Behind Darkness' Mask 6/?

[Gundam Girl]

Gundam Girl: Because the last chapter was so sappy, I hope to thicken things up with a bit of angst. For reference, do you all remember that blond guy in episode two? He?s on the motorcycle and sees Heero in the ambulance and gives Relena flowers, and he gets his ass beat by Heero in fencing? ^_^ Yup, he?s comin? back. You?ll see what I mean.

Thanks to everyone who?s ever reviewed. You people are fueling me, and I really need some good fuel right now. Thanks again!

Disclaimer: Wait, I forgot. *looks through past chapter notes* That?s right, I DON?T own Gundam Wing! *smacks head* Silly me.

*~Behind Darkness Mask~* Chapter Six

?Horace Delacoup.?

Duo snorted, an eyebrow raising. ?You?re kidding. I mean, I?ve met that guy. I was in France helping out Preventers a bit, and I talked to him. He?s a little older than us, and my handkerchief was more interesting than his words.?

Heero lowered into the large armchair in Duo and Hilde?s one-floor house. ?Her mother wants her to date him, maybe get a ring.?

?Marita Darlian is the biggest social figure in today?s rich snobs, second to maybe the President?s wife, but I figure Mrs. Jamison is nicer. She wants Relena to date any good-looking man as rich as possible.? Duo stretched his hands over his head.

Heero scowled. ?Any success??

?Well, in the last eight years, she?s had a total of three boyfriends, and I?m pretty sure all of them ended up being losers.? Duo?s eyes narrowed. ?Of course, you?d have known that if you?d been in Sank at the time.?

Yeah, Heero thought. He would have. He?d traveled the world looking for the perfect place to call a home, or at least someplace suitable enough for a man who?d been restless. Currently, his apartment in New Port City would do. And if nothing happened with Relena, chances were good he?d been taking off again.

?Hey, Duo. Come in here a minute.? Hilde came into the living room just long enough to make the request, and Duo and Heero followed her back into the bedroom, where she was folding laundry.

The TV was on, and it blared the afternoon Sank news from its place on the dresser. ?Look at this,? Hilde instructed, and the two former Gundam pilots tuned in.

?Early this morning at four-thirty, Sank Kingdom time, a young governor from the European J.A.P area arrived in New Port City. Damien Valrino is rumored to have gone to the St. Gabriel?s Academy with Vice Foreign Minister Relena Darlian. Governor Valrino has also confessed to having no appointment scheduled with the VFM. So what could this childhood friend, or maybe, boyfriend, be doing in the capital of Sank? In other news, Senator Kevin Petersen was married to a one Grace Mitchell this afternoon. . .?

Hilde hissed between her teeth. ?Uh-oh.?

Heero raised his eyes to the ceiling, exasperated. ?I?d almost say this is becoming more trouble than it?s worth.?

Duo grinned. ?But it?s not, is it? Heh-heh.?

?You know what, I?ll talk to her,? Hilde offered. ?Certainly Relena would give me information if I asked for it. And I always do,? she confided with a smirk. ?Nothing suspicious at all.? She looked at the man codenamed zero-one. ?Until then, why don?t you make an appearance? After all, it has been almost a week since the man that?s recently joined the Preventers has showed his face.?

Heero?s eyelid flickered. He wanted to bite back at her, make some sort of snide remark, but the truth was his interest was so peaked that he couldn?t resist the idea. . .if not for the fact that Relena would see him as Heero Yuy.

The idea both frightened and excited him. On one hand, it could be dangerous to go back to Relena?s house only two days after seeing her as the Prince of Darkness. Yet on the other, it seemed thrilling that he could look at her without being under some sort of guise.

?. . .completely in over his head, if you ask me, just *look* at him. . .?

Heero raised his head and blinked out of the inner closure of thought he had put himself in. ?What did you say, Duo??

Duo grinned. ?So, now he pays attention.?

Heero glared. Duo shrugged.

?I only said that this guy could be a potential threat to your mission,? the braided one stated, rocking back on his heels and sliding a T-shirt on a hanger to help his wife.

