The loud ringtone of his cellphone woke him up hours later. Blearily, Heero blinked and felt something poking in his cheek, a strange feeling that he couldn't identify - until he lifted his head, and he almost took his laptop with him. He'd fallen asleep on top of the keyboard; growling in annoyance, Heero grabbed his phone and barked "Yes! Who is it?"
"Good morning to you too, Lowe," Heero heard a calm, composed voice on the other side. He had no difficulties identifying him.
"Barton," he said. Why would Quatre's… whatever he was, call him? A little friendlier, Heero asked: "What can I do for you?"
"We were wondering if you already had finished your business here on Earth," Trowa said. "Quatre has a tight schedule, and we can offer you a ride back to the colonies."
"How much time do I have?"
"We want to leave at 1 p.m. sharp."
Heero quickly glanced at his watch. That would leave him a few hours; he could try to reach HQ again, or J. in particular. He had to try - he just couldn't leave like that. He noticed his hand was shaking. Reading his own obituary had caused him more shock and tension than he realized.
"Lowe? You're still there?"
"Yes, yes, of course," Heero hurried to answer. "I was just wondering if I could make it in time, but I don't think it's going to be a problem. So yes, thank you, I'll travel with you."
"Excellent. See you at the spaceport, then."
Heero said his goodbye before disconnecting the call. He sank onto his bed and buried his head into his hands. What more could he do? HQ was out of his reach, literally. Returning to the colonies seemed like a death sentence to him. What if he simply… disappeared? He had enough resources and skills to run and hide. He could retreat to Switzerland, start his life over, forget all about Heero Yuy and Odin Lowe…. he bit his lip. He already knew the answer. Gundams. War. He couldn't let it go, just because he was afraid. There had to be a solution, there had to be a way to stall long enough to get to the bottom of Operation Zero System.
He couldn't remember the last time he had stocked up in the kitchen, but most of the cabinets proved to be empty. He found a carton of eggs in the fridge, fortunately still fresh, and he made himself some scrambled eggs, along with a few slices of toast. After breakfast, he got dressed and attempted to comb his unruly hair; he was glad that the imprints of the keyboard weren't visible on his face anymore. Refreshed, fed and dressed, Heero got to work, trying to reach HQ once more. It was to no avail; calling every number in his book left him with dead lines, no answer, and every e-mail address got bounced. After hours of vain attempts, Heero didn't know what to do anymore. He had to consider HQ as enemy territory for now; without a way to contact them, and being declared dead, he knew one thing for sure: he couldn't count on any help from them.
It was time to leave for the spaceport. He packed his suitcase and laptop case and without looking back, left his apartment.
To his utmost pleasure - and surprise - Duo accompanied them on the trip back. Heero didn't bother to hide his enthusiasm to see Duo, and was greeted with a warm smile in return.
"I didn't know you were on Earth," he said to Duo when they boarded Quatre Winner's private space shuttle.
"I'm just hopping all over the galaxy," Duo grinned. "Maybe I should get a frequent flyer card or something like that."
"You're so funny. Where are the other two?"
"Oh, they'll be boarding soon. Last minute things, you know how it goes." He flopped down in a comfortable seat, stretching his legs. "One thing I got to hand to Quatre, he's got the best of the best. And having your own private space jet is one big advantage."
"I know, I hate low star economy class."
"So, what did you bring?"
"My laptop, some merchandise, clean clothes," Heero said airily. Duo had only brought a duffle bag on board.
"Yeah, sorry about that," Duo said. "You still have some stuff at the hotel, right? I can ask Nichol to retrieve it. Did you bring anything valuable?"
"It would be nice if he could take a look," Heero said at the same airily tone. He had the faint suspicion that Nichol had already paid a visit to the hotel to swipe everything that belonged to Heero. Well, he wished him good luck on getting the laptop case open. It would literally blow up in his face after a certain amount of botched attempts.
