Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ X-13 ❯ Chapter 7
[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]
By: deathangel125 
Anime/Manga: Gundam Wing Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Action / Drama / Romance / Suspense / Angst | Type: Yaoi | Uploaded On: 09.04.2013 | Pages: 2 | Words: 3.2K | Visits: 403 | Status: Work In Progress
Anime/Manga: Gundam Wing Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Action / Drama / Romance / Suspense / Angst | Type: Yaoi | Uploaded On: 09.04.2013 | Pages: 2 | Words: 3.2K | Visits: 403 | Status: Work In Progress
Disclaimers: Not mine. I wish they were, but sadly, they belong to someone else with a lot more money than I.
Warnings are in first part. Be sure to read them or you might be shocked by what you find.
X13 – PART 7
Leaning forward in her chair when the regular programming on television was interrupted, Relena smiled as she recognized the house in the picture. Her smile widened as an announcement was made; a reporter lamenting the death of the well-respected Preventer agent and former Gundam pilot, Duo Maxwell. The scene played on in the background, showing a gurney being wheeled from the Winner mansion, the familiar braid hanging limply from under the white sheet covering the body.
The reporter standing outside the gates of the Winner Estate was telling how Duo had died under suspicious circumstances and the matter was being investigated, but let slip there was a suspect in the man’s death. Intently, she listened closely as the woman on screen consulted the notes in her hand, “Our sources tell me they are taking the body of Duo Maxwell to the Preventer medical center for a full autopsy. It seems Agent Maxwell started acting strangely yesterday morning and those closest to the deceased admit he was behaving erratically, although we aren’t getting more information than that at this time.”
“Probably because they don’t want the public to know he was acting like a sex addict at a frat party,” Relena sneered with delight, waiting to see if they told of the unfortunate person being accused of Duo’s death.
Pleasure faded when someone spoke to the reporter quickly before ducking back behind the camera. “We’ve just been informed there has been an arrest made in connection with Agent Maxwell’s death,” the reporter relayed as the camera shifted to focus on the front door of the opulent house. When Heero was led out in handcuffs, Relena shot to her feet. “Eyewitness reports state Agent Heero Yuy, also of the Preventers Organization, was found over the body of Agent Maxwell, rumored to be his own lover and best friend.”
Horrified, Relena covered her mouth with her hands as Heero was shoved into the waiting police cruiser by none other than Wufei. Searching the picture, she finally spotted Trowa and Quatre standing nearby, their faces identical masks of pain and rage as they watched the police car drive away with Heero in the back seat, his head bowed low.
The reporter, apparently spying the couple, rushed to speak to them before they could get back inside the gates of the private home. “Mr. Winner, Mr. Barton, are the rumors true? Was Agent Yuy responsible for the death of Agent Maxwell?”
Relena stared in shock when the taller of the two put his hand on the blonde’s shoulder, only to have it shoved away. “We don’t know what happened. Heero was the only one in the room when Duo…but he was only there to protect…”
“No comment,” Trowa interrupted Quatre’s rush of words.
Quatre jerked away angrily and fled to the sanctuary of his home, the other man following behind slowly, a silent specter. Relena grimaced in what could have been part sneer and part smile. “I guess Duo spent most of his time with someone else’s lover. This would be perfect if the Preventers weren’t so incompetent. Now I’m going to have to get Heero out of trouble.”
She started preparing to leave then suddenly sat with a small smile, “Then again, he’ll be more appreciative if I let him wait a while. I’ll take care of some unpleasant business first.”
Scraping the underside of the desk, she located the edges of the paper she had taped there. Unfolding it, she dialed the number, hoping it wouldn’t be too late to receive an answer. When the call was taken and transferred, Relena took the time to compose her features.
As always, the mousy-haired woman that answered the phone made Relena feel superior in every way. There had only been one thing she hadn’t been able to beat the woman in thick glasses at, eventually finding a way to use that skill to ensure the woman’s downfall. “Samantha dear, how good it is to speak to you again. I trust your work isn’t keeping you too busy?”
