Relena saw the concern and unease in his midnight-blue eyes. Relena's smile widened and patted her head. "Don't you fret, Heero Yuy. This girl's got a thick head. I won't beat that easily."
Heero's eyes softened slightly. "I know."
It was a short and simple reply, but it meant a lot for Relena. Even though she hasn't seen Heero for years, she still felt the same comfort and peace whenever he was in her presence. She gave him another smile as they made their way to his car. Heero motioned for Relena to stop a few feet from the vehicle while he inspected it for any danger. Satisfied, Heero opened the passenger door for Relena before he took the seat behind the wheel.
"It's still early, so you should get more rest," said Heero as he started the engine.
Relena shook her head as she buckled her seatbelt. "I'm fine, Heero. Did you get any sleep at all?"
Heero accelerated the car as they entered an almost-empty highway. "Just enough."
"I can drive if you're tired."
"I'll be okay," was his response. Heero glanced at Relena and saw her looking out the window, a sad look on her face. "What's the matter?" he asked, although he already had an idea what was on her mind.
"I'm worried, that's all," she replied. She turned her attention to him. "My friend and former colleague, Arthur Brown… he died a few days ago, and I was supposed to visit his family yesterday."
"I'm sure they will understand after you tell them what happened."
"Yes, I hope so," said Relena. She shifted in her seat. "Arthur was such a dear friend. It's so unfortunate and unexpected what happened to him."
Heero wasn't sure if he should tell her the news that more of her former ESUN colleagues suffered a similar fate. It was clear that she cared deeply for those she worked with. But Heero knew she was a strong young woman, and she deserved the truth.
"Relena," said Heero, "I received more news from Preventers."
Relena braced herself for the worst. "What is it?"
"Vice President Pruitt and Vice Foreign Minister Glass both suffered heart attacks."
"Heart attacks? Just like Arthur?"
"Yes, but we can't know for certain if they are connected," said Heero. "Preventers will receive their results by today, according to Wufei. Until then, we can only wait."
The sadness was evident in her voice. "Then what?"
"If these were deliberate attacks and are somehow connected, then we'll do what we do best," said Heero, "We'll find out who the perpetrator is and put an end to these attacks."
Heero's determined statement gave Relena some hope and reassurance. "They were both lovely people," she said.
Heero noticed her eyes were moist, but no tears fell. Instead, Relena folded her hands on her lap and closed her eyes. Not leaving his eyes on the road, Heero took one hand off the wheel and reached out to Relena. The action made Relena open her eyes, staring at her lap while one of Heero's hands quietly held hers.
Relena felt a fluttery feeling from the pit of her stomach. "Thank you, Heero," was all she said before giving Heero's hand a gentle squeeze.
A large television at a restaurant was showing the morning news. Every customer within the eatery became fixated on the TV when the following announcement came up:
"Breaking news: three ESUN officials have passed away from sudden heart attacks. The deceased are Arthur Brown, VFM Rosemary Glass, and ESUN Vice President Grace Pruitt. The Preventers has already started investigating these sudden deaths. However, the organization has not released any further details on the deaths of all three individuals."
Many people started gasping. Others began to talk loudly about their theories on what must have happened to the officials who died.
"Yo, can you turn the volume up?" a patron requested to one of the servers just in time to see on TV a straight-faced Commander Une approach a podium. A wave of reporters, microphones, recorders, flashing cameras, and a multitude of questions immediately bombarded her.
Une raised a hand to silence the crowd. "Ladies and gentlemen, at this time, we have not received any detailed information on the deaths of Mr. Brown, VFM Glass, and Vice President Pruitt. Until we obtain this information, we do not have any answers to many of your questions.
"What we do know is that all victims suffered from a heart attack. As to what triggered these attacks, the details are not yet available."
Une looked around, her features turning sad. "We ask you all to respect the privacy of the families and friends of all three ESUN officials during this devastating time. Thank you."