Duo nodded as if filing it mentally away and put his arms behind his head, reclining comfortably. Quatre and Trowa still weren't on board, so Heero took his chance.
"What about Winner and Barton?" He asked. "Are they always together?"
Duo's cheeky grin was an absolute adorable sight. "Why Odin, I don't know what you mean!"
"Aw, come on!"
"Well, if you twist the knife like that…" Duo dropped his voice. "I'm not exactly sure how they met, but they trust each other unconditionally. You can bet their bond is taken beyond the bedroom door, if you catch my drift."
"I certainly catch it," Heero deadpanned and Duo laughed.
"I didn't know you had this deliciously perverted streak! Why Odin, you keep surprising me."
I'd say anything to make you laugh, Heero thought to himself. He really started to hate his undercover name. He wanted Duo to speak his real name, to softly whisper it in his ear, to call him whenever he needed him…
"They're late." Duo checked his watch. "His schedule is so tight."
"He's a well-renowned business man," Heero said as he sat down next to Duo. Despite the leg room, their knees still touched. Duo didn't pull away. "He's running a big risk funding the Foundation. I thought he believed in Total Pacifism side?"
"I think everybody has abandoned the Total Pacifism side." Duo didn't look at Heero, but out the window, his smile wistful. "Even the Queen of the World knows by now that not everyone is waiting for peace, that not everyone wants peace. Fighting will always happen, and weapons will always be made. Action and reaction, and there's no way to counter it."
"Counter it… unless you start a war a war against Earth."
"Sometimes people are their own judge, jury and executioner, Odin. I don't know what Quatre's plans are, and I don't care to know. I'm just an orphan from L2 who steals things for money. I don't even know why Quatre wanted me to come along. All I want to do is return to L2."
Duo had mentioned it before, but it still felt like a sucker punch to Heero. He wanted to get to know Duo better so badly, and if he went back to that wretched colony, he was going to lose him forever.
"So what are you going to do when this is over?"
He almost missed Duo's question. Composed, he shrugged, slipping back into his Odin Lowe personality. "I go wherever the profits are to be made."
"True. You're a trader." It didn't sound sarcastic or bitter, but not too friendly either. "I guess Quatre was impressed by you. You should keep that fire warm, Odin buddy. He could provide you with a lot of work."
"Where do you know Quatre from anyway?"
"I tried to rob him." Duo laughed at the memory. "He was visiting L2 and I figured his gold Rolex would bring enough food for me and the little ones on the table for a month."
"Little ones?"
"You ask too much questions, Lowe." Duo's sudden curt reply was unexpected, and he moved a little to the side, away from Heero, tucking his hands under his head as if he was going to sleep. Conversation was over and not a second later, both Quatre and Trowa boarded the shuttle.
"My apologies for running late," Quatre said as he was buckling down. "I've asked to launch as soon as possible, as to make up for the lost time. Oh, and by the way, Odin, I hope you don't mind we pay a visit to L3 first. Business, you know."
"L3? But Khushrenada…"
"Treize knows about our schedules," Quatre interrupted him, a little flustered from all the hurrying he had to do. "I know fixing the conductors has the utmost priority, but it just so happens that I have to pay a visit to L3, and I want you to come along. We'll be back on L4 soon enough."
Heero wasn't about to protest; a visit to L3 bought him more time and he wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth. It stung him a little though that Quatre didn't elaborate on why he had wanted him to come along, just like Duo. He didn't bother to ask - Quatre's attention was focused on Trowa, and they continued to discuss business he couldn't overhear.
L3's security was tight. It didn't faze Heero in the least that their party was admitted without any kind of trouble. Money bought everything, especially on L3. Everything was for sale at this particular colony: fake papers, weapons, lives. There was no distinction between life, rank or skill; at L3 it was every man and woman for himself. Trowa's surname had a hint to it that he was tied to the Barton Foundation, which had its roots on L3. It implied that he might have been a mercenary, or still was - enough for Heero to suspect that he might be behind the assassination of Duke Dermail, but he had no solid proof.