“I’m actually terribly busy right now. I’m afraid I don’t have time to talk,” the other woman shoved a pin in her hair to keep it from her face. When her eyes finally focused on the screen, hazel eyes blinked owlishly behind the lenses. “Oh, Relena, is that you? I apologize for my rudeness. You didn’t need more samples, did you? I’ve destroyed them all.”
“That’s a terrible shame,” Relena made a sympathetic face, though she doubted Samantha could see it even through the thick glasses. “The samples you sent me worked out quite well.”
The woman beamed, “That’s wonderful! One day soon perhaps I’ll get to see the results of the formula. May I inquire what specimens you used them on?”
“Maxwell was the only one that’s had results. He seemed to be attracted to almost anything put in front of him,” Relena smiled at the thought, wishing she could have seen the other man’s downfall.
“I don’t recall that specific horse being in your stables when I came for my visit,” Samantha frowned, chewing on lips that were always unpainted with her top teeth, a habit that disgusted Relena.
“He’s a recent acquisition. Wonderful potential as a breed stud, I must say.”
“Perhaps I’ll get to see him on my next visit, Relena. I hate to cut this short, but I really am very busy.”
“I understand. Give my best to your parents.”
There was no reply as Relena was hung up on. Narrowing her eyes, she wrinkled her nose in disgust, “Pretentious bitch. She thinks she’s better than I am, does she? We’ll just see about that. I guess I better go see about getting Heero out of jail before something bad happens to him.”
Hilde followed the Preventer agents into the building, her eyes wide with fear. That fear didn’t lessen as she was handed over to Wufei, who looked down at her with sad eyes. Taking her arm, he led her down a long hallway. “Hilde, do you know why you are here?”
Confused by the sadness in his tone and the way he used her first name when he had always avoided doing so, she shook her head. “I just arrived at the shuttle port when those agents told me I had to come back. I need to get home,” she asserted, certain Duo would be on his way to L2 already, tail tucked firmly between his legs as Relena had promised. She had every intention of helping him pick up the pieces of his wounded pride. “I’m not in trouble for anything, am I?”
Stopping in front of a locked door, Wufei frowned down at her, “Not that I’m aware of; have you done something to be in trouble for?”
“Of course not,” she nearly shouted, nervous with the dark eyes on her.
“Step in here, please.”
Moving past him, she found herself in a small room that was dimly lit. The only other person in the room had black hair, back turned to Hilde and Wufei, a pair of headphones over their ears. “Over here, Hilde.” Standing at Wufei’s side, she gasped when he toggled a switch and the wall grew clear, allowing her to see the room on the other side.
Her confusion only grew when she recognized Heero, slumped in his chair and giving off an aura of defeat. Glancing up, she shook her head at the man standing beside her. “What’s going on? What’s wrong with Heero? Did he get hurt?”
“I apologize. You probably haven’t been able to see the news. Duo was killed last night…by Heero.”
“Duo was…killed?” Hilde’s entire world collapsed around her with the words. “Why? Why would Heero hurt Duo?” she sobbed.
“We don’t know. That’s what we’re hoping to discover,” Wufei inclined his head as a door opened in the next room, admitting the head of Preventers.
Une sat down opposite Heero, folding her hands on top of the file she had brought in. “Heero, I need you to tell me what happened.”
Saying nothing, the dark-haired man shook his head slowly, never looking up. Une waited a moment and sighed as she opened a folder in order to remove some pages. When she spread them out on the table Heero visibly recoiled.
“What are those?” Hilde narrowed her eyes as she tried to see, needing to know what had taken Duo from her.
A hand appeared on her shoulder. “You don’t want to see. They are photos of the crime scene.” Hilde’s reaction was almost as strong as Heero’s, but shock had numbed her.
Inside the interrogation room, Une was talking softly. “We all know how you felt about Duo. None of us understand how you could do…this,” she waved a hand about the pictures.
Hilde gasped when Heero finally raised his head, tears flowing freely from his eyes. “I don’t know what happened. Is Duo really…?”
