Author's note: Hey there! Here's the next chappie. And of course, before we begin, just wanted to say again, a BIG BIG thank you to all my readers.
FTS-Peace: I believe the next few chapters will continue to be intense since we're working up to the final meeting! I am sooo looking forward to that chapter too. Just hope it won't be a letdown when I start writing it.
Ragingwing004: Hello, nice to hear from you. Do hope I can keep updating quickly these few days. Heh, I actually feel sorry for Seiran. I am doing such terrible things to him in this fanfic. And for Rau, I haven't quite got there yet, but I'm pretty sure that there will be a suitable ending for him. :)
hardcoreGSfan: Thanks so much for commenting on the OOCness of the characters. You've set my mind at ease with your comment. I was getting a worried about that. Hopefully, when the dust settles, all the characters will resume most of their 'normal' personality. I feel sad that kira can't be gentle and all as an assassin :(.
Seiba Artoria: I am hoping that I can churn out more chapters these few days. Since it's so exciting and intense, it's difficult to pause for a while and get back to the intensity, so I'm going to keep the writing up! Heh, you might hate me because of the cliffhanger at the end of this chappie, but I assure you that the next chapter will show what Kira will do about Lacus!
animedoshia: Don't hate me because of the cliffhanger at the end of this chappie! I'm working on the Kira and Lacus scene, so it'll be coming in next chapter!
PinkSugar Dust: I'm glad the characters aren't too OOC. I was getting worried about that! So thank you for the reassurance. Meanwhile, the reunion between Kira and Athrun should be coming up soon!
AAA: Yup, things are indeed getting messy! And they can only get messier! :D
Chapter 49:
Athrun glared at the pulsing red digits at the top of the elevator and willed the lift to go faster. Finally, it glided to a smooth halt on the sixteenth floor. The doors had barely parted when he barreled through them and lunged through the empty department, heading straight for the conference room. Behind him, he heard Cagalli's anxious footfall as she scrambled to catch up with him. "Athrun, hang on-" she called out but he ignored her.
The door of the conference room banged open and rattled dangerously in its wooden frame. Half a dozen faces spun round and stared at him, but Athrun only had eyes for one person. And he found that person standing at the head of the conference table. Yuna Roma Seiran's eyes were staring at him so wide that they were bulging out of his head, and Athrun would have liked to punch them back in. The purple-haired detective was frozen in place, right hand poised in midair in an attempt to hand a file to Meyrin. Athrun rounded the table in purposeful strides, glancing at the file as he passed with furious emerald eyes.
The words "Approval for Team Withdrawal" screamed back at him from the white sheet of paper tucked neatly into the file.
Goddamn it, the fucking asshole was serious about it. When Athrun had first heard the news from Dearka on the way to DEX enterprises, he had thought Seiran was joking. But then, he had thought twice, and figured that Seiran was indeed capable of such foolishness. He had jammed to a halt right in the middle of the highway and spun his wheel, sending the convertible into a wide u-turn, and took off in the opposite direction at a breakneck speed, which had Cagalli thrown back into her seat, gripping her seatbelt for dear life.
Now, standing in front of Seiran, he wanted nothing more than to throttle the man. "Are you out of your mind?" He bellowed into Seiran's face. "You're conceding to the kidnapper's demands? That's insane. That's stupid. You can't withdraw the team from the safehouse!"
Seiran snapped back to his senses and plastered a nasty scowl across his face. "And what law says I can't do that?" He rebutted, "We're close to nabbing these criminals. It's a perfect plan. We'll fool them into thinking that we've withdrawn, but in fact we're taking the serum with us. When those idiots turn up at the house, they'll find nothing, and we'll turn back and round them all up like sheep, then force them to tell us where Lacus Clyne is hidden."
Athrun threw his hands up in despair. "These people don't play by the rules. You think they will fall for this foolish trick and then return Lacus to us in one piece?"