The conflicting motives had Heero baffled. Quatre had said that Dermail had overstepped lines, but Khushrenada had called Quatre 'an investor for the cause'. Quatre Winner was financing the circuits and conductors, so he had to be actively contributing to an impending war. Why? For revenge? Would he sacrifice Earth and destroy billions of lives after what happened to his father Heero shook his head. He just couldn't figure it out.
"Something bothering you, buddy?" Duo sounded quite exuberant next to him, waiting for his duffle bag to arrive on the conveyor belt. The spaceport wasn't crowded or noisy.
"I've never been to L3 before," he quickly lied, "I'm just amazed. I heard all kinds of stories…"
Duo shrugged. "The government has officially banned the weapon trade, but they conveniently close an eye as long as they get a percentage of the profits. Everybody knows this, and everybody continues with the contraband and the 'trade'. The bribes keep the gears of the government lubricated, and the obsession with weapons continues to be fed. Your birthday present isn't a stuffed animal, but a weapon, and you better make sure it's the latest model."
"Nice. Cozy. No wonder everybody fears war with L3."
Duo shrugged again. "Even though they possess the greatest armaments and military force, that doesn't mean L3 is a fearful opponent." He left Heero to puzzle about his words while he went to a sandwich stand and ordered some food and drink.
When he returned, he gave Heero a turkey and rice sandwich and a bottle of mineral water. "Here you are."
"Thank you. Where are we going from here?"
"I'll get my information soon, and then I'll let you know." Duo enjoyed his sandwich with lettuce and roast beef, along with a soda drink. He wasn't perturbed to spend some time with Heero; as soon as they had left the space shuttle, they had split from Quatre and Trowa. Heero didn't spend time wondering where the others went, he didn't mind enjoying some time close to Duo at all.
Munching on their lunch, they waited for their luggage. Heero plucked Duo's duffle bag, along with his own luggage, from the conveyor belt and hauled it to the spaceport's exit. Duo called for a cab and gave the driver the address to an average, common hotel. Heero didn't care as long as it was clean; his room next to Duo's was small, with only a bed, a desk and a cupboard. He discovered an even smaller bathroom in the corner, assuming the door was another cupboard. Heero opened his suitcase and checked the hidden compartment for his gun. The Walther PPK .380 Auto was still in place, not being detected by the L3 customs; perhaps they hadn't even bothered to search the luggage belonging to Quatre Winner and his company.
His sharp ears picked up on the clicking noise of the door of his neighbor room opening and closing again. Tucking his weapon into his belt, Heero left his own hotel room soon after, trailing Duo. He was dressed in customary black with his long braid tucked under a black cap.
Duo blended into the masses with ease and Heero had a hard time following him. One moment, he even thought he had lost him - but he managed to track Duo down, to a restaurant with an "original Chinese garden."
Heero cursed himself mentally for not bringing his sunglasses with magnifying capabilities, and he regretted not having planted a transmitter on Duo. Now he was going to miss out on a very important conversation, as he had the feeling Duo wasn't visiting the establishment for some Chinese take-out. His only chance was the very same Chinese garden. He had no idea what a typical original Chinese garden entailed, but on L3 they thought it had to do something with waterfalls and large rose bushes; he would deal with all the thorns in his clothing and skin later. He crawled closer to a small pavilion, homing in on Duo's gregarious laughter.
He caught himself one good look before he had to get down, lest he be spotted. Chang Wufei and Duo were sitting in a pavilion, accompanied by that Po woman and… Hilde. Heero frowned. Hilde was supposed to be on L2, wasn't she? What was she doing here? And Wufei? The Foundation kept shuffling people around like chess pieces on a board. Romefeller turned out to be better organized than he anticipated, and it struck him that he still didn't know the exact positions of Wufei and Duo. They were probably low in ranks, considering the magnitude of this organization. Quatre seemed to be the big fish with his funding and connections, and Trowa the one with the hit and kill attitude. Heero kept quiet and concentrated.
