Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Fallen Angels, Broken Hearts ❯ Ch 6 ( Chapter 6 )
[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]
By: dark_liandrin 
Anime/Manga: Gundam Wing Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Adventure / Action / Romance / Suspense / Angst / Drama | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 07.10.2006 | Pages: 2 | Words: 3.7K | Visits: 145 | Status: Work In Progress
Anime/Manga: Gundam Wing Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Adventure / Action / Romance / Suspense / Angst / Drama | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 07.10.2006 | Pages: 2 | Words: 3.7K | Visits: 145 | Status: Work In Progress
As he searched Quatre's files he came across an interesting hospital record. He picked up the phone and dialed Lou.
"Hey, sis, I just found something. Seems earlier today Quatre's physicians released a patient against their medical advice. They were scheduled to have surgery. Who is the only person besides Heero we know to leave when they need surgery? And they're immune to anesthetics. Li is the only one completely immune. Lou, he had her, and just let her go." Duo shook his head, disappointed in his friend.
Lou's hand tightened on her cell phone, her face paling. She wasn't going to believe it.
Until now.
She motioned Heero over and had Duo repeat all he just said to his friend. Heero's eyes clicked darker, like notches in a headboard. Slowly turning rustic black.
A set of dark emerald and fire black Prussian eyes turned to aquamarine. Everyone heard Quatre's gulp.
"Care to explain this, Quatre?" Lou said icily, motioning to the phone. "Don't worry, we'll listen." The tone of her voice said she was not going to be very understanding on this one.
Quatre glanced at the others for even a small sign of support. They gave him steady glares that said he would not be receiving it until he did some quick talking.
"Okay, well, where do I begin?" His voice almost cracked.
Lou chuckled, "How about the start Mr. Winner, since that is a normal beginning. But wait, do you know the start? Would it be the first communication with Li or when you had her for the past day and didn't tell us. Lied to us, hm?"
Quatre held her gaze, hard and cold. "Li needed help. She only contacted me yesterday. She asked me to tell no one. She meant it. I helped her, and I let her go."
"That’s it? She called, you went like a good little puppy, and then you let her go. Doesn't the story normally go the puppy follows its master heel to nose?"
Quatre recoiled at the tone her voice took on. This had never been directed toward him. "N-no. I am n-not a pu-puppy for her."
Lou stood and rolled her eyes, her voice raising. "No, we just lose one of our inner circle for four long years and when she reappears on the radar you lie about it and tell nobody. Not even the lost little sister who is pregnant and depressed or the hurt ex-boyfriend who is still aching now, all because she called you Winner. She called you instead of any of the rest of us? Why? Because you are easily manipulated." Her eyes teared and shook, "For someone so large in business, manipulation is a sin and a shame. You couldn't even tell us. Why?" Her voice and stance demanded answers.
"Lou, calm down and please just listen. She called me not because she thought me easily manipulated but because she was hurt and I was the first person she thought of who could pick her up and hide her till she recovered. I honestly think the reason she didn't call anyone else was because she didn't want to bother you, weird as it may sound." Quatre's voice took on a pleading tone, "She would have stayed longer, Lou, I know she would have, but when you called she realized you guys were coming and she panicked and left. I think she didn't feel like facing everyone like this. I don't know. I do know that it is my fault she left because she knew she had got me into trouble and, Li being Li, didn't want to cause more. I'm not saying what I did was right, I didn't have time to think, I just acted. I'm sorry. I just knew that a friend was in trouble and needed me, and she trusted me to listen to what she wanted."
The shimmer splashed down olive toned cheeks. "You listened to one. One versus seven others. Just like that." She snapped her fingers. "And you know where she went. You tracked her, but she isn't anymore or you wouldn't be here pleading. You would be doing something. Something besides sitting here."
Her cold eyes still stared at him, "Next time, when you don’t want something found like this, remember to do the basics. Like clear your files. It is pathetic that Duo could still get into a fellow pilots files and gives us leeway this easily."
All said she walked out of the room, leaving Quatre behind with Heero, Trowa, and Wufei.
Quatre sighed, defeated, and hung his head. Nothing was going right today. What in the world had she expected him to do? He had been confused, and she knew it. He hoped she'd forgive him, but something in him told him it would be a while before she let this one go.
