Disclaimer: I'll eat my socks if I could own GW, but I don't,
so....
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Humming quietly, Duo attached the last piece of machinery to the
table; a tiny, square object that acted as a hidden microphone.
He stood up from his crouched position, made sure all was in order
then took off his vest. He was going to be sitting near the ceiling,
were all the heat trapped in the room would float up to. Being
dressed in dark clothing was bad enough; several layers would
have been intolerable.
After finding that the set-up was perfect, everything in it's
designated place, he scooted to the wall and began to scamper
up a rope to the ceiling, reminding himself not to look directly
up or he would be blinded by the chandelier.
The room were all those people had vanished into was nothing much,
more like a vault with old wallpaper and a ceiling that shot up
forty feet. The ceiling, the only thing that had been paid attention
to during construction, had one gigantic chandelier illuminating
the area.
Strangely, though, it didn't reach the corners of the room at
all, leaving them in unnoticeable shadows. Where the walls met
the ceiling large circles had been carved out. Looking like huge
dents two feet deep purposefully built into the walls, no one
quite knew who's idea they had been.
But they made the ideal spot for Duo to hide with the rest of
the equipment. Having reached his small cave, he pressed himself
as far back as possible, put the headphones on and turned on the
laptop he had brought back. Everything that was going to be said
was going to be recorded and sent to Heero. Anyone below wouldn't
hear the typing or clicking coming from Duo's unpracticed keyboarding
skills, so he was quite safe.
Now, all he had to do was wait for the group to assemble its odd
members.
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Relena rushed down the hall, trying not to trip on the thick rug
under her feet. Her hair was flying loose like a banner behind
her, not in its' usual hairstyle for an important meeting, and
dodged a servant going the opposite way. She had to reach the-
Finally, oak doors came into view. She entered at the same tempo
she had been walking with, highly surprising the occupants. Sitting
around the room, in couches or chairs, were President Mahini,
Anne Nibolga, who offered a reassuring smile, and the rest of
the Nigerian officers who had come for the week.
"Please tell me you're are not thinking of going now."
Relena demanded, forgetting the formal tendencies of the group.
President Mahini stood up, and just then did Relena notice he
was wearing the military clothing given to his status; a dark
blue suit with shoulder tassels, white sash across his chest pinned
with dozens of medals and ribbons; he even had the cap on with
the flag of Nigeria stitched above the bill.
"I have been gone long enough, Miss Peacecraft." His
dark eyes searched hers for signs of understanding. "The
threats have been temporarily pulled back. We must see our families.
It's time for us to leave. We are in great debt to you for your
hospitality and help when no one wanted to give Nigeria any support.
Thank you."
"But are the airlines safe? What about the landing stations?"
Anne Nibolga stood up then and calmly walked to where Relena stood.
She put a hand on the sixteen-year-olds' shoulder.
"You don't know how much you've helped us already. I myself
will try as hard as I can to remain open to peaceful negotiations.
Miss Peacecraft, it is time that we use all we know and have gained
to help our country and people. We cannot stay here for any longer.
"Your graciousness is something everyone is highly grateful
for, as well as your worry for our safety. But we have to leave
now."
Relena stood shakily there, thinking of ways to keep them here.
They were not safe going on a plane to Nigeria; she couldn't let
them leave.
"Please, I know it's not safe, there's a great chance-"
"We found an airline that's safe for our use. But in order
to go, we have to leave in a half hour." Relena staggered
at this, her face stricken, not caring about the obvious dismay
she was showing.
"A half hour?" She exclaimed. Anne Nibolga bent forward,
talking in a softer tone.
"The President misses his children, and I miss my family.
Everyone here does. And we know that, if Nigeria doesn't see us
returning soon, it might take it we have forsaken them and are
not doing all we can.
"Politicians are already looked down at with scorn, and if
we leave our country when it needs us most, it would be justifying
that.
" But I personally would like to thank you for all you've
given to us. It is an unusual person to be so young and in so
much control of one's self and their life already. Please, don't
try and fight this. The decision has been unanimously voted for."
Shocked, Relena could only turn worried eyes to her.
"Why didn't you tell me earlier?" She asked gently.
"We've all decided in the last two hours, or less."
Relena gazed at Anne, then let her eyes go over the faces of the
other people. They all wanted to leave and do their jobs in where
they were meant to be, that was clear. But she couldn't help but
feel unsure about the whole thing. The terrorists had much control
now.