“He’s dead and your fingerprints are all over him, along with Barton’s. Since Barton is fully alibied at the time of his death, I need you to tell me what happened.”
Eventually Heero nodded. “When Duo first got here, that first night, he said he wanted to end our relationship. I kept asking him why. He told me he could have a normal life with Hilde if it wasn’t because of me. He wanted to quit as an agent so he could stay with her on L2. When he began acting strange at the briefing, Trowa volunteered to take him to Quatre’s so he could rest. As you know, Wufei and I were here until late that night. Duo said he felt more comfortable at Quatre’s, so I told him to stay, hoping to talk to him once he felt better.”
When he fell silent, Une prompted him softly, “What happened when you went to see Duo?”
“I got there last night, hoping to take Duo to dinner so we could talk. I found him with…Trowa. In Trowa’s bed. After that, I can’t remember anything until Wufei arrested me. Are you sure it was me?”
Seeing the plea in his eyes, Une nodded slowly. “Winner went with you to locate Maxwell. Barton ran out to try to explain, leaving you alone. They both swear Maxwell was alive when they left.”
“What does Trowa say?” Hilde thought Heero was looking for something to prove he hadn’t killed his own lover in a fit of jealous rage, not sure how she felt.
“His claim is that he was trying to help Maxwell after realizing he had been drugged. So far we haven’t found any evidence to support his claim, but Dr. Po is performing an autopsy as we speak.”
“Duo was drugged?”
“If you trust Barton’s theory, yes. We have no proof.”
Hilde watched with mounting horror as the door opened, Sally Po entering and conferring with Une for a moment before leaving again, a new file spread open in Une’s hands. “Barton was correct. Maxwell was given a lethal dose of a drug that shares properties with the illegal substance, ecstasy. If Maxwell had been left without treatment, the drug would have killed him. I’m very sorry, Yuy. This doesn’t change anything. You’ll be charged with first degree murder in the death of Agent Duo Maxwell,” she said apologetically before she vacated the room.
Left alone, Heero put his arms on the table and sobbed. Hilde was shocked; covering her mouth with her hand she turned her back on the scene, “I can’t see this.”
Wufei darkened the wall again, watching her closely. “There are some details you should see to regarding Duo. I’m sure he would want you to make any final arrangements for…excuse me,” he frowned at the soft knock on the door.
When he stepped out of the room to speak to another agent, Hilde hugged herself. Relena had promised Duo wouldn’t be hurt and Hilde had made sure to instruct he was only to get one dose of the drug, following Flip’s careful instructions. She didn’t know what the drug was supposed to do, but Relena had insisted it would make Duo do and say odd things, embarrassing himself so he would never want to return to Earth.
Unable to figure out why Relena would ask for the drug then lie about its effects, Hilde whispered, “Did she know what it would do? Did she mean for it to kill Duo? Would Relena do this on purpose?”
Poking his head in the door, Wufei grimaced, “I think you should hear this. Someone else has been brought in that has been linked to Duo’s death.”
Numb, Hilde followed with stiff motions, never seeing the smile from the woman in the corner of the room. Once the door had closed, Noin picked up a small radio she had kept hidden and rewound the whispered words Hilde had said, picked up by the microphone in the ceiling. “You did great, Heero. We have our first piece of evidence. Take some time and get ready for part two.”
Pulling the radio out of his shirt, Heero wiped his eyes with his sleeve, careful to keep his hands away from his face. “Acknowledged. Commence with part two as soon as she arrives. I’ll need two minutes warning to prepare.”
The door behind Heero opened, Quatre coming in with a wet washcloth and towel. “You must have been very convincing. Hilde looks like she’s been hit with a brick,” the blonde complimented, holding the towel so the other man could wash his hands off. “Are you sure you can convince Relena? She might be more suspicious.”
Heero stood and pulled a small bag from his pocket, holding it up. “With this I’ll be able to get her to believe anything I say.”
“You have to admit, seeing the great Heero Yuy cry is enough to startle anyone.”