He sighed again, knowing there was more to come. He straightened and raised his gaze to meet the eyes of the others. "Your turn."
Trowa shrugged, leaning back. "You were honorable."
Wufei half nodded, "You should have known to tell us Winner, that is how is has always been. Somehow."
Heero growled, reverting back to almost no speech. "Honor my ass." He walked out to Quatre's security room, his normal bunk, to figure out the next step.
Quatre sighed and returned his eyes to the ground, "I really did this one in."
Trowa shook his head slowly, "They only see one side. Theirs. You saw both, and picked the most needy."
Quatre looked up and met Trowa's gaze. he gave a weak smile. "I appreciate you saying that Trowa. Thanks."
Trowa glanced over to the door, where Heero had just left. "Don't mind him, he has a one track mind when it comes to this. You know what I mean."
Wufei snorted in disgust, "Don't even start. It sickens me to see him pining over her like this. If he loves her so much then why'd he break up with her in the first place? it's stupid. it's obvious even Li is sensible enough to realize it's over, recover, and get on with her life. He should stop being an idiot and get over it."
Quatre and Trowa winced at Wufei's brutal lack of mercy.
"That is..." Quatre shrugged, "I will go get us something to drink. I am sorry we had to get together again under these circumstances."
He hurried left the room, brushing at his eyes. When he entered the kitchen he stopped short. Lou was sitting at the table with a cup of tea and a distant look on her face.
"Now now, I don't bite hard. Overreacted a bit." She shrugged without losing the distant quality. "Quatre, why would she feel safer with you than with someone like Heero? Or even Wufei? Why would she appear then disappear without leaving Ryo something?"
Quatre moving smoothly around his cooking area. "We can analyze all day, but it comes down to one thing. She thinks she is protecting us, much like I was her earlier."
Lou's eyes flashed with hurting humor, "I hate it when you turn logic against me. Can't you just let me be angry?"
"No." He shook his head in reaffirmation, "When that happens you overreact and do things you wish you didn't later."
"Honestly would you want me or Heero doing that? Or Wufei?"
"Point noted."
"I am still very hurt and angry."
"And I have guests." Exiting the kitchen was not as smooth as entering. Returning to the parlor he found Heero talking on his phone to Duo, Wufei pacing, and Trowa simply sitting.
"What now?" Quatre sat down the tray of sodas and waited for someone to speak, again.
"Heero's discussing our next move with Duo. Even though he's with ryo, Duo at least wants to help from afar, so he'll be monitoring our progress." Trowa explained quietly. "But right now we know next to nothing. And Wufei seems to have worked himself into a bad mood about Heero, so I would stay away from him for right now if I were you.
"Heero, let me talk to Quatre," Duo said when Heero informed him Quatre had just entered the room.
Heero grudgingly held the phone out to Quatre.
"Hey, Quatre. I've got just a few questions for you."
"Duo I-"
"Where was Li when you lost track of her?"
"Tokyo." Quatre sighed.
"Was she doing okay? Like were her injuries holding her up at all?"
"She took out the two men following her quite easily." He listed to Duo type on the computer. "Anything else?"
"Yeah, don't let anyone call Ryo about this. I'm going to tell her myself, okay? I don't care why you did it, Quatre, all she wants to know is her sister is alive and for the most part well."
"I understand," Quatre said softly.
"Thanks bud. It means a lot to me. I'll call later if I learn anything else. Bye."
"Bye." He hung up. When Quatre turned to hand Heero back his phone Heero was still obviously unhappy with him, but at least he wasn't glaring outright at him anymore. Maybe he would forgive him someday soon.
Heero felt a rough hand grab him on the arm. It was Wufei.
"What?" He asked brusquely, not liking the look in Wufei's eyes.
"I need to talk to you, Yuy. In private. Now."
Wufei lead him out of the room and towards the unused conference room, walking in with the silent soldier behind him. Turning, the Chinese man watched him carefully before he spoke, a gentle harshness to his tone, "Whatever you do decide to solve in this little soap opera we've acquired, one thing you should have the honor to do is realize that you left her and she was taking care of herself, and now she is taking care of what is most important to her."