But she could also see that whatever she threw at this determined
group of people would only harden their resolve to leave and offer
their help in Nigeria. Everyone she had gotten to know during
the week they had stayed she had come to like in some way. Anne
Nibolga for her independence and the way she knew just what she
was doing; Cole Mahini for his kind, gentle personality that spoke
of fatherhood.
Everyone's head was turned to her, as if wondering what she was
going to say. But she couldn't say anymore. Relena had spoken
enough; she couldn't control anyone, and this was something that
was being taken from her hands and passed to the people here.
No choice could be turned to that Relena saw regarding the hard
resolve of everyone present.
"Alright," She said quietly. "I am not in favor
of this, but I cannot change your mind." She shook hands
with the President, composure solid, if not entirely confident.
"Thank you for everything, and have a safe trip home to your
families." At this, they gave her small smiles.
"Thank you." Anne Nibolga said once more, putting a
hand to Relena's shoulder. Relena raised a hand and lay it over
hers, eyes expressing just how much she disliked the sudden plan.
Though this wasn't what anyone would call thoroughly discussed,
in her opinion anyway, or clearly planned, the hopes in these
people were high. Crushing, even withholding, these hopes would
be selfish. She gave a single nod to show she had some understanding.
Anne's eyes took on a more playful quality.
"The reporters will have to chase our plane to get a full
story, Miss Peacecraft." She didn't hide her spite for the
media, and Relena had to give her a tiny smile for the humor.
With that, Anne walked passed, leaving Relena alone to herself.
Everyone had filed out. She knew that, at this moment, everyone
was rushing to get a plane ready, finding trustworthy pilots,
packing. A hand went up to the base of her neck; what now? A torn
feeling rocked through her. She wished she could somehow do something.
The lace under her fingers felt scratchy, and her eyes took on
a forlorn look.
Nigeria was falling. How these troublesome groups built up so
fast only proved how many disagreed with complete, unified Pacifism;
she bit her lip, still in a daze. Sitting down into a chair to
her right, she leaned over and propped her arms on her knees.
Nigeria certainly was falling, but there wasn't enough known about
these people to bring in troops. Amazing, how little they knew
even though the terrorists had taken over some of the country.
The secrecy this group used was frightening; she hoped Lady Une
had sent in the right sort of help.
If something wouldn't be done soon, there'd be an uprising. To
her, this was most likely. And this uprising would need help to
get a clear start; they'd bring in more people, maybe even engage
other countries. It was like President Mahini had said; Africa
wasn't in good shape, and they were using this to their advantage.
What next?
Relena stood up slowly. Along with the other preparations, a meeting
in some hall or other was being organized, she was sure of it.
The moment after the President and his cabinet left, she would
have to step up and explain the following.
In a way, they had left her in a ditch to help herself out; but
Relena couldn't feel resentment at their decision. Anne's shining
eyes darted into her mind. She couldn't begrudge her that happiness.
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Slumped against the side of his man-made cave, Duo hung his feet
over the edge in ultimate boredom. It had been exactly two hours
since he had gotten to this hole, and since then, nothing had
happened.
Wiggling his toes in his boots, he leadenly watched the doors
for any sign of movement. Finding none, he moved his line of vision
to his feet, seeing them swing over the edge of wall. On impulse,
he pulled his knees in, bringing his feet away from the dangerous
heights, when the tiniest sounds of footsteps brought him back
to alertness.
Sitting up, eyes piercingly alarmed, he pulled back into the shadows
till his back touched the wall. He inched the computer farther
away from the light the chandelier gave off in a brief fit of
paranoia.
It was the exact, odd group of people from the day before. Duo
curiously watched from his hideout as they took places around
the table, nervously scooting their chairs back and forth, scraping
the legs against the hard floor. A few seats were left uninhabited,
but that's how it must've been supposed to be. The old man began
the discussion, but in the native language of Nigeria.
With a frustrated sigh, Duo allowed himself to watch rather than
to listen. He didn't understand a single thing that came from
the toothless mouth, or any of the mouths at that table, and hoped
that he would find out when he got back to the Preventers.
The discussion was heating up. The fifteen-year-olds' voice was
rising shrilly, and the seventeen-year-old abruptly stood up to
argue with her. A grin starting to steal over his features, Duo
watched as the old man jumped up skittishly to quiet the teens
down. They grudgingly obliged and the rest of the meeting followed
much more quietly, yet saturated with a feeling of tense apprehension.
Everyone was talking tersely with each other in clipped voices.