"I know what I'm doing!" Seiran retorted. He tossed the file he had been holding carelessly in Meyrin's direction and pointed a finger at her, "Do as I said and send out the orders to the men." Then without a backward glance, he turned on his heel and headed for the door.
But he didn't make it to the exit because his collar was seized in two rough hands and he was slammed into the wall. "Listen to me, you asshole," Athrun snarled, his face pushed up to Seiran's. "You don't know what you're dealing with. You're putting Lacus in danger. Once these people get their hands on the real serum, they'll have no qualms about killing her." He glowered down at Seiran, emerald eyes seething with fury, fists full of the man's jacket, trembling from the effort not to sink his fist into the arrogant bastard's face.
Alarmed by the white-hot anger he saw in those eyes, Seiran tried to shove him back but Athrun clung on. "Let go, you bastard," Seiran demanded, struggling to free himself from the vice-like grip. There was a hint of fear in his voice and Athrun relished it with a certain degree of delight. "I said get off!" Seiran spat, his voice taking on a desperate pitch. Athrun caught the detective glancing frantically over his shoulder, no doubt looking for assistance but no one in the conference room appeared to be concerned that their new chief was plastered against the wall.
"Will someone explain to me what is going on here?"
Athrun whirled around and stared into the stern eyes of Assistant Commissioner Ramius.
Murrue was standing in the doorway, a hand poised over the doorknob. "Anyone wants to tell me how the conference room became a boxing ring?" She repeated, expression hardening at the sight of the two agents locked in combat. "Detective Zala?" She raised her eyebrows questioningly, "Do you want to give me a valid explanation?"
Athrun didn't reply. He merely released his hold on his victim, giving the man one last hard shove back into the wall and backed away from Seiran, who straightened up and made a show of dusting his jacket.
"Are you alright, Detective Seiran?" Murrue tilted her head in his direction. Her voice was ice-cold and sarcastic.
Seiran adjusted his tie and gave her a sweet smile, "Yes, Ma'am. I'm absolutely fine." Athrun shot him a look of pure hatred. He would do anything to wipe the smirk off Seiran's face.
"Okay," Murrue nodded. "I want to see you in my office, Detective Seiran." Then she gave Athrun a long hard look and turned away, disappearing down the corridor.
"Well, well, well," Seiran sighed. He shook his head and stepped towards the door, giving Athrun a rough shove in the shoulder as he passed. He paused in the doorway and glanced behind him, his lips curling cruelly. "You were nearly in trouble again, Zala," he tsked. He cast Athrun a look of pity and shook his head again. "If I were you, I would keep my head down and mind my own business. Don't you have other cases on hand?" Then his eyes widened and he gave a loud exaggerated laugh, "Oh right! How forgetful of me! You don't have any cases on hand, do you, Zala?" A malicious grin twisted his mouth. "I nearly forgot that you've been suspended! There goes your promotion, Athrun, your career has effectively come to a standstill. Oh, and so what if I put your dear Lacus in danger, what are you gonna do? Was that your worst, Athrun Zala? I'm wai-"
Yuna Roma Seiran never finished his sentence because he fell to the ground, blood spilling from his broken nose. "You crazy bastard," he howled, trying to staunch the flow of blood with his hands. He scrambled backwards frantically as Athrun started towards him, fists cocked. His expression was murderous and his emerald eyes flashed with malice and fury. His advance was blocked by Nicol who insinuated himself between them. "Don't do it, Athrun," Nicol shook his head, placing a restraining hand on his chest. Athrun ignored him but an arm was thrown around his torso, pulling him back. "Don't make things worse than they already are," Dearka whispered harshly in his ear. "Seiran's not worth it." Turning to the fallen agent, Dearka barked out quickly, "Shouldn't you get a move on to AC Ramius' office, Detective Seiran?"