"Excuse me?" Heero's glare darkened.
"You sulking around like some high school girl because you found out she's capable of taking care of herself is pathetic."
"Hmph," The former pilot of Wing Zero grunted without much zeal.
"She's lived these last 4 years fine without you, and you need to realize she's obviously trying the best she can. You can't blame this on her, Yuy. If what's happening bothers you it's no one's fault but your own."
"What are you getting at?"
"I'm saying that you need to make a decision, a concrete choice. Either you stay here, just like you are, refusing to acknowledge the truth, and let her go her own way while you go yours, or you change. Who do you want most in your life? Kara? Or Li?" Wufei's tone was now more demanding, he needed the soldier to get the full point.
At Wufei's question Heero jerked his head up to meet his gaze, the expression on his face torn, "I . . ." His voice faded off.
"Exactly, Yuy. Until you figure out the answer to that question you have no right to act like Li should have thought of you, or to presume that you're the only one this is affecting. If you choose Li you had better be ready to admit that both of you were at fault, and you have to be willing to work with her. You've changed these past few years, Yuy, and doubtless so has she. If you want her to give you the time of day then you will have to face facts and handle this like a man, and set things straight. it's up to you. But until then, lay off Quatre, because right now he's no worse than you." Wufei disliked having to speak so bluntly with his friend, but Heero wasn't going to understand any other way. They needed to be able to work as a group, and leaving loose ends was only going to complicate things.
Heero glared, more at himself than Wufei, and gave a curt nod.
"Then we understand each other." Wufei spoke brokenly, like the words tore at some deep part of him momentarily, and then he walked out of the room, Heero on tail.
The two reentered the living room to find Lou sitting across the room from Quatre and Trowa, her laptop printing out sheets of information.
She glanced up at them, "We need to go to Tokyo."
"Tokyo?" Heero sounded confused, "Why?"
"It's where Quatre lost track of Li."
"But she's obviously long gone by now."
Lou sighed, "Maybe, but at the moment it's the only lead we have."
Li leaned back in her seat on the transport, relishing a moment of quiet after the last few days jumbled activity. They were scheduled to reach the colony in an hour. After that it would be a quick jaunt to Heero's, a few minutes to hack his lock and borrow his things, and she would be off once more. She'd taken a little time before she left Tokyo to do a quick internet search. She had used a local library's computer and hacked a nearby military database, which she then put to good use following a few leads. She had nothing concrete yet, but enough ideas to take up hours of her time following. It was worth it though if it led to even one clue.
A slice of guilt hit her as she meditated on this, and she found her thoughts centering on Ryo. She knew her sister well, and now that Ryo knew Li was somewhere out there she must be tortured by her desire to look for her. She grimaced. There was no way she could let Ryo go on suffering, for she knew how she would feel if their positions were reversed. She would have to contact her, and what a better time to do that than now.
Ryo was in her room quietly lounging boredly in bed when her cell phone started vibrating and then ringing. She jumped, startled, and stared at the phone for a couple of seconds, wondering who would be calling at this hour. Then she quickly snatched if off her bedside table and flipped it open. It was a text message, and she didn't recognize the return number. Her heart beat faster as she pushed the button on the phone that would bring the message up to view. It couldn't be . . .
Ryo gasped at the message, and felt tears well up in her eyes as they scanned the words, which slowly swam in front of her as her vision blurred.
Hey sis. I wish I could be with you right now, I know you're having a hard time. Don't worry so much and take it easier on yourself, no one's perfect. You should be extra careful, remember, you have my nephew with you as well. Don't worry, I promise I'll be there when he's born. I wouldn't miss it for anything, and you know that. Till then take care, both of you.
Sending you my love from halfway across the world, Li.
The transport ride to Tokyo was not the friendliest of atmospheres. Wufei and Leigh Lou sat on one side of the seats, lightly murmuring between themselves about a plan of action. Quatre sat across from the two, a depressed and saddened look on his face as he tried to make eye contact with his girlfriend. Trowa slept, and Heero stared off into the distance silence.
Gathering the nerve, Quatre cleared his throat and spoke. "What are we going to do in Tokyo?"