Everybody in the restaurant turned quiet and somber. Three individuals sitting at a table near a corner continued to watch the TV until a person with an unusually long braid turned on his chair to face his friends. "Wufei told me that they won't get the results 'til nine this morning," said Duo. "As soon as the news that Arthur Brown was dead, Commander Une requested for me to go to Preventers HQ to help Wufei and Sally investigate. So here I am, back on Earth."
Duo looked to his left. "I know why Quatre is back on Earth, but what brings you here, Trowa?"
His friend with the side bangs took a sip from his tea. "The circus will be performing all over Europe during this holiday season."
Quatre smiled at him. "The circus seems to be getting more popular every year."
"Indeed."
A male server approached their table. "Would any of you gentlemen want a refill of your drinks?" Trowa shook his head, Duo asked for another latte, and Quatre requested for another cup of tea. The server bowed and took their cups.
Duo stretched and yawned loudly. "At least you'll be having a bit of fun. Poor ol' Duo will probably be stuck in the office 'til this investigation is closed."
Quatre chuckled. "If it makes you feel any better, I'll be spending most of the holidays traveling. The second housing development in L4 is almost completed, and I have been invited to attend the opening ceremony in Mars in a few weeks."
"Guess I'll see ya there, Quatre," said Duo. "I'll be in the security detail. With the recent deaths, Commander Une has issued tighter security at the ceremony."
"I'm not surprised," Quatre said.
During Duo and Quatre's exchange, Trowa silently observed as their server took occasional glances in their direction as he prepared their drinks. He looked young, with hair the color of copper, gray eyes, and a small scar on his upper lip. For Trowa, the young man looked apprehensive and uneasy. In a few minutes, the same man walked to their table with their orders.
"Thanks, man," said Duo as he took his drink. "That was quick."
The server nodded as he handed Quatre his tea. Trowa noticed that the man's hands were slightly quivering, but he had a fixated gaze at Quatre's teacup. The server bowed again and hurriedly left their table. However, he wasn't quick enough from Trowa's gaze; the tall young man immediately saw the server pocket what looked like an empty vial.
On instinct, Trowa took the teacup away from a surprised Quatre. Duo saw his movements and instantly dropped his mug on the table. In seconds, Trowa dashed to where he saw the server disappear.
On his way, Trowa grabbed another server. "Where was that man that just went in here?" The woman pointed towards the back exit. However, despite his quick actions, Trowa already lost sight of the would-be server. In a few minutes, Duo and Quatre caught up with him, followed by some of the restaurant employees.
"Trowa, mind explaining to us what just happened there?" asked Duo. Trowa scanned the area and saw something glitter on the ground. Crouching down, he saw an empty vial.
"Duo, call for Preventers. We need proper equipment to secure this evidence," Trowa said seriously. He turned to the group of employees. "I'm sorry, but the restaurant needs to be temporarily closed for an investigation."
The irate manager shook his head. "Excuse me? You disrupt my restaurant and have the nerve to order me around?"
"I'm sorry for the disturbance, sir, but it would be wise to follow our instructions," said Duo, showing his Preventer badge to the man. The manager immediately looked frightened and started stuttering with his apologies.
While Duo radioed for backup, Quatre approached Trowa. "What was that, Trowa?"
Trowa's eyes narrowed. "That man just tried to poison you."
Duo walked towards the two of them. "A Preventer unit should be here shortly. I've also ordered a 3-mile radius search of the area for that dude. What did the guy want?
Quatre answered for Trowa. "He tried to poison me."
"What the-?" exclaimed Duo. "Man, Trowa, you've got good eyes."
Within a few minutes, the Preventers backup arrived and started securing the perimeters of the restaurant. One Preventer took a few pictures then carefully placed the vial in a protected container.
The agent turned to Duo. "Agent Maxwell, the evidence will be transferred to Preventers' Forensics Department. Results should be available within the next few days."
"Thanks, Agent Beck," said Duo. "And uh, please directly give the results to me, Agent Chang, or Agent Po."