“I couldn’t do it if it wasn’t for your cook’s secret recipe,” Heero smiled slightly. “Crushed onions are bound to make anyone cry.” Glancing at his watch, he sighed, “Everything else going according to plan?”
“The broadcast went as Duo said it would. He and Trowa uploaded it to Relena’s house about two hours ago. Minutes later, Relena made a call. They are on their way to pick up the woman she called, a Dr. Samantha Glenn. She’s a biologist that specializes in equine medicines, Heero.”
“Horses?”
Quatre nodded, “She recently withdrew an application for federal approval on a new drug that would make stud horses more docile. Her reason for pulling the request was that the drug could be dangerous to humans if they accidentally ingested the formula. She’s a good woman, Heero.”
“Samantha Glenn.” Heero repeated with a frown. “Sam Glenn. She was a student at one of the schools Relena found me and Duo. She was a small girl, a recluse. Duo made a point of becoming friends with her, hoping he could help her in some way.”
“Did it work?”
Smiling at the memory, Heero nodded, “He never tried to make her change who she was, but helped her gain some confidence; by the time we left she wasn’t afraid to speak her mind, no matter to whom.” Brow furrowed, he recalled the girl he had liked a great deal because of her courage to stand up to the snobby comments made at her appearance. “She wouldn’t hurt anyone, not unless she’s changed fundamentally in the last ten years.”
“Not even for a friend?”
“She and Relena were never friends,” stated Heero firmly. “Relena was always mad because Sam got better grades and was able to ride any horse without any difficulties. Relena was not as talented.” Seeing the way Quatre smiled at him, Heero sighed, “I had realized Duo was right about getting average grades to fit in; both of us could have gotten higher scores, but it would have brought unwanted attention.”
Looking down at his feet, Quatre asked, “How do you feel about getting attention now?”
“It depends where the attention is coming from.” Heero watched the way the blonde shifted his feet and took a chance, telling himself Duo had done it with outstanding results. Taking several steps closer, he spoke softly as he touched the other man’s shoulder, making sure he kept his onion-covered hands away from the other man’s face, “It wouldn’t be unwanted, Quatre.”
Wide blue eyes jerked to his, surprised. “After this is over…” Quatre trailed off when Heero’s radio came to life, informing them of Relena’s presence in the building.
“After this is over, we need to talk,” Heero finished as the other man rushed from the room, not sure if he had been heard or not.
Warnings are in first part. Be sure to read them or you might be shocked by what you find.
X13 – PART 7
Leaning forward in her chair when the regular programming on television was interrupted, Relena smiled as she recognized the house in the picture. Her smile widened as an announcement was made; a reporter lamenting the death of the well-respected Preventer agent and former Gundam pilot, Duo Maxwell. The scene played on in the background, showing a gurney being wheeled from the Winner mansion, the familiar braid hanging limply from under the white sheet covering the body.
The reporter standing outside the gates of the Winner Estate was telling how Duo had died under suspicious circumstances and the matter was being investigated, but let slip there was a suspect in the man’s death. Intently, she listened closely as the woman on screen consulted the notes in her hand, “Our sources tell me they are taking the body of Duo Maxwell to the Preventer medical center for a full autopsy. It seems Agent Maxwell started acting strangely yesterday morning and those closest to the deceased admit he was behaving erratically, although we aren’t getting more information than that at this time.”
“Probably because they don’t want the public to know he was acting like a sex addict at a frat party,” Relena sneered with delight, waiting to see if they told of the unfortunate person being accused of Duo’s death.
Pleasure faded when someone spoke to the reporter quickly before ducking back behind the camera. “We’ve just been informed there has been an arrest made in connection with Agent Maxwell’s death,” the reporter relayed as the camera shifted to focus on the front door of the opulent house. When Heero was led out in handcuffs, Relena shot to her feet. “Eyewitness reports state Agent Heero Yuy, also of the Preventers Organization, was found over the body of Agent Maxwell, rumored to be his own lover and best friend.”