Lou rolled her eyes, "Same thing we do every time we are tracking someone Quatre, try and find information."
This caused a slight hidden smile from Wufei, and Quatre simply nodded and looked back down to his lap where a book sat open to the same page as two and a half hours ago.
Heero turned, "Look, we are going to see what we can find. We don't really know because we don't even know what we are after. It is like an effin goose chase for a needle with a haystack."
"I am trying to figure all that out Heero." Lou sighed lightly, giving her hurting friend a tender smile. "We will find her."
This made Heero snap. "I don't care about Li. All I want is to figure out what the hell is after us and why, then kill it." His eyes flared and he turned back to the window.
When Li arrived at the colony she took a moment to orient herself, then she caught a bus to Heero's apartment building. 15 minutes later she found herself standing alone in front of it, water slowly dripping from her now wet strands of hair. It had begun to rain heavily during the bus ride, the kind of gray shower that soaked a person to the bone in mere seconds. She shivered slightly, pulling her jacket closer, and trudged up the walkway. She took the elevator to the fourth floor and quickly made her way to his door. She spared a glance for the coded lock, snorted, and in mere seconds the lock clicked open under her skilled hands.
She opened the door and flipped on the light switch, illuminating the apartment in a soft, steady glow. Closing the door behind her, she crossed the entryway into the spacious living room. Here she was forced to pause as an intense feeling of deja vu overwhelmed her. It had not changed. It had been almost four years since she'd last seen it, and yet his apartment had not changed in the least bit. The logical side of her told her that it was merely due to the fact that he was a guy, and wasn't prone to urges to change his environment, but it didn't stop her emotions from reeling. She trembled slightly, and took a deep breath to steady herself, then regretted the action. God, the room even smelled of him.
Her shock was only momentary as her resolve and logic once again took over. Her body stilled, and she straightened, her eyes hardening once more, reverting to her true color, the same as the raging gray storm clouds outside. She shook her head, berating herself for such a frivolous display of emotions over something so insignificant. She couldn't afford to be weak, not even here.
Her thoughts once again centered, she returned to the task at hand. She strode through the adjoining door and down the hall, to where Heero's bedroom was. She hesitated for only a second before entering. Heero's bedroom was styled quite simply,covering all his basic needs and nothing more than that besides a few picture frames and other miscellaneous items. She walked to his dresser and knelt, tracing her fingers along the edges and grooves, searching. Finally she found what she was looking for, and with a small click a hidden switch activated beneath her fingers and a panel opened in the adjacent wall. She stood and went to it, studied it for a few minutes, then experimented. After five minutes she finally finished deciphering the code, and she entered it. One thing was for sure, he was no less cautious than he used to be, for it was quite long and complex.
As she expected, an outline appeared in what had been a normal wall merely seconds ago, and it slid out, revealing 4 consecutive weapons drawers. From these she took what she needed, mostly what she could carry on her person. She eyed the machine gun, but there was no use as it could not be hidden. She grew less somber when she made a pleasing discovery, though. Apparently Preventors had been able to lay their hands on a few of the most modern and high tech style of handgun, and she slipped 3 of these into her jacket pocket. though small, they had amazingly precise aim, and they dealt more damage in one bullet than others in the past. She smiled. It had been a more successful day than she had thought.
But what Li was not expecting an uninvited guest was approaching. And fast.
Stepping through the elevator with cell phone and specific keycard in hand, Cody sighed as she shook out her hair, the beads of water rolling off of her rain jacket and dampening the carpet. Duo was taking care of Ryo, another nasty bout of sickness had caught her and he was unable to go check on Heero's pent suite. So Cody had volunteered and she was here but it only made her sick to her stomach...made her remember a time that seemed so long ago when she had walked through the doors and had seen them together...it was almost as if Li was really gone...
Snapping out of the reverie, Cody blinked and found herself at Heero's door and sighed, taking the card and putting it in the slot, the access being granted without another key code. When it clicked open, she pushed the door open was thinking of pulling her boots off whenever she saw the lights on and the place lit up like somebody...was there.