In much this fashion the rest continued, with Duo changing positions
uncomfortably every few minutes. Not understanding anything that
was going on below him, he daydreamed about going back to the
Cinq Kingdom.
The constant hum of voices in his ear was a lulling sound, even
when the pitches changed. The smoky, humid air that floated upwards
soon had him sopping with sweat, wiping the beads off his forehead
every so often. The vest lay in a little heap some ways from him,
and the dark shirt followed not much later.
Duo was thinking of kicking off his boots when the meeting seemed
to end. The old man bitterly said something to the woman beside
him and got up, starting for the door. The others followed wordlessly,
their discussion at an end.
Grateful for the convenience of ending this stuffy hiding, Duo
waited a few minutes to ensure that he was alone and no one would
come in. Carefully slipping all he had brought with him to the
ground, he hoped this meant the end of his stay in Nigeria.
He stretched, easing his tense muscles.
"Finally, it's over." He muttered, all the while unhooking
the little pieces of machinery from under the chairs and table.
Taking out more normal clothes from the backpack he had with him,
he set away his heavier things meant for being in the dark and
from sight.
A glance at his watch made him sourly feel the pit of hunger in
his stomach; it was nearly three in the afternoon. He had been
there since ten, maybe eleven in the morning without so much as
a word bounced off his tongue.
Shouldering his backpack, he slipped out of the room and down
the hall, tactfully managing to leave the massive building unnoticed.
It was time for him to return; though the terrorists had no reason
to believe someone was onto them, they had no reason not to be
suspicious of anyone anyway.
Smirking, he thought that in one hour, he'd be long gone, and
by evening, all traces of his visit would've disappeared.
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"I can carry my own luggage, sir." She said indifferently.
The worker shrugged and walked off.
All around were people, some with children, some with pets, others
without any bags or purses. They were packed tightly together
in a thick crowd, the noise they created ignored by each other,
bumping into one another without apologizing. Airports would never
cease to be this way; they would always be slightly confusing,
packed with people, crazy, hectic.
Dorothy eyed the strangers surrounding her, carefully tightening
her grip on her suitcase. The strength those hands had was unimaginable;
appearing to be too slim and fragile, no one would've guessed
how easily she could've hurt them with a punch. But being reserved
kept many from seeing the true power she possessed, an advantage
in some situations.
Finding a place to sit down for a moment proved to be hard. Dorothy
wandered around the levels of the Airport, sometimes overlooking
a bench to people-watch instead. Absent-mindedness was not something
she usually had, but that day seemed to be hazy, as if she needed
to grope her way to the exit. It was in this fit of inner restlessness
that Dorothy bumped into someone, immediately alerting her into
waking up.
She glanced at the person in front of her, face expressionless,
eyes icy and distant, setting her suitcase on the ground.
"Mister Maxwell, what a surprise." She said dryly. Duo
took a step back, eyes wide and jaw slack with the unexpected
meeting.
"Hello, Dorothy." He shifted the weight of the luggage
in his hands by switching the suitcases around. "What are
you doing here?"
Dorothy clasped her hands behind her back indifferently.
"I am here to see for myself what ESUN has gotten itself
into." She replied with a lofty smirk. Duo nodded, skeptical,
then shrugged.
"I was about to catch a taxi. Want to join me?" Pausing,
Dorothy stroked her coat with one hand thoughtfully, staring at
a spot above Duo's right shoulder. She clasped her hands behind
her back again, focusing her attention on Duo.
"If that doesn't get in the way of any of your plans, I accept."
He grinned at her formal response. Always formal, even in battle;
never did she slip in that category.
Walking back the way Dorothy had come Duo led her to the exits
to where rows of taxis waited for clients. On the way out Duo
glanced at Dorothy; she was silent, staring ahead, as if constantly
busy with her thoughts. He also noticed that she seemed to be
leaning sideways a little. Shaking his head, he halted.
"Here, let me take that for you." Without waiting for
her to reply he had grabbed her suitcase, adding its' weight onto
the other two he already had. A little startled by the abrupt
action, Dorothy glanced up at him then back at the ground. He
knew she never would have asked him to carry it; she would never
have asked him for anything, if possible.
The last thing he had thought would happen was seeing her again,
and yet, she had bumped into him in an Airport. He found that
strange and, at the same time, completely normal. Making sure
the suitcases were securely gripped in his hands, they continued
to walk.
People were rushing back and forth, surging between the doors
and the cars. Someone even shouldered Dorothy out of their way,
very lightly surprising her. She looked over her shoulder, and
Duo pushed his way to a one of the cabs. After a short exchange
of words he waved her over.
