17-Jun-2002
By the time we had reached Preventers Headquarters I had calmed down enough to start thinking a bit more clearly. Unfortunately Heero had been more than aware of my pensive mood and in the cab ride over he had tried to prompt me into telling him what was wrong on four separate occasions. I threw enough inane banter at him to leave me alone and give me time to think.
So far my theories were full of holes. For one, Wufei allowed me to join the Preventers knowing full well that I had no ties to the political or economical associations that they were funded by. Thus making me neutral and not easily swayed by money or power. So that couldn't be it. I had no influence over anybody really. Not like Quatre or Heero had with Relena. And I certainly didn't have anything to blackmail anyone with. With my jaded past I was lucky no one had tried to do that to me. So again that couldn't be why they thought I was the traitor.
Wufei had said the leak could be from the inside. He knew why I was going to L1; the real reasons anyway and hadn't tried to stop me. He let Heero know I was coming. It was a perfect opportunity to get Heero back earthside without it raising too many suspicions and then he could watch over me or vice versa. But then why the phone call to Relena? I swallowed the lump in my throat that was forming at that question.
Heero shot me a sidelong glance I pointedly ignored as we walked down the hall to Wufei's office.
Who was that damned old guy in the Chinese restaurant that slipped me the paper with the code on it? Why give it to me? I shook my head as I buried my hands in my pockets and let out a little growl of frustration. Next thing I knew Heero had grabbed a hold of my arm and was pulling me to a stop outside Wufei's office.
"What is going on with you Duo?" He asked with a bit of heat.
"I could ask you the same thing, Heero." I wasn't trying to pout, but found that I had to look away from the confusion he had written all over his face.
"Is this because of what happened between us last night?"
I frowned. "I'm trying to play connect the dots and the picture that's forming ain't pretty." I was being childish, I know.
He let go of my elbow finally realizing he was hurting the hell out of me by squeezing it so tightly and drew his eyebrows together like he was thinking really hard. "I thought... we talked about this."
I was annoyed. Heero playing ignorant was only cute for so long. "You've been working for the Preventers in secret for two years. You have been working on a... " I glanced around and lowered my voice. "Something that could very easily tip the balance of power into the wrong hands and you won't even fill me in." I paused as my tirade really began to build steam and a jerked my arm out of his reach. "I've known you for a long ass time Heero, and I've always trusted you, but I... " Heard the phone call you were on while you thought I was in the shower? I heard you telling Relena this was all temporary? What would I be suspicious about, huh? That the guys think I've somehow betrayed them all? That you're just fucking using me? I shook those thoughts out of my head for the time being and dropped all hints of sarcasm from my voice as I finished answering him. "It's nothing."
"You still think I'm holding out on you." He whispered.
He was about to say something else when the door to Wufei's office flew open and I found myself being roughly hauled inside by him. "Duo... are you okay? Have you had medical attention?"
I blinked at Wufei. He never calls me by my first name. I must have really scared him.
Heero slunk into a chair and wouldn't look at me. Nevermind he was oblivious to the glare he was earning from Wufei. Wufei and I differ about many things, but I knew he was my friend and cared for me. I hadn't really thought he would be so obviously upset by the sickly colored bruises I was sporting and probably blamed Heero, as per usual. It's amazing that I could get myself drunk, or stoned, or injured and it would always wind up being Heero's fault. Forget that he was in a totally different colony all those times Wufei had to pick me up off the floor of some dingy backroom bar.
I hadn't heard a word he had said while I was reminiscing about the last days before I finally called Wufei and he arranged for me to come to earth and join the Preventers. "Wha?"
"He said that you're an ass." Heero supplied for me deadpan.
I stuck my tongue out at him quickly before turning back to Wufei who was still grousing about me getting someone to look at my bruised elbow and face. "Oh stop grumbling Wufei. I love you too."
"It's not funny Maxwell. Just look at yourself. Had I known things had gotten this bad I wouldn't have allowed you to go to L1 in the first place."
I frowned at that. "What do you mean?"
"By coming to L1 you pretty much announced Preventers presence where it hadn't been before, Duo." Heero said quietly from his seat.
Damn that jacket! I had been wearing it around like a damned flag the whole time I was on L1. All those prickly feelings, the guys at the restaurant, the look Relena was giving me at the party. I was screaming 'look at me I'm here on official Preventers business.' I'm lucky I didn't get Heero and I killed. "Heero I'm sorry. I don't know what else to say."
"It's all right. You had your mind on other... matters."
Wufei cleared his throat and we both turned to him. He had a slight blush to his cheeks and was quirking one elegant eyebrow at me. I just shrugged. One of these days my paranoia will do me in for sure. How could I think that Heero or Wufei thought I was the mole? I let out a small laugh that earned me an odd look from both Heero and Wufei. "Nevermind. So... uh... the supercode, prevents ops from getting tagged by the bad guys, right?"
"Well yes, essentially. But it also protects data retrieval and other privy material." Wufei began solemnly.
"And who we keep on our records both officially and unofficially." Heero added.
It was then that I had my second revelation since being hauled into Wufei's office. Quatre and Trowa's names were going to be on that secret list. It might not affect Trowa too much, but for Quatre it could be disastrous. And Relena too. She secretly supported us now as she had during the wars. If that got out, not only could she be in great danger, but she'd also be thrown in the mist of a ton of scrutiny by the general public. It could be bad. Very bad.
"So how do we protect it?" I pondered out loud. "And who knows what it is and how do they know?"
"Once Qutare gets here I think we will be able to come up with a plan." Wufei said quietly as he grabbed for some papers on his desk.
"And Trowa?" I asked trying to ignore those thrice damned knots in my stomach.
"He's already gone inside." Heero said casually.
I shot him a quick glare. "Inside where?" I demanded once again feeling out of the loop.
"Here." Wufei handed me a piece of stationary from the file he had on his desk. It looked harmless enough. An invitation to a new energy resource convention on L4. "I believe that the company sponsoring this event is behind most of the corporate espionage that we have seen coming across our desks."
"StarQuest. Providing energy today for a better tomorrow." I handed it to Heero. "Sounds innocent enough."
"It's a good cover, I agree. But everything we have so far points to them."
The intercom on Wufei's desk suddenly sounded and a nervous young lady's voice came through. "Excuse me Mr. Chang?"
"Yes Elise, you may speak openly." The last of my lingering fears disappeared hearing him say that to her. And I chided myself for thinking that they thought I could ever betray them. I glanced to Heero who was flipping through some pages in Wufei's files and smiled warmly at him. He must have felt the weight of my stare because he looked up to see my goofy grin and quirked a quite little smile at me before returning to the file in his lap.
"There seems to be an emergency involving some of our operatives, sir." I snapped my attention back to the little back box on Wufei's desk and the nervous lilting voice of his secretary. "It seems our Temporary Quarters for Preventers Agents is... on fire sir."
End Part 8
(:./ebony/magic8)