Immediately taking her gun out, she shut the door without making a noise and heard movement in the other room, slowly going to the corner to gaze around it. Without a noise, she stood there, listening and waiting...raiding Heero's gun stash. This was interesting. Maybe she'd get more action then they thought...
A bitter look of pure sadistic intent passed through her eyes as she remained there, her eyes narrowing as she listening for the sound of the light turning on and then the footsteps. They had screwed with her at the wrong time in their life.
"Hey, sis, I just found something. Seems earlier today Quatre's physicians released a patient against their medical advice. They were scheduled to have surgery. Who is the only person besides Heero we know to leave when they need surgery? And they're immune to anesthetics. Li is the only one completely immune. Lou, he had her, and just let her go." Duo shook his head, disappointed in his friend.
Lou's hand tightened on her cell phone, her face paling. She wasn't going to believe it.
Until now.
She motioned Heero over and had Duo repeat all he just said to his friend. Heero's eyes clicked darker, like notches in a headboard. Slowly turning rustic black.
A set of dark emerald and fire black Prussian eyes turned to aquamarine. Everyone heard Quatre's gulp.
"Care to explain this, Quatre?" Lou said icily, motioning to the phone. "Don't worry, we'll listen." The tone of her voice said she was not going to be very understanding on this one.
Quatre glanced at the others for even a small sign of support. They gave him steady glares that said he would not be receiving it until he did some quick talking.
"Okay, well, where do I begin?" His voice almost cracked.
Lou chuckled, "How about the start Mr. Winner, since that is a normal beginning. But wait, do you know the start? Would it be the first communication with Li or when you had her for the past day and didn't tell us. Lied to us, hm?"
Quatre held her gaze, hard and cold. "Li needed help. She only contacted me yesterday. She asked me to tell no one. She meant it. I helped her, and I let her go."
"That’s it? She called, you went like a good little puppy, and then you let her go. Doesn't the story normally go the puppy follows its master heel to nose?"
Quatre recoiled at the tone her voice took on. This had never been directed toward him. "N-no. I am n-not a pu-puppy for her."
Lou stood and rolled her eyes, her voice raising. "No, we just lose one of our inner circle for four long years and when she reappears on the radar you lie about it and tell nobody. Not even the lost little sister who is pregnant and depressed or the hurt ex-boyfriend who is still aching now, all because she called you Winner. She called you instead of any of the rest of us? Why? Because you are easily manipulated." Her eyes teared and shook, "For someone so large in business, manipulation is a sin and a shame. You couldn't even tell us. Why?" Her voice and stance demanded answers.
"Lou, calm down and please just listen. She called me not because she thought me easily manipulated but because she was hurt and I was the first person she thought of who could pick her up and hide her till she recovered. I honestly think the reason she didn't call anyone else was because she didn't want to bother you, weird as it may sound." Quatre's voice took on a pleading tone, "She would have stayed longer, Lou, I know she would have, but when you called she realized you guys were coming and she panicked and left. I think she didn't feel like facing everyone like this. I don't know. I do know that it is my fault she left because she knew she had got me into trouble and, Li being Li, didn't want to cause more. I'm not saying what I did was right, I didn't have time to think, I just acted. I'm sorry. I just knew that a friend was in trouble and needed me, and she trusted me to listen to what she wanted."
The shimmer splashed down olive toned cheeks. "You listened to one. One versus seven others. Just like that." She snapped her fingers. "And you know where she went. You tracked her, but she isn't anymore or you wouldn't be here pleading. You would be doing something. Something besides sitting here."
Her cold eyes still stared at him, "Next time, when you don’t want something found like this, remember to do the basics. Like clear your files. It is pathetic that Duo could still get into a fellow pilots files and gives us leeway this easily."
All said she walked out of the room, leaving Quatre behind with Heero, Trowa, and Wufei.
Quatre sighed, defeated, and hung his head. Nothing was going right today. What in the world had she expected him to do? He had been confused, and she knew it. He hoped she'd forgive him, but something in him told him it would be a while before she let this one go.
He sighed again, knowing there was more to come. He straightened and raised his gaze to meet the eyes of the others. "Your turn."
Trowa shrugged, leaning back. "You were honorable."
Wufei half nodded, "You should have known to tell us Winner, that is how is has always been. Somehow."