"Yes sir," replied the agent, leaving the trio alone and rejoining his team.
Trowa stood up and dusted himself. "Duo, if you don't mind, I'd like to go to Preventers HQ with you."
"Sure, Trowa."
"I'll go, too," said Quatre. He lowered his voice so only Trowa and Duo could hear him, "Could I have been a target just like Arthur Brown and the others?"
Duo scratched his head, thinking. "They died from a heart attack, Quatre. And besides, we don't even know if they were deliberate attacks…"
"But you think they are," interrupted Trowa.
"Yes, and so does Commander Une," said Duo. "But we need solid proof. Until we get the results that Wufei mentioned, we'll have to wait and see."
"Then we'll wait with you," insisted Quatre.
Duo chuckled. "It'll be a reunion. Only one missing will be the elusive Heero Yuy."
Heero and Relena arrived at Preventers Headquarters with no incidents, except for the shock and dumbfounded looks they both received from Preventer agents and employees as the two made their way to Une's office.
Heero knocked on the door as Relena waited patiently next to him, rubbing her eyes. She had insisted on staying up during their ride but ended up falling asleep halfway to their destination. She couldn't help it; the girl needed more rest, Heero noted.
"Come in," Une's voice said from inside. Heero opened the door and ushered Relena in.
Une had a relieved look on her face. "Heero Yuy, you always seem to be in the right place at the right time."
Heero shook his head. "I received a tip about Relena's kidnapping yesterday," he said in a dangerously low tone. "I tried tracing it, but nothing came up."
Une wasted no time to get down to business. "Do you think it's connected to everything else that's been going on here?"
"I won't be surprised," said Heero.
Relena noticed the bags under Une's eyes. "Miss Une, you look like you need some rest."
Une gave her a smile. "I stayed here last night. Preventers had to issue a lockdown; one of my agents died of a heart attack."
Relena gasped and whipped her head to look at Heero, whose eyes narrowed dangerously. "Heart attack?"
"Let's move to the conference room. I'm expecting more people for our meeting," said Une as she directed Heero and Relena to the room across her office.
"Please, take a seat," Une waved at a group of seats across the room. "Wufei and Sally will be here shortly. I also requested for Duo to join us as well."
Commander Une observed quietly as Heero gently placed a hand on Relena's back as he led her to a seat. Heero, in turn, decided to take a standing position behind Relena's chair. Une hid a smile.
A knock on the door permeated the silence of the room. Sally entered, followed by Wufei who handed Une two sets of folders. "They arrived earlier than expected," said Wufei.
Une's hands gripped the folders tightly and gave a curt nod to the group. "I will be back momentarily," she said and headed to her office, closing the door behind her.
Sally approached Heero and Relena, a smile on her face. "You two look good," she told them. "Although you might want to get that checked, Miss Relena," stated Sally as she motioned at the gauze on Relena's forehead.
Wufei joined them at the table. "Heero, Miss Darlian," Wufei said in greeting.
"Wufei," greeted Heero.
Someone cleared his throat loudly. All occupants of the room turned their heads to the source and found a grinning Duo, an observant Trowa, and a smiling Quatre at the door.
Duo put his hands on his hips, his bright countenance easing the tension in the room. "Well, this IS a reunion."
Quatre and Trowa exchanged brief greetings with Sally and Wufei. Duo, meanwhile, skipped his way to the table, his braid swinging back and forth and took the seat across a smiling Relena and a poker-faced Heero.
Duo's grin widened. "Nice to see ya, buddy. Nobody told me you were invited to the party."
"Not originally," Wufei said. "There was an attempted kidnapping on Miss Darlian."
"Wait, WHAT?" exclaimed Duo and Quatre simultaneously. Trowa remained silent as he took a position near the door, his tall frame casually leaning against the wall, but his intense eyes gazed at Relena and Heero.
