Chapter Four
AUTHORESS'S NOTES: Wahahahaha, Ayame-chan is back! And with a new muse! Say konnichiwa, Trowa-kun!
TrowaPlushie: ....Konnichiwa.
Good boy. Now, minna, don't be surprised if you see Trowa-kun typing up my notes for me! He'll be recognized as ** TrowaPlushie ** Now, on with the show!
Relena left her dumbfounded friends and sauntered her way over to Gally. Apparently, the trio didn't notice her arrival until Relena put a hand on Gally's shoulder.
"Oh, hi, Relena!" Gally greeted her.
"I've been looking for you," Relena said. Act calm. "So, this is where you've been." She stopped, looking for an explaination.
"Um...you guys, this is my guardian, Relena Dorlain," Gally introduced. "Relena, this is Andrew Lowe and his little sister, Kitsune."
Kitsune waved happily while Andy greeted with a polite hello. Relena smiled back. Act normally...
"Who invited you guys? I mean, I've never seen you two before. Did you have to go in place of someone else?" she asked.
Kitsune nodded. "Uh-huh, our uncle H--"
Andy lightly tapped his sister's head so that she would stop talking.
"Ah, like Kitsune said, our uncle Odin sent us," Andy replied. "He was invited by a close friend of his, but couldn't come due to a business trip. So, he asked us to come." He gave a Look to his siter.
"Oh...sou ka..." Relena said, a bit disappointed.
"Andy was just tellin' me how they got here," Gally explained. "And Kitsune's been telling me about her school."
Kitsune nodded.
"Why don't you three jo---" Relena was about to say when a beeping sound interrputed them.
Kitsune looked down at her watch, the source of the sound. She pressed a couple of buttons and then shut it off, pulling her brother's sleeve. Andy leaned over, and his sister began to whisper in his ear. Whatever was said was so low that Gally, the closest to the two, couldn't hear what was being said.
"Anno," Andy scratched the back of his head, "suminasen, shikashi, our uncle needs us right now..."
"Is something wrong?" Relena asked curiously.
"No, um, Odin-niichan just needs us to get something for him!" Kitsune answered, pulling her brother's sleeve as if telling him to leave.
"Do you have to leave so soon?" Gally asked.
"Yeah, it's an emergency," Andy replied, following his sister's lead. Then he smiled back at Gally. "I'll see ya at school, Gally."
Gally nodded and waved. Kitsune waved back before the two disappeared behind the gate. Relena continued to stare at the spot where the two were last seen, lost in her thoughts. She snapped back into reality when she was being shaken.
"Relena, doushta no?" Gally asked, frowning slightly.
"Uh...betsumi. It's nothing," Relena stammered. She smiled for reassurance. "I'm fine, really. Just thinking, that's all."
Gally looked unsure for a moment, but smiled back. "Well, okay, if you say so. Let's go back to the others, ne?"
Relena nodded, letting the girl lead her back to the large group that was still chatting, barely even noticing that Relena had disappeared for the moment.
Kitsune's eyes still bothered Relena somewhat. She could've sworn that they looked like Heero's, but she could be wrong. Gally said that their last name was Lowe, wasn't it? So, they couldn't be related to Heero unless he changed his name. That was definetely a possibility. She noticed how Andy gave his sister a look when Kitsune was about to explain out they were invited. Lowe, huh? Why does that name sound familiar?
<back at home...>
The men who were after his relatives were back on the hunt again. Heero wished that he'd rescue them sooner, before those chips were inserted. But there was no way to reverse time, so everything had to be the way it was now. Heero stared seriously at the computer sceen as he accessed confidential government docutments and references on their database. The sound of an engine and two voices broke his reverie, and Heero stood up, leaving the computer on, as he went outside.
"Gally-san's really nice!" he heard Kitsune say.
"Aa..." he heard Andy reply in his usual monotonous way.
"And so's Relena-san, demo, she looked a bit sad..."
"Hey, guys," Heero greeted, leaning against a support.
"Hee-chan!" Kitsune ran to him, arms wide open.
Heero swung her around and carried her with one arm as Andy took off his helmet.
"So, how did it go? How's everyone?" Heero asked.
"Everybody seemed pretty happy," Andy replied. "Some guy named Trowa has a wife and kid with another coming on the way."
"You're kidding me," Heero commented in awe.
"Hai! He has a pretty wife and a kawaii little girl!" Kitsune said. "And a man named Wufei is going to have a wedding."
"Wufei? He has a fiancee?" Heero murmured.
"And his fiancee's pretty, too!" Kitsune added, not even hearing Heero's comment.