Heero growled, reverting back to almost no speech. "Honor my ass." He walked out to Quatre's security room, his normal bunk, to figure out the next step.
Quatre sighed and returned his eyes to the ground, "I really did this one in."
Trowa shook his head slowly, "They only see one side. Theirs. You saw both, and picked the most needy."
Quatre looked up and met Trowa's gaze. he gave a weak smile. "I appreciate you saying that Trowa. Thanks."
Trowa glanced over to the door, where Heero had just left. "Don't mind him, he has a one track mind when it comes to this. You know what I mean."
Wufei snorted in disgust, "Don't even start. It sickens me to see him pining over her like this. If he loves her so much then why'd he break up with her in the first place? it's stupid. it's obvious even Li is sensible enough to realize it's over, recover, and get on with her life. He should stop being an idiot and get over it."
Quatre and Trowa winced at Wufei's brutal lack of mercy.
"That is..." Quatre shrugged, "I will go get us something to drink. I am sorry we had to get together again under these circumstances."
He hurried left the room, brushing at his eyes. When he entered the kitchen he stopped short. Lou was sitting at the table with a cup of tea and a distant look on her face.
"Now now, I don't bite hard. Overreacted a bit." She shrugged without losing the distant quality. "Quatre, why would she feel safer with you than with someone like Heero? Or even Wufei? Why would she appear then disappear without leaving Ryo something?"
Quatre moving smoothly around his cooking area. "We can analyze all day, but it comes down to one thing. She thinks she is protecting us, much like I was her earlier."
Lou's eyes flashed with hurting humor, "I hate it when you turn logic against me. Can't you just let me be angry?"
"No." He shook his head in reaffirmation, "When that happens you overreact and do things you wish you didn't later."
"Honestly would you want me or Heero doing that? Or Wufei?"
"Point noted."
"I am still very hurt and angry."
"And I have guests." Exiting the kitchen was not as smooth as entering. Returning to the parlor he found Heero talking on his phone to Duo, Wufei pacing, and Trowa simply sitting.
"What now?" Quatre sat down the tray of sodas and waited for someone to speak, again.
"Heero's discussing our next move with Duo. Even though he's with ryo, Duo at least wants to help from afar, so he'll be monitoring our progress." Trowa explained quietly. "But right now we know next to nothing. And Wufei seems to have worked himself into a bad mood about Heero, so I would stay away from him for right now if I were you.
"Heero, let me talk to Quatre," Duo said when Heero informed him Quatre had just entered the room.
Heero grudgingly held the phone out to Quatre.
"Hey, Quatre. I've got just a few questions for you."
"Duo I-"
"Where was Li when you lost track of her?"
"Tokyo." Quatre sighed.
"Was she doing okay? Like were her injuries holding her up at all?"
"She took out the two men following her quite easily." He listed to Duo type on the computer. "Anything else?"
"Yeah, don't let anyone call Ryo about this. I'm going to tell her myself, okay? I don't care why you did it, Quatre, all she wants to know is her sister is alive and for the most part well."
"I understand," Quatre said softly.
"Thanks bud. It means a lot to me. I'll call later if I learn anything else. Bye."
"Bye." He hung up. When Quatre turned to hand Heero back his phone Heero was still obviously unhappy with him, but at least he wasn't glaring outright at him anymore. Maybe he would forgive him someday soon.
Heero felt a rough hand grab him on the arm. It was Wufei.
"What?" He asked brusquely, not liking the look in Wufei's eyes.
"I need to talk to you, Yuy. In private. Now."
Wufei lead him out of the room and towards the unused conference room, walking in with the silent soldier behind him. Turning, the Chinese man watched him carefully before he spoke, a gentle harshness to his tone, "Whatever you do decide to solve in this little soap opera we've acquired, one thing you should have the honor to do is realize that you left her and she was taking care of herself, and now she is taking care of what is most important to her."
"Excuse me?" Heero's glare darkened.
"You sulking around like some high school girl because you found out she's capable of taking care of herself is pathetic."
"Hmph," The former pilot of Wing Zero grunted without much zeal.