Relena sighed, exhausted and stressed. "It just happened yesterday, Duo. Agent Greene and I were at a gas station when were attacked. If it weren't for Heero, the kidnappers would have succeeded."
All eyes now turned to Heero. "Anonymous tip. No trace of the sender," said Heero.
His comrades looked surprised. "That's a first," muttered Wufei.
Heero's jaw muscles tightened. "I'm going to continue tracking it, once this meeting is over and Relena is safely escorted home."
"You informed me last night that Agent Greene must be put in custody," stated Wufei.
"Uh, WHAT?" said Duo, a confused look on his face.
An equally confused Quatre looked at Wufei then at Heero. "Agent Greenee?"
"I don't understand…" muttered Relena, looking up questioningly at Heero.
"It was an unscheduled stop. Preventers-issued vehicles are always at full tank before they are used," explained Heero. "He didn't notify Preventers HQ of the change in route."
Relena couldn't believe what she was hearing. As much as she trusted Heero, she never saw Agent Greene as someone who would betray her. He was often in her security detail in many of her travels as Vice Foreign Minister and as Chief of the AH Project.
"But, Heero…" she started, but Heero placed a hand on her shoulder, silently asking her to listen to him.
"He let one of the kidnappers get away," added Heero.
"Heero, Agent Greene was hurt fighting him!"
"No, it was a ruse," he said firmly. "The moment I arrived, you were already being dragged by the second kidnapper. As soon as I took out the man holding you, Greene and his would-be attacker already made a run for it."
"I did hear someone yell 'run,' but I wasn't sure who it was…" Relena trailed off.
"Greene getting attacked was to distract you, Relena," said Heero.
"So she wouldn't notice the other kidnapper," Duo piped in.
"Yes."
Wufei crossed his arms, incredulous. "You didn't chase after them though."
Before Heero could answer, a perceptive Quatre responded for him. "Wufei, Heero couldn't have just left Miss Relena by herself."
Wufei stiffened, feeling embarrassed. Of course, Heero would give chase, if the circumstances were different and he didn't have to worry about Relena. He cleared his throat. "Do you remember what the other attacker looked like?" asked Wufei.
Heero nodded "Male. Possibly twenty years of age. Red hair, gray eyes, and-"
"A small scar on his lip?" interrupted Trowa.
Everybody's eyes were on him instantly. "You know him?" inquired Heero.
Trowa pushed himself away from the wall and approached the group. "A would-be server tried to poison Quatre this morning. He had the same features that Heero provided."
"That's why you and Quatre are here," said Heero. "Did you collect any evidence?"
"The vial that contained the poison is in the lab right now," added Quatre.
"So the same man who tried to poison Quatre is possibly the same man that tried to kidnap Relena?" Duo asked for clarification.
Heero nodded. "Most likely, yes."
A new voice spoke in the room. "We weren't informed about Miss Relena's kidnapping." Standing by the entrance were Noin and Zechs, both wearing surprised expressions on their faces.
"If I knew this was gonna be a reunion party, I should have brought Hilde!" joked Duo.
Une reemerged from her office, holding the folders Wufei handed to her. There was a somber look on her face. "Good, you're all here. We have much to discuss," she said. However, Une became silent and stared at the folders she was holding.
"How bad is it?" asked Sally, pulling Une from her reverie.
"Our worst fears have come been confirmed." Une inhaled and exhaled slowly. "The deaths were premeditated murders."
A/N: I've been looking forward to writing this chapter because of the "reunion," as Duo aptly put it. Also, I don't think the show ever gave information where Preventers HQ is, so for this story, I decided that it will be located in Brussels, since the Presidential Palace (Endless Waltz) was located here.
Additionally, since Brussels is a major location for international politics, I've taken the liberty to use this as one of the focal settings of this story. That means the ESUN office building and Relena's residence will also be located here.
Thank you very much for all the reviews, likes, and alerts. It means so much to me knowing that this story has piqued the interest of awesome people like you :)
Yours truly, HG
Edited: 2/11/18