"… factory…" Chang's voice, calm and composed as always.
"… can't believe… risk…!" Hilde's voice, high pitched.
"… trusts him… don't question…" Chang again. Sally Po and Duo didn't seem to participate in the conversation at the moment. A factory… a factory for rebuilding the Gundams?
Despite his efforts, he couldn't catch more. A waitress arrived, judging from the sounds, and served everyone tea. Hilde exclaimed her love for ylang ylang, and the factory wasn't mentioned again. His hiding place was precarious; if one of them was leaving the pavilion, he could be spotted. Heero decided to blow it off and made his way back, out of the garden. Plucking at all the tiny thorns and scratching at his arms, he mingled with the public. Nobody paid any attention to him; everybody was minding their own business. L3 was an enigma on its own; the colonists didn't care about war in general, but on the other hand, they lived on the anticipation of another war. L3 was the only colony in the whole solar system to thrive and feel alive when the population was at war. The whole society reflected that strange, deep-rooted life of fighting and violence; gang wars were more rule than exception.
It was no wonder L3 had the highest illegal arms trafficking, the lowest survival rate and the highest death rate. The colonists were numb to the horrible implications of their society; Heero remembered how Relena cried when she was told about this. She was shaken to tears at the thought that infants were carrying guns and the choice of gang determined the amount of years you were going to live. Heero had felt sorry for Relena; to him, this was just an aspect of his work. But now that he was on L3 himself, without any contact, without any back-up, in the middle of a dangerous operation with the sword of Damocles hanging over his head, he also felt sorry for himself.
He made it safely back to the hotel and order a sober meal. He waited for Duo to come back, but when the hour reached midnight, he gave up and went to bed. The thought that Duo was spending all his time with Hilde made him incredibly jealous, and he hated himself for it.
"Sleep well?"
Duo's smile was geared towards the huge stack of pancakes at the breakfast buffet. Heero shrugged.
"I should've brought earplugs to shut out the police sirens."
Duo laughed. "I forgot, you never visited L3 before, right? Well, I'll let you in on a secret. Do you know why so many people want to work for the police? You'd think no one want to enforce the law on a colony like L3, don't you?"
"I don't know, why?" Heero was genuinely curious.
Duo came close to him, hands half covering his mouth as not to be overheard. "Every time a crime gets reported, the police make money of it. They go to the place of the reported crime, cash in from the party who offers the most and then arrest the other party who couldn't bribe their way out."
"That's terrible!" Heero was shocked. Relena would be even more appalled if she knew about this. "That's not fair!"
Duo laughed out loud. "Odin, L3 scrapped 'fair' out of their vocabulary years and years ago. Now, eat up your French toast, we have to be at Quatre's in another hour or so."
Besides the pancakes, French toast and coffee, the hotel didn't offer more breakfast services, so they finished up and went on their way to meet Quatre. Duo didn't call for a cab, and Heero leisurely walked along Duo.
"How can you accept all of this and still be optimistic?"
"What do you want me to do, wallow in misery and pity? Are you sure you're a colony boy, Odin? Growing up on L2 taught me quite a few things."
"I mostly grew up on Earth, that's right," Heero admitted, "but my adoptive father never failed to remind me that I was born on L1."
"L1 isn't too bad," Duo mused. "They comply with the ESUN, very carefully and very tactfully. They're afraid their funding and economy privileges are going to be cut off if they step just a little bit out of line. There are worse places to be born."
"True." Heero tried to gauge Duo's reaction, but he had a stoic, calm mask firmly in place. He had seen Duo angry, joyous, enthusiastic, bitter, sarcastic… there were so many sides to him that he couldn't figure out who Duo really was.
"We're here."
Heero looked around. They were standing at a corner of a particular busy intersection and he scratched at the back of his head. What were they supposed to do, cross the street? Just as he was about to ask, a limousine arrived. He whistled.