"She's lived these last 4 years fine without you, and you need to realize she's obviously trying the best she can. You can't blame this on her, Yuy. If what's happening bothers you it's no one's fault but your own."
"What are you getting at?"
"I'm saying that you need to make a decision, a concrete choice. Either you stay here, just like you are, refusing to acknowledge the truth, and let her go her own way while you go yours, or you change. Who do you want most in your life? Kara? Or Li?" Wufei's tone was now more demanding, he needed the soldier to get the full point.
At Wufei's question Heero jerked his head up to meet his gaze, the expression on his face torn, "I . . ." His voice faded off.
"Exactly, Yuy. Until you figure out the answer to that question you have no right to act like Li should have thought of you, or to presume that you're the only one this is affecting. If you choose Li you had better be ready to admit that both of you were at fault, and you have to be willing to work with her. You've changed these past few years, Yuy, and doubtless so has she. If you want her to give you the time of day then you will have to face facts and handle this like a man, and set things straight. it's up to you. But until then, lay off Quatre, because right now he's no worse than you." Wufei disliked having to speak so bluntly with his friend, but Heero wasn't going to understand any other way. They needed to be able to work as a group, and leaving loose ends was only going to complicate things.
Heero glared, more at himself than Wufei, and gave a curt nod.
"Then we understand each other." Wufei spoke brokenly, like the words tore at some deep part of him momentarily, and then he walked out of the room, Heero on tail.
The two reentered the living room to find Lou sitting across the room from Quatre and Trowa, her laptop printing out sheets of information.
She glanced up at them, "We need to go to Tokyo."
"Tokyo?" Heero sounded confused, "Why?"
"It's where Quatre lost track of Li."
"But she's obviously long gone by now."
Lou sighed, "Maybe, but at the moment it's the only lead we have."
Li leaned back in her seat on the transport, relishing a moment of quiet after the last few days jumbled activity. They were scheduled to reach the colony in an hour. After that it would be a quick jaunt to Heero's, a few minutes to hack his lock and borrow his things, and she would be off once more. She'd taken a little time before she left Tokyo to do a quick internet search. She had used a local library's computer and hacked a nearby military database, which she then put to good use following a few leads. She had nothing concrete yet, but enough ideas to take up hours of her time following. It was worth it though if it led to even one clue.
A slice of guilt hit her as she meditated on this, and she found her thoughts centering on Ryo. She knew her sister well, and now that Ryo knew Li was somewhere out there she must be tortured by her desire to look for her. She grimaced. There was no way she could let Ryo go on suffering, for she knew how she would feel if their positions were reversed. She would have to contact her, and what a better time to do that than now.
Ryo was in her room quietly lounging boredly in bed when her cell phone started vibrating and then ringing. She jumped, startled, and stared at the phone for a couple of seconds, wondering who would be calling at this hour. Then she quickly snatched if off her bedside table and flipped it open. It was a text message, and she didn't recognize the return number. Her heart beat faster as she pushed the button on the phone that would bring the message up to view. It couldn't be . . .
Ryo gasped at the message, and felt tears well up in her eyes as they scanned the words, which slowly swam in front of her as her vision blurred.
Hey sis. I wish I could be with you right now, I know you're having a hard time. Don't worry so much and take it easier on yourself, no one's perfect. You should be extra careful, remember, you have my nephew with you as well. Don't worry, I promise I'll be there when he's born. I wouldn't miss it for anything, and you know that. Till then take care, both of you.
Sending you my love from halfway across the world, Li.
The transport ride to Tokyo was not the friendliest of atmospheres. Wufei and Leigh Lou sat on one side of the seats, lightly murmuring between themselves about a plan of action. Quatre sat across from the two, a depressed and saddened look on his face as he tried to make eye contact with his girlfriend. Trowa slept, and Heero stared off into the distance silence.
Gathering the nerve, Quatre cleared his throat and spoke. "What are we going to do in Tokyo?"
Lou rolled her eyes, "Same thing we do every time we are tracking someone Quatre, try and find information."
This caused a slight hidden smile from Wufei, and Quatre simply nodded and looked back down to his lap where a book sat open to the same page as two and a half hours ago.
Heero turned, "Look, we are going to see what we can find. We don't really know because we don't even know what we are after. It is like an effin goose chase for a needle with a haystack."