While he was piling their things into the trunk, she stood by
the door, vacantly staring at the glass. He closed the trunk,
flipped his braid over his shoulder once more, and gave her the
strangest of looks. Yet, she didn't react. Her skirt, long and
dove-dray, shuddered in the cold breeze flying through, and she
kept on gazing at the window.
"Dorothy, are you alright?" She started up, almost as
if she hadn't known he was right beside her. But she nodded her
head quickly, burying her hands in the pockets of her coat.
"I'm fine, thank you." He paused, stood next to her
for a moment as if trying to find out why she had been so distant
by watching the harsh winter sunshine on her hair. After a few
moments of silence, he shrugged again and opened the door for
her. She hastily climbed into the cab, scooting over so he would
have space for a seat. Duo thanked her quickly then told the driver
their destination.
His head swerved over to look at Dorothy again.
"You are headed for the Capitol Building, right?" She
nodded. Duo sat down and the taxi pulled forward, pushing out
of the dense throng of vehicles parked or driving alongside them.
They reached the highway in minutes; it took little under a half
hour to get to the Capitol Building (which happened to be situated
close to the Preventers).
During that time Dorothy chose to stare blankly out of the window
on her side of the car, ignoring the person who had graciously
offered to accompany her. Duo felt a little miffed at this, but
not much worse.
Truthfully, he knew very little about the infamous Dorothy Catalonia,
known so well in some circles and so little in others. They were
no more than acquaintances. So, Duo crossed his arms and stared
out of his window, absorbing the surrounding traffic and highways.
It was evening, and the roads weren't as busy as usual. Rush hour
had passed.
The sky grew darker as the taxi sped along the road, and Duo became
uncomfortable with the silence brooding in the space inside the
car. He knew it might bother her if he asked Dorothy questions;
she herself didn't seem to mind the stillness. But he had to if
he didn't want to begin to squirm in his seat.
"Dorothy, why are you here?" Duo had felt curious about
the answer since he saw her. Ever since the Libra his feelings
about her were on shaky ground. Dorothy straightened, still gazing
out the window.
"I want to hear what the ESUN officials and the Cinq Kingdom
Ministers have to say." Pause. "What about you?"
Duo unsnapped the annoying seatbelt, casually wondering what to
tell her. He settled into the seat, putting his hands behind his
head as a cushion, just to stall.
"I have returned from a mission." For the first time
since they had joined company Dorothy looked directly at him,
smiling with her lips pressed tightly together.
"I see." She kept Duo's eyes fixed with her own. "
I nearly forgot to ask, but how is everyone?" Duo pulled
back, surprised. Everyone? She barely knew anyone else except
for Zechs, Quatre and Heero. Even Duo was more of a stranger than
a friend to her. She had no idea who Hilde was, had very little
knowledge of Sally Po, and didn't know Catherine existed. Who
was 'everyone' to her? And what could he say about Zechs, who
was considered to be dead at the moment?
"They're fine, I think. I haven't seen Quatre in a while..."
Dorothy tilted her head to the side, unaware that this little
action caused her hair to fall over her shoulder. It was as if
she was asking for more information. Duo remembered the last time
he had seen Quatre. "But I remember him to be doing fine."
Dorothy, now wistful, flipped her hair over shoulder again. Duo
cleared his throat.
"Do you want to see Relena?" Dorothy whirled around
to meet his eyes again, startled by this question. She calmed
down almost immediately after, not used to having her guard brought
down so easily for the second time.
"That may be part of it. Frankly, Mister Maxwell, I am not
entirely sure why I have come here." She said, perplexed
at herself for freely giving him such private information. Duo
gave her a grin.
"I figured as much." Not much else was spoken.
Duo stepped out of the taxi and held the door open for Dorothy.
She carefully got out, looking up at the looming building ahead
where streams of people were already going. Impressive to some,
but not to her. The familiarity of the sight was somewhat reassuring.
Someone stuck her suitcase in front of her, shaking her from a
brief daydream. It was Duo, and he held her luggage to her, nonverbally
asking her to take it. She did.
"I'm not heading there for a while, so I guess I'll see you
later." He said kindly. She turned her head to him, and he
was caught again by surprise at the confusion and coolness of
her eyes.
"Goodbye, Mister Maxwell, and thank you for your help."
She said, returning to her distant and unaffectionate nature.