Horrified, Relena covered her mouth with her hands as Heero was shoved into the waiting police cruiser by none other than Wufei. Searching the picture, she finally spotted Trowa and Quatre standing nearby, their faces identical masks of pain and rage as they watched the police car drive away with Heero in the back seat, his head bowed low.
The reporter, apparently spying the couple, rushed to speak to them before they could get back inside the gates of the private home. “Mr. Winner, Mr. Barton, are the rumors true? Was Agent Yuy responsible for the death of Agent Maxwell?”
Relena stared in shock when the taller of the two put his hand on the blonde’s shoulder, only to have it shoved away. “We don’t know what happened. Heero was the only one in the room when Duo…but he was only there to protect…”
“No comment,” Trowa interrupted Quatre’s rush of words.
Quatre jerked away angrily and fled to the sanctuary of his home, the other man following behind slowly, a silent specter. Relena grimaced in what could have been part sneer and part smile. “I guess Duo spent most of his time with someone else’s lover. This would be perfect if the Preventers weren’t so incompetent. Now I’m going to have to get Heero out of trouble.”
She started preparing to leave then suddenly sat with a small smile, “Then again, he’ll be more appreciative if I let him wait a while. I’ll take care of some unpleasant business first.”
Scraping the underside of the desk, she located the edges of the paper she had taped there. Unfolding it, she dialed the number, hoping it wouldn’t be too late to receive an answer. When the call was taken and transferred, Relena took the time to compose her features.
As always, the mousy-haired woman that answered the phone made Relena feel superior in every way. There had only been one thing she hadn’t been able to beat the woman in thick glasses at, eventually finding a way to use that skill to ensure the woman’s downfall. “Samantha dear, how good it is to speak to you again. I trust your work isn’t keeping you too busy?”
“I’m actually terribly busy right now. I’m afraid I don’t have time to talk,” the other woman shoved a pin in her hair to keep it from her face. When her eyes finally focused on the screen, hazel eyes blinked owlishly behind the lenses. “Oh, Relena, is that you? I apologize for my rudeness. You didn’t need more samples, did you? I’ve destroyed them all.”
“That’s a terrible shame,” Relena made a sympathetic face, though she doubted Samantha could see it even through the thick glasses. “The samples you sent me worked out quite well.”
The woman beamed, “That’s wonderful! One day soon perhaps I’ll get to see the results of the formula. May I inquire what specimens you used them on?”
“Maxwell was the only one that’s had results. He seemed to be attracted to almost anything put in front of him,” Relena smiled at the thought, wishing she could have seen the other man’s downfall.
“I don’t recall that specific horse being in your stables when I came for my visit,” Samantha frowned, chewing on lips that were always unpainted with her top teeth, a habit that disgusted Relena.
“He’s a recent acquisition. Wonderful potential as a breed stud, I must say.”
“Perhaps I’ll get to see him on my next visit, Relena. I hate to cut this short, but I really am very busy.”
“I understand. Give my best to your parents.”
There was no reply as Relena was hung up on. Narrowing her eyes, she wrinkled her nose in disgust, “Pretentious bitch. She thinks she’s better than I am, does she? We’ll just see about that. I guess I better go see about getting Heero out of jail before something bad happens to him.”
Hilde followed the Preventer agents into the building, her eyes wide with fear. That fear didn’t lessen as she was handed over to Wufei, who looked down at her with sad eyes. Taking her arm, he led her down a long hallway. “Hilde, do you know why you are here?”
Confused by the sadness in his tone and the way he used her first name when he had always avoided doing so, she shook her head. “I just arrived at the shuttle port when those agents told me I had to come back. I need to get home,” she asserted, certain Duo would be on his way to L2 already, tail tucked firmly between his legs as Relena had promised. She had every intention of helping him pick up the pieces of his wounded pride. “I’m not in trouble for anything, am I?”
Stopping in front of a locked door, Wufei frowned down at her, “Not that I’m aware of; have you done something to be in trouble for?”
“Of course not,” she nearly shouted, nervous with the dark eyes on her.
“Step in here, please.”
