Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Falls the Shadow ❯ Chapter Four ( Chapter 4 )

C H A P T E R 4

During the entire ride, Diana divided her time between gazing blankly out the window and shooting nervous glances toward Trowa, who, oblivious to the anxious brunette beside him, drove the car in absolute silence. Every now and again, she'd peek at Quatre through the rear-view mirror to make sure he was all right. 'What's going to happen to us now…?'

While in the midst of her tense routine, Diana felt the car stop. "We're here," Trowa announced, removing the key from the ignition. He reached for the door handle.

Diana pounded the lock button before Trowa could exit the vehicle, silently thanking whoever invented power door locks. Finding the nerve as well as the opportunity, Diana demanded, "You're not leaving until you tell me what's going on. Why are we in the middle of the woods?"

"It's a good hiding place."

"From who?"

"That would appear obvious."

Diana huffed. "Fine, smart-ass. Then tell me what you were doing back at the hospital."

Trowa looked Diana over and decided she was serious. "You have a right to know." He sat back into his seat. "I was getting Quatre out of there."

"I was doing that too, you know."

"True, but who had the gun to her head?"

Diana wanted to strangle Trowa. "Dammit, I'm not in the mood! Or do you not give a shit that I almost died back there?! …"

"Would I have protected you if I didn't?"

"I… I guess not." An uncomfortable silence built around the two as they stared at each other, not knowing what to say. Trowa moved first, unlocking the doors and getting out of the car.

Diana wasn't about to let him go; she still had too many questions for him to answer. She followed him out of the car, circling around the front so she could face him directly. "Wait a minute. You still haven't told me what's going on. Who are the Sulegna, and why are they after Quatre?"

Trowa turned around and walked toward the trunk, opening it and unloading camping equipment as he spoke. "The Sulegna call themselves the Order of Wodahs, and rightly so; Wodahs was the man who founded them. Essentially, it's a cult bent on resurrecting its former leader. They mean to do so through Quatre. I don't know why."

Diana walked over to the back of the car. "And Leine? Who's she?"

"Wodahs's wife. That's all I know about her." Trowa stopped unpacking and looked straight at Diana, making deliberate eye contact. "You need to be careful. They mean to resurrect Wodahs's entire court, and, since Quatre called you Leine before, they'll likely come after you."

"How… how do you know all this?"

"I joined."

"No… how did you know to join? I mean, the Sulegna and all…"

"When I visited Quatre in the hospital, I knew something was amiss. Knowing that the Preventers were investigating the case, I spoke with Wu Fei Chang. He gave me your name. I learned of the Sulegna from your case files. 47649, wasn't it?"

"You went through my case files?" Trowa nodded coolly. "That's… illegal!"

"I've done worse, but that's beside the point. The Sulegna are more widespread than either of us would like to think. A doctor affiliated with the order had his room changed to a ward that doesn't exist, and there Sulegna have been watching him day and night since. You're lucky you showed up during my shift, or you wouldn't have gotten out of there."

Diana smiled a little. "I guess I am."

"What happened?" The opening of a car door and the voice spooked Diana and she whipped around. Quatre stood there, groggily holding his head. "My head hurts, my stomach's churning, and the last thing I remember clearly is talking with Diana over that letter. I don't enjoy blanking out while something important happens." He looked at Diana and Trowa, each in turn. "How did we get all the way out here?"

Diana and Trowa looked at one another, wondering where to start.

* * * * * * * * * *

"Oh, no no no, get back over here… Oh, dammit." Diana had lost her third hot dog into the fire, and had again failed to scrape it out before it turned into cinders. "I hate this. The dirt, the bugs, the lack of dinner…"

"You favor order, don't you?" Trowa cut in.

"Yes," Diana answered through gritted teeth, fighting with another hot dog in order to put it on her stick. It fell into the mud. She sat back and crossed her arms, sulking slightly. "I give up. Who needs food anyway?"

"Take mine," Quatre offered.

The brunette shook her head. "I'm not taking your dinner, Quatre."

Quatre remained insistent. "I've already had one. You need to eat." Before Diana could protest again, he put the paper plate down in front of her.

"Quatre…"

"Diana, eat it."

"Well, um, thank you." Diana picked up the plate and began to eat reluctantly.

The three of them, upon nightfall, had built up a fire and had crowded around it, using it for light and a place to cook provisions. Trowa pitched the one tent where all three were expected to sleep and brought out sleeping bags. Evidently, he didn't think of the gender barrier and Diana's natural aversion to the great outdoors.

`Not like he could have known,' Diana reminded herself calmly, removing her thin sweater to reveal a tank top underneath. The night failed to eliminate the warmth from the air, especially near the flames, and Diana figured she'd might as well be comfortable.

"Warm, Diana?" Trowa asked.

"That would appear obvious." Trowa looked Diana over and almost smiled; Quatre didn't get the joke.

That said, Diana walked over to the tent and pulled a sleeping bag out of it, dumping the bag just to the right of the entrance. "I'm sleeping here. You two can have the tent."

Quatre walked over to her. "You sure? I can tell you don't like it much out here. You can have the tent and we can sleep outside."

As before, Diana shook her head. "There's too much room in there for only one person. Besides, it's hot and maybe out here I'll catch a breeze." Noting a guilty look in Quatre's features, she added, "Don't feel bad. I'm okay with it. Really. Go on to bed."

As though the words set off a trigger, the Arabian yawned. "Come to think of it, I am kind of tired. I feel as though I haven't slept in ages." A beat passed, and Diana thought that she had convinced him to let her be. "You're sure you're okay?"

"I'm fine. " Diana fought the tones of exasperation from her voice, since Quatre was only trying to be helpful. "Go catch up on your rest." With one last concerned glance, Quatre entered his tent.

Meanwhile, Trowa had extinguished the fire and approached the tent using a flashlight to light the way. Upon shining its beam onto Diana, his steps slowed. Soon, she felt his hand on her left shoulder, and her heart stopped in her chest. "T-Trowa?"

"Hold on a minute."

For the first time, Diana felt truly uncomfortable in Trowa's presence. She tried to shake his touch off. "No `Hold on a minute's. What are you doing?"

"Looking."

"At what?" Diana whirled around, eyeing Trowa suspiciously. "You try anything, and you'll wish you never…"

"At your shoulder. There's something in it." Diana's eyes fell in embarrassment. "Turn back around. Diana did so, and Trowa began to poke and pick at the object. The Preventer remembered something striking her in the area of question during her frenzied escape from the hospital. Before she could tell that to Trowa, a sudden pain ripped through her shoulder.

"OW!! Careful, will ya?" Trowa's hands had pulled back, and, certain he had savagely torn the buried object from her body, Diana turned to face him. The confused look on his face caused her stomach to plummet. "What's wrong?"

Trowa showed empty hands. "It won't come out."