"...What about Relena?" he hesitated.
"She's the guardian of a girl who goes to the same school as I do," Andy answered. "She's just fine from what we've seen so far. Still single which is why she's adopting orphaned children. Right now, the girl who is staying with her is acting like a younger sister."
Heero nodded as an image of the Relena he once knew appeared in his mind. Gods, how he missed her. But staying hidden from the world was the only way he could redeem himself. It was also the only way to keep Andy and Kitsune away from the men who were searching for them. To remain in public with a code name was better than using a real name. That was why Heero used his last name as theirs instead of their real one, Hanazaki.
"Relena-san's really pretty, Hee-chan!" Kitsune informed as they all walked inside. "She's got really long hair and sparkly blue eyes."
"Aa," Heero answered as they both sat on the couch. Andy took a seat in the armchair across from them.
Heero remembered those eyes. So, she hasn't changed.
"Why'd you call us back?" Andy asked.
"I hacked into Canada's government database and found something that might be of interest to you guys," Heero answered. "It seems that out of the twenty of those like you that escaped, about fifteen were recaptured after a period of four years."
"So, you mean that they're still searching for us," Andy stated.
Heero nodded. "Only five of you left. Including you two."
Kitsune rested her head on Heero's shoulder and began playing with his daggerlike necklace. "Why do those meanies want us for?"
He chuckled lightly, rustling her hair. "That's a good way to put it, Kitsune. Once you're a bit older, we'll tell you why."
"But I'm twelve. Isn't that old enough?" Kitsune tried to point out.
"Twelve going on six," Andy countered. "Daijoubu, Kitsune. It's nothing for you to worry about."
"I transferred the two of you out of your schools," Heero continued. "And," he took out a piece of paper from his pocket, "there's this for you guys' to take."
Andy received the paper and began to read while Heero continued on explaining.
"The reason why is that in some cases of the recaptured, they were recaptured by one of their own."
"By one of their own?" Andy arched an eyebrow. "You mean---"
"The project's been completed," Heero finished. "I'm assuming that the Red Hawks have more than enough super solders trained to overthrow the United Earth's Nation."
Which is why he's making us keep an eye on Relena-san, Andy thought as he reread the paper. "But why let us join the Preventers? I thought you didn't want us to join."
"Now we have no choice. It's better to go under the Preventers' protection than not to. So if the Red Hawks ever find you, then the United Earth's Nation would know."
"Then, what about you, Hee-chan?" Kitsune asked worriedly.
Heero smiled. "Daijoubu, I'm doming with you guys. I'll disguise myself so I won't be noticed. Hopefully Wufei or Sally won't see."
<the next day ~ St. Gabriel's Institute>
"Nani?!?" Gally exclaimed. "Andy's been transferred to another school?!?"
Maya nodded sadly. "Uh-huh. And he hasn't been here for a full month, yet."
"You said that he just transferred here a week ago," Gally pondered. "But why?"
"The mistress never explained," Maya answered. "...And he was kinda cute, too."
Gally sat down next to her friend, pouting the exact same way as she did. "Yeah, I know...." That means Kitsune-chan's gone, too. She said that she'll follow her brother wherever he goes.
<Preventer's HQ ~ Moon>
Lady Une eyed the trio in front of her suspiciously. They looked so...young, yet looking back at their resumes, they were pretty well-experienced. A young man standing before her with ruffled midnight hair that had thick bangs which partially covered his grey, smoky eyes looked only around eighteen. A little girl stood behind him, holding the sleeve of the hunched man next to her. She looked around eight or so, and so innocent. She looked possibly older by just looking at her Prussian blue eyes that barely shown through her tossled midnight hair. The elderly man had kept his head down, wearing a kakhi hat over eye, and had a hunched back. He held a wooden cane for support from the girl who was holding his arm.
A strange family it looked to her, especially with such a young man before her. Then Lady Une had to remember that Wufei was only sixteen when he was asked to join.
"You seem to have a lot of experience for such a young person, Andrew," Une finally replied. "When did you start working like this?"
"Ten," Andy answered and gestured to the hunched man. "As soon as my grandfather fractured his hip. Both my sister and I started working for money."
"Maa, you're well-qualified. You sister, too," Lady Une said. "Our organization will provide your family with food and shelter here on the base. Anno..." Her eyes looked at the hunced old man.
"It's fine with my grandfather," Andy assured. "He doesn't go out much anyway. And my sister's an expert as an information specialist."
Kitsune smiled, waving politely.
Lady Une nodded, considering the facts. They were running out of members anyway....
"Maa, we're low on experienced members. To this day and on, you are now a Preventer."