?Aren?t they all?? asked Hilde.

Duo snorted. ?Hardly. Babe, let?s just say that the way Relena looked at those stuffy cravat-wearing geezers too old for their age is the way I look at Sally ? not my type, which is probably why Wufei has her. But Damien Valrino is kinda the way I used to look at Sylvia Noventa??

?You what?? Hilde growled. Duo?s eyes widened, and he smacked a hand to his head.

?Woops, I mean. . . I SO didn?t say. . . That was before I met you!? he insisted at last, sweat beading on his brow.

Hilde rolled her eyes and sighed exasperatedly. ?Heero, why don?t you go home and rest? I?ll call you tonight.?

?Call tonight,? Heero nodded, ?but I?m heading for Preventer HQ.?

?How come?? Duo asked, eyeing the black-haired woman warily. For fun, Hilde flashed her eyes at him. He yelped.

?Checking in with Une, mostly. Hopefully get assigned to late night guard detail.?

Duo grinned. ?Oh, I get ya. . . Night guards have the permission to break down her door in case of emergency. You have a set up handcuffs. . . If the emergency is dire, you can??

?Finish that sentence, and I?ll snap my handcuffs around your neck,? Heero growled, and Duo?s eyebrows arched.

?Really? Hm, I?ve always wondered what that would feel like.?

Heero narrowed his eyes in warning, and made for the door. ?Bye.?

?Call you tonight, Heero!? Hilde?s chipper voice reminded him.

?Hn.? He flung his uniform jacket across his shoulders and stepped out of the house.

Besides the check-in and schedule discussion with Une (the night job was assured ? Preventers were always looking for more reliable officers to guard the Vice Foreign Minister?s room), there was another reason for going to Headquarters. His laptop wasn?t the best piece of machinery for doing background checks on political well-to-do gentleman.

And Damien Valrino was going to get a thorough one on HQ?s main computer.

***

He wasn?t surprised to see upon walking inside that the Headquarters building looked exactly the same way it had nine years ago upon being first constructed. The walls were splashed in a pure cr?me, while rugs of burgundy and doors and desks of mahogany detailed the d?cor. Anne Une had never been one to worry about expenses for good-looking workplaces, but she had made certain that what needed repaired was, and was efficiently.

Also, he wasn?t surprised to see the rookie on desk duty up front lounging in the probably uncomfortable wooden chair, his feet propped on the surface of the desk, a thin file envelope pressed against his thighs while he nibbled on the end of a blue pen. Apparently, this newcomer had not yet been fully exposed to Une?s strict business manner, nor Wufei?s justice.

Heero almost smirked, and wondered briefly how he would react to either of them. But then his face straightened again, as though he had never loosed it. With calm, even strides, he approached the desk.

?I?m here to see Une.?

The rookie jumped so high, it was a wonder he didn?t hit his head on the ceiling. Heero raised an eyebrow, expressing the proper amount of intended intimidation, and the desk boy yelped.

?Yes, sir,? he squeaked. He knew it; if the correct attitude was given, the boy couldn?t even tell that they held the same rank. ?Do you. . . Do you have an appointment? Should I beep Lady Une??

?More or less,? he answered to the first question. ?If you?re going to beep her, lower your voice a few octaves. Learn to do your job. You don?t want her thinking she?s got a woman filling where a man is scheduled.?

?Yes, sir!? His voice cracked, and as Heero walked away, he heard him clear his throat to frantically do as was suggested. He glanced at the caller device and its many buttons. Deciding the man was a force to be reckoned with and would need no introduction, he left it alone.

Heero nearly sighed. He hadn?t even been asked his name.

The door to Une?s office was closed securely, and the gold plate on the door read out her rank and name in an appropriate state of authority. He knocked twice, and proceeded to step inside,

Anne Une looked up over her thin-rimmed reading glasses. ?Ah. Heero.? She set down the document in her hand and folded her glasses, setting them next to it. ?Not shocking for you to be right on time.?