Seiran scrambled to his feet, hands still cradling his broken nose. "You bastard," he hissed, "I'll get back for this. If you've got guts, Zala, you'll stay here while I get AC Ramius. She'll fix you. She'll make sure you leave the Special Unit permanently and I'm going to the Commissioner too. My uncle will end your career effectively. You can forget about being a detective ever again. In fact, you can expect to hear from my lawyer. I'm pretty sure you'll get a couple of months in jail at least, for assaulting the nephew of the Police Commissioner." He scrambled to his feet and bolted out of the conference room as Athrun broke free from Nicol and Dearka's grasp, snatching the file out of Meyrin's hands as he fled.
Shinn and Dearka caught Athrun before he could make it out of the conference room after Seiran. "Let go of me!" Athrun snarled, but Lunamaria just shut the door with a loud, decisive click, and Athrun sagged back against his teammates, feeling, suddenly, all out of strength.
"You need to get out of here, Boss," Dearka said, "before the Commissioner gets here."
Athrun wrestled out of his grasp. "Lacus is in danger. If you think I'm going to sit back and let Seiran do what he wants, you can forget it."
"But you can't stay here either, Chief. Seiran's not making empty threats. If you want to save Lacus, you need to get out of here and stay out of jail. So let us handle things in the department," Nicol paused, then added thoughtfully, "Meanwhile, it might be better if you do some damage control under the radar."
Athrun stared at him. Then at the rest of his team. Heads were bobbing subconsciously, grim and resigned expressions looking back at him. He knew what Nicol was suggesting but he couldn't quite believe that the rest of his team would support his proposition. Working under the radar meant doing things that police officers could not because of red tape, or bureaucracy, or assholes like Seiran. It meant completely turning his back on all of police protocol – like picking the lock of someone's apartment and entering without a search warrant. Athrun had done it, but he hadn't told anyone in the team, because he didn't want to get them into trouble. But now, he was surprised to see them encouraging him to break the rules.
Nicol turned to Cagalli, who was shifting from one foot to another, looking a little uneasy at the conflict. "We're depending on you to get the chief out of here."
Cagalli nodded. Stepping forward, she snagged Athrun's wrist, and pulled the blue-haired detective after her, stepping briskly through the empty floor and heading straight for the lift. Athrun followed reluctantly, hanging behind, still absorbed in the perplexing turn of events. "You'll keep me in the loop?" He turned around and called out to the rest of his team, who were crowded in the doorway of the conference room, watching.
"Yes, sir," Nicol smiled. Then as the lift doors pinged open and Cagalli bundled Athrun into the steel cage without a second glance, added quietly so that only the rest of the team could hear, "Good luck, Chief."
Kira stared down at the map that was sprawled out across the desk, but he was barely registering it. In his mind's eye, he could still see the familiar scrawl emblazed across the sheet of white card, as if it were written in scarlet-red blood.
Get rid of all the evidence before Athrun Zala gets there, and that includes eliminating Lacus Clyne.
He crossed his arms over his chest and felt the weight of the gun in his inner jacket pocket pressing against his chest, like a lead weight suffocating him. He imagined putting the cold metal barrel against the back of Lacus Clyne's head, watching as the mess of pale pink strands wove over the gun barrel, then become stained with warm, red blood. He would then have Sting and Auel put her in the trunk of the blue sedan and drive her to the cliff at the outskirts of town, where they would toss her limp body off the rocky edge. She would fall like a weightless rag doll, pink hair streaming out, limbs flailing lifelessly until she hit the sharp rocks that jutted out of the churning, bubbling rush of waves. Many of Rau's targeted victims had gone down the edge of the cliff like that, and Kira had arranged for most of them. That part of the ocean had the fastest whirling waves, which eliminated all traces of evidence that might have been left behind, as well as all traces of the victims' existence.
Since Rau desired it, Lacus Clyne would soon be one of them.
When Kira unfolded his arms, he realized that he had cut shallow, crescent-like marks into the skin of his upper arms, the part between elbow and shoulder, with his own fingernails. He cursed, more from annoyance and restlessness than pain, and unrolled his jacket sleeves to his elbows.