Moving past him, she found herself in a small room that was dimly lit. The only other person in the room had black hair, back turned to Hilde and Wufei, a pair of headphones over their ears. “Over here, Hilde.” Standing at Wufei’s side, she gasped when he toggled a switch and the wall grew clear, allowing her to see the room on the other side.
Her confusion only grew when she recognized Heero, slumped in his chair and giving off an aura of defeat. Glancing up, she shook her head at the man standing beside her. “What’s going on? What’s wrong with Heero? Did he get hurt?”
“I apologize. You probably haven’t been able to see the news. Duo was killed last night…by Heero.”
“Duo was…killed?” Hilde’s entire world collapsed around her with the words. “Why? Why would Heero hurt Duo?” she sobbed.
“We don’t know. That’s what we’re hoping to discover,” Wufei inclined his head as a door opened in the next room, admitting the head of Preventers.
Une sat down opposite Heero, folding her hands on top of the file she had brought in. “Heero, I need you to tell me what happened.”
Saying nothing, the dark-haired man shook his head slowly, never looking up. Une waited a moment and sighed as she opened a folder in order to remove some pages. When she spread them out on the table Heero visibly recoiled.
“What are those?” Hilde narrowed her eyes as she tried to see, needing to know what had taken Duo from her.
A hand appeared on her shoulder. “You don’t want to see. They are photos of the crime scene.” Hilde’s reaction was almost as strong as Heero’s, but shock had numbed her.
Inside the interrogation room, Une was talking softly. “We all know how you felt about Duo. None of us understand how you could do…this,” she waved a hand about the pictures.
Hilde gasped when Heero finally raised his head, tears flowing freely from his eyes. “I don’t know what happened. Is Duo really…?”
“He’s dead and your fingerprints are all over him, along with Barton’s. Since Barton is fully alibied at the time of his death, I need you to tell me what happened.”
Eventually Heero nodded. “When Duo first got here, that first night, he said he wanted to end our relationship. I kept asking him why. He told me he could have a normal life with Hilde if it wasn’t because of me. He wanted to quit as an agent so he could stay with her on L2. When he began acting strange at the briefing, Trowa volunteered to take him to Quatre’s so he could rest. As you know, Wufei and I were here until late that night. Duo said he felt more comfortable at Quatre’s, so I told him to stay, hoping to talk to him once he felt better.”
When he fell silent, Une prompted him softly, “What happened when you went to see Duo?”
“I got there last night, hoping to take Duo to dinner so we could talk. I found him with…Trowa. In Trowa’s bed. After that, I can’t remember anything until Wufei arrested me. Are you sure it was me?”
Seeing the plea in his eyes, Une nodded slowly. “Winner went with you to locate Maxwell. Barton ran out to try to explain, leaving you alone. They both swear Maxwell was alive when they left.”
“What does Trowa say?” Hilde thought Heero was looking for something to prove he hadn’t killed his own lover in a fit of jealous rage, not sure how she felt.
“His claim is that he was trying to help Maxwell after realizing he had been drugged. So far we haven’t found any evidence to support his claim, but Dr. Po is performing an autopsy as we speak.”
“Duo was drugged?”
“If you trust Barton’s theory, yes. We have no proof.”
Hilde watched with mounting horror as the door opened, Sally Po entering and conferring with Une for a moment before leaving again, a new file spread open in Une’s hands. “Barton was correct. Maxwell was given a lethal dose of a drug that shares properties with the illegal substance, ecstasy. If Maxwell had been left without treatment, the drug would have killed him. I’m very sorry, Yuy. This doesn’t change anything. You’ll be charged with first degree murder in the death of Agent Duo Maxwell,” she said apologetically before she vacated the room.
Left alone, Heero put his arms on the table and sobbed. Hilde was shocked; covering her mouth with her hand she turned her back on the scene, “I can’t see this.”
Wufei darkened the wall again, watching her closely. “There are some details you should see to regarding Duo. I’m sure he would want you to make any final arrangements for…excuse me,” he frowned at the soft knock on the door.