He stalked off with a wave and hurried to the Headquarters, hoping
that the equipment hadn't been damaged on the trip in the airplane.
The run-in with Dorothy was eerily fresh in his mind.
Dorothy faced the massive columns, the grand staircase, the gargantuan
proportions of the granite-and-marble Capitol Building with a
defiant smirk. She stomped up the steps, grinding the heels of
her shoes into the surfaces as if to purposefully leave a mark.
She was going to find an answer in here, even it meant talking
with Relena Peacecraft one more time. Determination and stubbornness
obvious in the way she moved, the way she walked, how she held
her head up high and the way her shoulders were swept back, that
alone was enough to make people move aside for her.
"Heero, please translate this." Lady Une ordered, eyes
trained on the computer screen in front of her. The screen threw
off a green light that illuminated her face and his in a strange
way, but leaving the rest of the room in darkness. By the door,
his hand on the knob, was Duo.
"Will I know what they were talking about when you get that
finished?" He asked inquisitively. Lady Une, with her back
to him and leaning over Heero to see the computer, shrugged.
"I can't say just yet, we have to access the discussion first."
Duo pursed his lips unsatisfactorily but kept himself from arguing.
He was tired and still needed to attend the large get-together
at the-
"Lady Une, ma'am?" Duo opened the door and a Preventer
nearly crashed through into the room. The Lady whirled around,
slightly angry.
"Is something wrong?" The Preventer glanced at Duo uneasily.
"Yes, ma'am." The Lady blanched, leaving Heero to his
work. After a brief, uninterested glance over his shoulder, Heero
returned to the computer with all of his determination, the people
behind him pushed out of his mind completely.
"What is it?" The Preventer took a step back.
"You will want to hear this for yourself, ma'am." She
nodded, taking hasty steps to the door. Glancing at Duo, she motioned
with a nod of the head for him to follow. Hands in pockets he
did.
Dorothy, pushing her way through the halls and people, clutched
her suitcase defensively. Never had their been so many in this
building; not that she could remember, anyway. Then again, she
hadn't been in the Cinq Kingdom for some time. Her return to the
political groups of the Capitol Building would certainly shake
some foundations.
Turning into a secluded branch leading to the back of the stage,
she walked as if she had never been surer of anything in years.
When the heat become more than tolerable, she halted to take off
her coat. Her clothing, barely wrinkled, was plain; a gray jacket
over a long skirt.
Her eyes followed a person past her, their intensity setting them
on edge and hurrying their steps. A smirk trailed over her face
before she picked up her overcoat and suitcase to continue walking.
Once in the familiar setting of the backstage, she tucked her
things into a closet. Smoothing down the tailored jacket at her
hips, she found a chair to sit in.
Something Duo had said had changed her mind. She would talk with
Relena, even if it meant waiting for hours. The smirk melted away,
her eyes taking on a cold, mean gleam. People were rushing through
the doors, finding seats. She could hear the noise, though she
did not take notice of it. For a relatively unimportant meeting,
the building was packed.
The outrage of people certainly did amuse her. Outrage gave way
to motivation; they were on a mission to find out what was happening,
since the changes in the last six hours were tremendous. Dorothy
settled her hands in her lap, preparing for a long wait.
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Anne settled into her seat eagerly, snapping the seatbelt together
across her lap. She leaned into the sparse cushioning of the plane
seats, closing her eyes briefly. Behind her, she heard Kya Johnson
and Mahini settle into their seats, conversing pleasantly. Everyone
was glad to be going back, though anxious about the possible danger
involved.
Unseen by anyone was the pent-up look of anger Anne had when she
thought of how these people wanted to destroy the newly gained
peace, and her not even in the same nation to help fight. Her
fingers tapping the armrest, she glared at the seat in front of
her. A vengeance rose in her, a want to fight back.
Signs for seatbelts and 'no smoking, please' flashed in front
of her. Engines roaring, the plane began to move forward slowly.
Her ears popped once, twice. The plane bounced on the runway maybe
three times before becoming airborne. Again, the constant ear
popping.
The flight was to take maybe five hours, this being a machine
used more for cargo than the mass transportation of people. But
they had to use what they could bargain security for; this was
the closest thing.
She vaguely hoped that she'd have the chance of meeting with the
Vice Foreign Minister again, someday, before the plane straightened
into a more horizontal fashion heading for Africa.
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Dorothy was a needed addition to the group, ne?...I really hope
this wasn't as choppy as I think it is. Anyway, biology needs
my attention, so-