Small talk had never been his preferred way of conversation. Even when she gestured to one of the cushioned chairs in front of her, he remained on his feet. He didn?t plan to stay in this office long. ?Well??

?Your request pleased me immensely.? Though she said so, the normal person wouldn?t have been able to believe her by her cold tone and tight expression. Her brown hair around her shoulders, she reminded him of some sort of frigid, royal duchess. ?I will give you hours eleven to six, Heero, and we?ll see how well you do from there.?

?Those are the only hours I asked for,? Heero pointed out grimly.

?That?s true, however. . .? A cool smile spread on Une?s face. ?Rumor has it you may try to go for twenty-four/seven.?

?What rumor?? Heero demanded, his brows lowering. Blue fire glowed in his eyes. There was a snitch. . .a misinformed snitch.

?Sorry, Anne, your damn coffee machine broke down again, and they were all out of French vanilla. . .? Sally paused, two Styrofoam cups in her hands. When her spring blue eyes landed on Heero, she frowned. ?Hi.?

His lip curled upward as Une?s left eye squeezed half shut in her own feeling of foreboding. ?Hi,? he returned coldly. ?Coffee run interrupt your chat, Sally?? He?d forgotten that Sally and Sarah had grown close from Sarah?s own days in the medical department at Preventers. It would only make sense to fill her in on the highlights of today?s inner circles.

?The French vanilla?s gone?? Une frowned. ?Oh. . . Damn. Coffee, Heero??

?Sally,? Heero growled.

?Heero, I didn?t say anything,? Sally assured him, crossing the room and handing a cup to Anne. ?Irish cr?me,? she told her. Une grimaced, but then she leaned back and turned her head to gaze out the window.

?The ?Prince of Darkness?? Really, Heero. Surely you can do better. If not, I?ll make a note not to assign you to undercover missions.?

Heero slashed a hand down his face. ?Why do you know about this, Anne??

?I make it my business to not let a single thing happen in New Port that passes through my knowledge,? Anne replied, sipping from the Irish cr?me. ?Such as Governor Damien Valrino making a sudden arrival at the Peacecraft Palace this afternoon.? Her eyes flashed in warning. ?Don?t kill him, Heero.?

Heero wanted to groan; throw a fit if he knew how. As it was, he could only stand and scowl. ?How long will he be here??

?He hasn?t said. Oh, I do hope you plan to look into him and save me some trouble.?

A bit of the heat in him cooled. ?You were going to check??

?Well, I can?t have crazy childhood stalkers on the palace grounds, can I?? She shook her head. ?You give me far too little credit, Heero.?

From her place in the corner, Sally giggled. ?Going to scope in black??

Heero turned. ?You two should be cast down from your posts.?

?The only one who casts down anyone here is me, Yuy, and I suggest you remember that,? Une said tartly. ?Main computer?s three doors to the right, if you?ve forgotten.?

?I remember,? Heero told her sharply. As he walked out, he tossed over his shoulder: ?Here?s something you didn?t know, Une. Your desk rookie doesn?t know the hell what he?s doing.?

***

That evening, as Heero was looking at computer printouts, his bedside tele-screen rang, and he instructed the voice mechanism to pass through on audio.

?Heero?? the peppy voice chirped.

?Hilde,? Heero returned, eyes scanning over Valrino?s hobbies: tennis, soccer, cards, and theater-going.

?I?ve got a juicy bit for you.? A laugh sang in her tone. ?Relena?s giving this Damien a private welcoming party tomorrow night. Mostly Marita?s friends and people she and the governor are supposed to be friends with. Cocktail affair.?

?So?? Heero asked.

A sigh was audible. ?So, pick out a suit and go! Scope the competition.?

Heero?s face grew stern. The odds of being figured out were slim, and who could be there that would be a major threat?

?I can?t hurt, Heero.?

~?A name cannot harm, but I know that you could.?~

?So what do you say?? she asked, sounding just like her husband. ?Will you go??

~?I wouldn?t!?~

?Heero. . .??

~?Not on purpose.?~

Heero reached over and switched the feed to visual, and saw Hilde?s worried face.

?Mission accepted.?

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