Gundam Wing Fan Fiction / Weiss Kreuz Fan Fiction ❯ Night's Redemption ❯ Chapter 2 ( Chapter 3 )

Disclaimer: I do not own either Gundam Wing

"blah" speaking

/blah/ thoughts

`blah' telepathy

-

He stood before the council, fingering the lace cuff of his shirt, dark hair spilling down his head, outlining his face and flowing into the opening of his shirt where a faint scar on his chest could be seen. He had just returned from another unfruitful search, this time from the elven realm. "You are certain that child was not in the elven realm?" The dark haired man looked up, eyes flashing, as the chancellor of the council spoke, his voice echoing in the stone chamber. All of the members were here today, each looking splendid in their ceremonial robes. There were eight regular members, one chosen from each of the main clans. The chancellor was always chosen from the last council; he kept the meetings running and was the tiebreaker should it be needed.

"Yes, I am. The child we seek is not in the elven realm, just as she was not in our realm." His speech came out clipped, an emotion being suppressed. "That woman fled from our realm, to the elven realm and was cornered and killed in the humans. Therefore, I will start searching the humans realm." He turned, hair streaming behind him, a cloak of raven.

"Just a minute, Sean! We haven't given you permission to leave!" The red haired council member snarled. "And how can you be so certain you'll find this child in the human realm? It could also be in the realm of the dead!"

Sean whirled around, amethyst eyes blazing, fists clenched. "It was my understanding, my lord, that you wanted this dealt with as soon as possible. It has already been fifteen years with no sign of her … it," he quickly corrected himself, voice still clipped, but the anger now very evident. "And I was chosen to find it because I am connected to its life-force and will be able to tell when I am closing in. So believe me when I say that the child is still living and is in the human realm! Now, if you have no further objections, my lords," his voice dripped with acid, "I need to get to the human realm before a disaster happens there." With those final words he strode out of the council chamber, heels slamming down with each step. He stormed through the carved halls, servants scattering at the sight of his face. Once he reached the relative safety of his own chambers, he buried his face in his hands, sinking to his knees. "How much longer?" he whispered, the words audible to only him. "How much longer until I can find her and train her? How much longer can I keep the council away from her?" He raised his head, eyes unfocused as he stared into the distance. "Where can you possible be, my little daughter?"

-

"He should be removed from this search!" Pierre, the same council member that had questioned Sean, stormed. "That man is too personally involved! For all we know, he has already found the child and is now training it to bring us down!" The other members nodded, most looking concerned.

"You are forgetting what spells we have cast in this room, Pierre." Pierre stilled when he heard the chancellor speak. "It is impossible for anyone called before the council to lie. Therefore, Sean did not lie; the child is still alive and in the human realm. And I feel I should not have to remind the council that a geas was placed on Sean, one that will force him to slay the child." All the members, with the notable exception of Pierre, looked relieved. "Since there is no further business, this council is adjourned." Seven of the members stood and filed out, breaking into smaller groups, talking quietly as they left. Pierre stayed behind, still seated, eyes narrowing as he contemplated the chancellor. "Yes Pierre?"

Pierre cleared his throat. "You were friends with Sean before this recent incident. Now, while questioning your impartiality before the others would be … rude, can you be absolutely certain that you are objective enough to pass judgment?"

The chancellor looked at Pierre, his demeanor betraying nothing. "My but we are being forgetful today, aren't we, Pierre? I have stood before the rest of the council and sworn to uphold and enforce the judgments we pass. That includes any relating to this incident and any that might occur in the future." The chancellor stood and headed out his private entrance. He paused in the doorway, looking back at Pierre. "Or perhaps you are still angry that Bright Song was placed in Sean's care instead of yours?" Pierre's fists clenched tighter, his teeth grinding. The chancellor allowed himself a small smile. "I didn't think so." He walked out, leaving Pierre to stew by himself.

-

Lady Une looked up as Duo and Heero entered her office. "Good. Here, your next assignment." She handed a folder to Heero. He took it, leafing through the pages.

"No way!" Duo complained as he read over Heero's shoulder. "We have to be bodyguards to some kid? And we have to find her first? This is a joke, right?"

"No joke Maxwell. Now, I suggest you get going. Any further information I get will be passed on." Heero nodded, closed the folder and turned on one heel, striding out of her office, Duo trailing behind.

"Aw, man! I can't believe this! We just get back from one mission and we're immediately sent on another one! I need a vacation," Duo moaned as they walked back to their office. Once there, Duo collapsed in his chair, sprawling out across his desk. "Hey Hee-chan, who are we supposed to be looking for anyways?"

Heero looked at his partner, a small smile playing on his lips. "Her name is Duet Mendelssohn." Duo's head snapped up at that.

"What? Oh no," he covered his face. "Don't tell me she was raised in an orphanage too." Duo looked through his fingers when Heero didn't say anything. "Perfect. Just perfect. Now I know why Une assigned us. What other info do we have?" Heero sat on the other side of Duo's desk and slid the folder over to him. Duo opened the folder and started flipping through the papers. Heero had gone to his desk, starting a search on his computer. "So this is what she looks like, huh?" Duo held up the one photo from the folder. The picture showed a young girl perched atop a jungle gym, head turned to one side, one hand reaching up to brush her bangs out of her face, green eyes seeming to blaze out of the photo. "This is too weird."

"Hn." Heero continued typing. According to their information, the orphanage Duet had lived in was located in New York City. It had burned down two years earlier with no known survivors. But the official body count from the blaze did not match with the registered number of people that had lived there, there was one body missing. Lady Une was certain that Duet was still alive, especially with the most recent report that had come from New York, the one that made mention of a young boy with long hair running at inhuman speeds through the slums. It was only by luck that the agent there had stumbled across that info. Heero frowned as the computer generated a map of the search area. "We might have to bring Quatre in on this." Heero turned to look at Duo who was still sorting through the information that Une had given them.

"Why's that, Hee-chan?" Duo looked up from the page he was reading.

"Look at the probable area she'd be in," Heero gestured at his screen. Duo got up and walked over, whistling when he saw the size of the area.

"Yeah, we're definitely going to need Q-man's help. And you know that wherever he goes that Trowa isn't far behind. So we might as well ask Wufei and Sally to join us. We'll especially need Sally's help once we find Duet. Living on the streets for any length of time can do horrible things to you," Duo added, voice darkening as memories long buried started to surface. Duo shook his head and stretched, Heero watching appreciatively. "It'll almost be like old times."

"Hn." Heero moved back to his computer, fingers flying over the keyboard again as he transferred the data to his laptop. "Better get whatever equipment we'll need now. I doubt we'll have time to come back."

"But Hee-chan, I already have all the equipment I'll ever need." Heero quickly glanced at Duo only to look away again, a faint blush forming at the look of pure lust in Duo's eyes. Duo grinned, it had been a long battle, but he had finally succeeded in getting Heero to show his emotions. Of course, it had helped when he finally figured out that Heero had felt as strongly about him as he did about Heero. Duo stretched again, knowing that Heero was watching. "Why don't you get what we'll need and I'll contact Q-man and Wuffers. Meet back at our place?" Heero nodded, heading out of their office and down to supplies, a faint blush still decorating his cheeks. Duo's grin faded as he picked up the photo of Duet again. "What are you?" he mused, then shook his head, making the necessary calls.

-

Une sat back in her chair, fingers steepled in front of her. She had received the request to protect one Duet Mendelssohn from a rather unusual source, but one that she had no reason to question. /But why would Milliardo Peacecraft be so adamant that this one girl be protected? That this one girl be kept safer than even himself or his sister? Just what is it about this girl, Duet?/