"One advantages of being associated with Quatre," Duo said as he watched the luxurious car rolling to a halt, right in front of him. A burly, tan man with dark sideburns stepped out and scrutinized Duo and Heero.
"Mister Maxwell, Mister Lowe, please get in the car." His voice rumbled like an avalanche.
"Nice to see you too, Rashid," Duo answered sickly sweet, before he got in. Heero seated himself next to him. The limousine's engine was nearly silent; Heero marveled at the speed of the city passing by, until they were out of the populated zone and into the open, vast landscape of the colony. After forty minutes, the limousine pulled up at a mansion and servants hurried to open the door. Their movements were quick yet graceful, and they bowed to the visitors. One servant gestured at the stairs, leading up to the huge doors; Heero noticed from Duo's ease and confidence that he'd been here before.
As soon as they entered the mansion, a servant searched them for weapons. Heero was stripped of his Walther PPK. To his surprise, Duo didn't carry a fire weapon; the servant took a garrote and some nasty looking knives from him, with the comment that he had expected Duo to carry more. Duo just laughed in return and told the man, who he called Auda, to take care of the knives, because he would count them when he got them back.
"Master Winner is this way," Auda said, bowed and led them to a large room. Heero was relieved to see Quatre had quite a different taste than the pompous Victorian style of the Romefeller Foundation. His taste was definitely more exotic, Middle-Eastern to African; the colorful carpets, the wooden statues and masks, the sparse furniture in the room was definitely of high quality, all collected in good taste. Quatre rose from his chair, sitting behind an impressive cherry wood desk and welcomed them as if they were long lost friends.
"Odin, Duo! Come on in. Did you have breakfast yet?"
"Hardly," Duo put up doe eyes, "A few pancakes, and no more! I'd kill for something to eat!"
It took Quatre only a snap with his fingers to call for two servants, wheeling a huge cart with covered trays into the room. Heero was delighted to see an array of food when the trays were uncovered, and happily joined Duo for second breakfast. Quatre was beaming at them.
"This is my summer house," he told Heero. "Or rather, my retreat. I own several houses on the colonies and on Earth."
"Must be great being so rich," Heero mumbled, half his mouth full.
"The fruits of very hard work," Quatre said. He didn't show any sign of being insulted. "My father and my father's father worked themselves to death to get the resource satellites up and running. Yes, I'm picking the fruits of their hard labor, benefiting from everything they established, but don't be mistaken; I can't sit back and relax. I need to work hard too, to maintain my network and be faithful to my principles. I have to work hard to keep this maintained, for future generations."
Heero nodded and took a sideway glance at Duo, who was eating rather silently. He had a cup of coffee in his hands and seemed far away with his thoughts.
"Duo, how does it taste?" Quatre asked.
"Wonderful as always," Duo answered, eyes narrowing. Why would he react to hostile on such an innocent question? Heero finished his roll of bread. He'd thought Trowa Barton to be the enigma of the bunch, but it was proven again and again that the longer he knew Duo Maxwell, the less he actually knew of him. The silence was broken by Trowa himself, sauntering into the room.
"I hope you've come prepared," Quatre said while finishing a cup of tea, "because I've got everything set up for our visit to the factory."
Heero almost choked, but managed to make it sound like a polite cough.
"A factory?"
"I have never claimed to be on the good side or on the winning side, Mister Lowe. Perhaps a visit to the factory will help you determine where you stand."
Heero felt cornered. Everyone in the room was looking at him. Alarm bells went off in his head. "Why all this trouble for a simple trader like me?"
"Drop the act," Duo said.
"What?" Heero turned to look at him. There was no anger or threat on the other's face. "What do you mean?"
"Drop the act," Duo repeated. "Don't make me say it for the third time."
"We know who you are, Heero Yuy," Quatre said. "You've come quite recommended in our circles, if I might say so. Too bad all our sources keep stressing the fact that you can't be bought - that there's nothing that can make you to come over our side."
Chapter 7 | Chapter 9