When he stepped out of the room to speak to another agent, Hilde hugged herself. Relena had promised Duo wouldn’t be hurt and Hilde had made sure to instruct he was only to get one dose of the drug, following Flip’s careful instructions. She didn’t know what the drug was supposed to do, but Relena had insisted it would make Duo do and say odd things, embarrassing himself so he would never want to return to Earth.
Unable to figure out why Relena would ask for the drug then lie about its effects, Hilde whispered, “Did she know what it would do? Did she mean for it to kill Duo? Would Relena do this on purpose?”
Poking his head in the door, Wufei grimaced, “I think you should hear this. Someone else has been brought in that has been linked to Duo’s death.”
Numb, Hilde followed with stiff motions, never seeing the smile from the woman in the corner of the room. Once the door had closed, Noin picked up a small radio she had kept hidden and rewound the whispered words Hilde had said, picked up by the microphone in the ceiling. “You did great, Heero. We have our first piece of evidence. Take some time and get ready for part two.”
Pulling the radio out of his shirt, Heero wiped his eyes with his sleeve, careful to keep his hands away from his face. “Acknowledged. Commence with part two as soon as she arrives. I’ll need two minutes warning to prepare.”
The door behind Heero opened, Quatre coming in with a wet washcloth and towel. “You must have been very convincing. Hilde looks like she’s been hit with a brick,” the blonde complimented, holding the towel so the other man could wash his hands off. “Are you sure you can convince Relena? She might be more suspicious.”
Heero stood and pulled a small bag from his pocket, holding it up. “With this I’ll be able to get her to believe anything I say.”
“You have to admit, seeing the great Heero Yuy cry is enough to startle anyone.”
“I couldn’t do it if it wasn’t for your cook’s secret recipe,” Heero smiled slightly. “Crushed onions are bound to make anyone cry.” Glancing at his watch, he sighed, “Everything else going according to plan?”
“The broadcast went as Duo said it would. He and Trowa uploaded it to Relena’s house about two hours ago. Minutes later, Relena made a call. They are on their way to pick up the woman she called, a Dr. Samantha Glenn. She’s a biologist that specializes in equine medicines, Heero.”
“Horses?”
Quatre nodded, “She recently withdrew an application for federal approval on a new drug that would make stud horses more docile. Her reason for pulling the request was that the drug could be dangerous to humans if they accidentally ingested the formula. She’s a good woman, Heero.”
“Samantha Glenn.” Heero repeated with a frown. “Sam Glenn. She was a student at one of the schools Relena found me and Duo. She was a small girl, a recluse. Duo made a point of becoming friends with her, hoping he could help her in some way.”
“Did it work?”
Smiling at the memory, Heero nodded, “He never tried to make her change who she was, but helped her gain some confidence; by the time we left she wasn’t afraid to speak her mind, no matter to whom.” Brow furrowed, he recalled the girl he had liked a great deal because of her courage to stand up to the snobby comments made at her appearance. “She wouldn’t hurt anyone, not unless she’s changed fundamentally in the last ten years.”
“Not even for a friend?”
“She and Relena were never friends,” stated Heero firmly. “Relena was always mad because Sam got better grades and was able to ride any horse without any difficulties. Relena was not as talented.” Seeing the way Quatre smiled at him, Heero sighed, “I had realized Duo was right about getting average grades to fit in; both of us could have gotten higher scores, but it would have brought unwanted attention.”
Looking down at his feet, Quatre asked, “How do you feel about getting attention now?”
“It depends where the attention is coming from.” Heero watched the way the blonde shifted his feet and took a chance, telling himself Duo had done it with outstanding results. Taking several steps closer, he spoke softly as he touched the other man’s shoulder, making sure he kept his onion-covered hands away from the other man’s face, “It wouldn’t be unwanted, Quatre.”
Wide blue eyes jerked to his, surprised. “After this is over…” Quatre trailed off when Heero’s radio came to life, informing them of Relena’s presence in the building.
“After this is over, we need to talk,” Heero finished as the other man rushed from the room, not sure if he had been heard or not.