He pulled the white cardstock from his jacket pocket and stared at it again. For a while, he hoped that he had misread, or misunderstood Rau's instructions, but the same words stared back at him. And he recalled the man's message: "He knows that Athrun Zala's been to your apartment."
Kira wasn't surprised. Rau knew everything; he was omniscient. His spies were everywhere, serving as his eyes. Kira knew his own apartment had to be rigged somehow. Pinhole cameras, hidden transmitters. Heck, he was pretty sure that the housekeeper that came round to clean up his house was a spy. After all, if you were Rau's agent, you were never alone. Not for a single second. So Rau knew that Athrun Zala had uncovered another one of his dirty secrets, latching on fast and quick to any clue tossed his way. Because of that, the detective had slipped into Rau's radar. Yet, Rau hadn't shown any intentions to get rid of Athrun – his instructions thus far, hadn't asked for Athrun's destruction. Which could only mean that Rau was interested - amused even - by the detective.
Kira knew Athrun Zala was the kind of man that delighted Rau Le Creuset.
But even then, Rau Le Creuset was not a man to be trifled with. When someone pissed him off, he didn't just let it go. He punished all who dared to oppose him, even if it meant the whole world. So killing Lacus was only the first of Athrun Zala's punishments. To destroy the very thing he was looking for, and render his entire quest hollow and purposeless. It was Rau's warning to Athrun Zala, a warning that he couldn't win. His crime? Poking his meddlesome little detective nose into places he shouldn't have.
For a second, Kira wondered if this was Rau's warning to himself too. There had been no reproach for his mistake, for having revealed his name to someone else. But Kira had no doubt that Rau was aware of it. If Rau knew that it was to Lacus Clyne that he had revealed his name, then asking him to kill Lacus was a warning and a test. If Rau didn't know, then his punishment would just come later.
Kira was stunned out of his thoughts by the creaking of the door's hinges. He turned around to face the intruder, slipping the white cardstock back into his pocket in a subtle move. Stellar was in the doorway, a hand resting on the doorknob, watching him through wide eyes. "I'm sorry for the disturbance," she murmured, "I know you wanted some privacy. It's just that… it's 8 a.m. We were wondering if you've got instructions for us." She lapsed back into an uncomfortable silence.
He broke the eye contact between them and turned back to the map of the city. There, in the left-most corner, was an oval drawn in blood-red ink, encircling a rectangle that was shaded in grey. The safehouse. Sting had tracked the call from Seiran's phone to Yzak Joule's cell, and found the signal pulsing in the outskirts of the city, in what appeared to be a private property in the midst of a forested area. Seiran's call had ended in less than a minute, but the duration wasn't important. All they needed was a trigger, which Seiran provided the moment he hit the 'call' button with Yzak Joule's number. Things had been smooth-sailing from then on. Kira checked his watch; it was as Stellar had said. Things were going to wrap up in less than four hours. But first, he needed to follow Rau's orders.
He turned back to Stellar. "Pack up. We'll move out in an hour's time." He rolled up the map and handed it to Stellar on his way out of the room.
"Where're you going?"
"I've got some stuff to finish up," he tossed back over his shoulder without a second glance. He passed through the fourth level of the warehouse, headed for the cluster of computers and devices, and blanked the screen that showed the security footage of Lacus Clyne. Then he headed for the lift, and waited for the lift doors to grate to a close behind him before donning his mask and dragging a balaclava across the bottom-half of his face. The lift was made of stainless steel and he could see his own distorted image reflected off the metal all around. The reflection of a murderer.
Slipping his hand into his inner jacket pocket, he retrieved his gun and flicked the safety off. And felt the lift continue its persistent descent towards the basement, like falling down into the fire pits of Hell, into a fate that neither he, Lacus Clyne nor Athrun Zala could escape from.
Author's note: Cliffhanger! Okay, some people are going to start hating me now, but I'm working on the next chapter, so it should be up and running real soon! Bear with me, guys! In the meantime, of course, it's like I always say, don't forget to review, review, review! Tell me what do you think Kira is going to do to Lacus…? *smiles innocently*