"I am trying to figure all that out Heero." Lou sighed lightly, giving her hurting friend a tender smile. "We will find her."
This made Heero snap. "I don't care about Li. All I want is to figure out what the hell is after us and why, then kill it." His eyes flared and he turned back to the window.
When Li arrived at the colony she took a moment to orient herself, then she caught a bus to Heero's apartment building. 15 minutes later she found herself standing alone in front of it, water slowly dripping from her now wet strands of hair. It had begun to rain heavily during the bus ride, the kind of gray shower that soaked a person to the bone in mere seconds. She shivered slightly, pulling her jacket closer, and trudged up the walkway. She took the elevator to the fourth floor and quickly made her way to his door. She spared a glance for the coded lock, snorted, and in mere seconds the lock clicked open under her skilled hands.
She opened the door and flipped on the light switch, illuminating the apartment in a soft, steady glow. Closing the door behind her, she crossed the entryway into the spacious living room. Here she was forced to pause as an intense feeling of deja vu overwhelmed her. It had not changed. It had been almost four years since she'd last seen it, and yet his apartment had not changed in the least bit. The logical side of her told her that it was merely due to the fact that he was a guy, and wasn't prone to urges to change his environment, but it didn't stop her emotions from reeling. She trembled slightly, and took a deep breath to steady herself, then regretted the action. God, the room even smelled of him.
Her shock was only momentary as her resolve and logic once again took over. Her body stilled, and she straightened, her eyes hardening once more, reverting to her true color, the same as the raging gray storm clouds outside. She shook her head, berating herself for such a frivolous display of emotions over something so insignificant. She couldn't afford to be weak, not even here.
Her thoughts once again centered, she returned to the task at hand. She strode through the adjoining door and down the hall, to where Heero's bedroom was. She hesitated for only a second before entering. Heero's bedroom was styled quite simply,covering all his basic needs and nothing more than that besides a few picture frames and other miscellaneous items. She walked to his dresser and knelt, tracing her fingers along the edges and grooves, searching. Finally she found what she was looking for, and with a small click a hidden switch activated beneath her fingers and a panel opened in the adjacent wall. She stood and went to it, studied it for a few minutes, then experimented. After five minutes she finally finished deciphering the code, and she entered it. One thing was for sure, he was no less cautious than he used to be, for it was quite long and complex.
As she expected, an outline appeared in what had been a normal wall merely seconds ago, and it slid out, revealing 4 consecutive weapons drawers. From these she took what she needed, mostly what she could carry on her person. She eyed the machine gun, but there was no use as it could not be hidden. She grew less somber when she made a pleasing discovery, though. Apparently Preventors had been able to lay their hands on a few of the most modern and high tech style of handgun, and she slipped 3 of these into her jacket pocket. though small, they had amazingly precise aim, and they dealt more damage in one bullet than others in the past. She smiled. It had been a more successful day than she had thought.
But what Li was not expecting an uninvited guest was approaching. And fast.
Stepping through the elevator with cell phone and specific keycard in hand, Cody sighed as she shook out her hair, the beads of water rolling off of her rain jacket and dampening the carpet. Duo was taking care of Ryo, another nasty bout of sickness had caught her and he was unable to go check on Heero's pent suite. So Cody had volunteered and she was here but it only made her sick to her stomach...made her remember a time that seemed so long ago when she had walked through the doors and had seen them together...it was almost as if Li was really gone...
Snapping out of the reverie, Cody blinked and found herself at Heero's door and sighed, taking the card and putting it in the slot, the access being granted without another key code. When it clicked open, she pushed the door open was thinking of pulling her boots off whenever she saw the lights on and the place lit up like somebody...was there.
Immediately taking her gun out, she shut the door without making a noise and heard movement in the other room, slowly going to the corner to gaze around it. Without a noise, she stood there, listening and waiting...raiding Heero's gun stash. This was interesting. Maybe she'd get more action then they thought...
A bitter look of pure sadistic intent passed through her eyes as she remained there, her eyes narrowing as she listening for the sound of the light turning on and then the footsteps. They had screwed with her at the wrong time in their life.