Numerical Latitude
Title: Numerical Latitude (59/?)
Fandom: Gundam Wing, Numbers 'verse
Characters/Pairings: Heero, Trowa, Wufei, Mariemaia, Relena, Sylvia, Nichol, Alex, Mueller
Word Count: 1400
Summary: Dark Gangster AU. Heero's heading for trouble while Nichol introduces himself to the next generation of young radicals.
A/N: aquatinted. I feel like I wasn't able to keep all the plot strings on my fingers... but fun. yay! *distracts with shiny*
***
"Heero." Mariemaia grabbed onto Wufei's sleeve as they surveyed the fire crew trying to manage the accelerated house fire. "Heero's over there, Wufei. Come on."
She stumbled as the terrain changed from sidewalk to grass down the curb to where she had spotted him in the car. Mariemaia had aced her rifle practice but barely passed the requirements on simple running. However, knowing that about herself, she compensated by letting Wufei run ahead. She tried to hide the fact she was out of breath and tucked her hair behind her ears.
Heero was almost chest to chest with Wufei demanding and pointing. He glanced over at Mariemaia and visibly paused.
"Mari warned Sylvia out of the house," Wufei said. He didn't back down either so when Heero turned again they were scowling cross-eyed.
"You know who she is, right?" Heero said. He had always sounded as if he were growling. Mari noticed that didn't change. He was older, though. Or more spent. She could see the aging around his eyes. But he still had a commanding way about him that made her cautious.
"Kushrenada." Wufei shuffled his feet, but intentionally to get back Heero's full attention. "Who's in the car with you?"
"Why didn't you return my calls?" Heero asked instead, then changed his priorities again. "Where is Sylvia?"
Mariemaia glanced back at the house. Even at the greater distance, she could feel the heat from the flames. The city workers were managing to keep it from jumping to the neighboring properties, but most of the lawn was charred.
"I didn't have Syl's contact info to follow up," Mariemaia admitted. "But I had Relena Peacecraft's e-mail still, so I asked her if she knew what was going on..."
"Relena?" Heero took a moment and visibly calmed himself from whatever initial reaction had surfaced.
"Hey, I recognize you from the station." Wufei tilted his head to look at the third man who leaned over the roof of the car. Wufei's dark eyes flashed. "You're the sketch artist."
"Three," Heero said.
"What's going on?" Wufei put a finger into Heero's shoulder and pushed. "You said you retired? You were going to give up the Numbers?"
"He's a friend," Heero shrugged. "You've got her." Mariemaia didn't flinch when Heero looked at her, but his expression was cold.
"Okay, fine." Wufei lifted his hands and did step back then. "Show a little gratitude. Sylvia wasn't in the house thanks to Mari's quick thinking." His compliment made her cheeks ache from trying to hide her smile.
"Mari?" The other man used Wufei's nickname. He smiled at her as if she were a curious attraction. Mariemaia didn't recognize him and wasn't certain what his interest meant.
"Does Relena have Sylvia?" Heero looked between the two detectives.
"Probably," Wufei admitted. Then a new wave of heat rolled over them as the roof of Heero's house collapsed into a blaze of new sparks.
***
Relena considered her options. When Mariemaia had contacted her about Heero Yuy needing help, Relena realized just how in-the-dark Treize had kept his daughter about the Alliance and OZ. Relena had been ignorant once, before she found ways to explore her talents. But it all happened too late. Too late to bring her together with Heero into his world.
And then he'd agreed to give it all up for Sylvia Noventa. When he'd never considered rescuing Relena. And then, deep down, she'd known that it wasn't that Heero hadn't wanted to escape. He simply hadn't wanted to escape with Relena.
Somehow, even that truth didn't prevent her from wanting him. And if by building connections to OZ, proving her self worthy... nothing would prevent her from getting him back. Married didn't mean dead afterall.
But what to do about Sylvia?
Relena checked her complexion in the hall mirror then nodded at the guards who held the door open for her. Sylvia sat in the piano room. At one time Sylvia had taken piano lessons with some blonde boy. Possibly the one that Dorothy kept to entertain her.
"Why don't you play something?" Relena asked.
"I don't want to play," Sylvia replied.
Relena sat down in the chair next to Sylvia's and observed the other woman hadn't touched the refreshments that had been provided to her. "Persephone," Relena said softly. "It won't make a difference if you eat the food or not. You're my guest until I say otherwise."
"You burnt down my house." Sylvia's comment was nearly emotionless. Almost. Relena heard the tremble and savored it.
"Ah yes, well, I also rescued you before I burnt it down. All your memories with Heero in that place, gone." Relena took one of the strawberries and it was almost as sweet as Sylvia's distress.
"He will find me."
"Oh, I do hope so," Relena grinned. "I'm rather counting on it."
***
"Do you want backup?" Trowa asked. "It's obvious the police won't do you any good, since the Peacecrafts have some of the best lawyers in the state."
Heero shook his head. "I should have settled things with Relena a long time ago."
"We could help," Mariemaia Kushrenada insisted. She seemed like an all right kid. Trowa had heard of her, but she'd never been around during the rare meetings of the Numbers. Thirteen always had her somewhere else. Schools or camps or, he gathered, the police academy.
"Perhaps you should call me if you need us," Wufei was more discerning. "We can't get tangled into this stuff unless he can show us it's a crime, Mari."
And Trowa smiled at the nickname again. The Asian cop was completely under Kushrenada's thumb. But which one? Mariemaia seemed just as taken with her partner. Perhaps Thirteen liked to play cruel jokes on his children. The two of them argued the finer points of the law, morality and justice completely oblivious to Heero's movement back toward the car.
"Can you get home by yourself?" Heero asked, distracted.
"Of course, but this is Sylvia... I know what she means to you," Trowa asked again.
"You used to be that person, Trowa," Heero said. "But it's not in you right now. Go back to your apartment and keep an eye on that twig of a girl you left in your bed. She's bad news."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Trowa's voice rose, insulted. "I'm not broken."
Heero pointed at his head. "You don't have all your pieces, Three. Be careful."
"Hey," Wufei said, watching Heero drive off. Then, he turned to Trowa and said, "What's your deal?"
"I'm FBI," Trowa glanced at Mariemaia.
"I'm no snitch," she retorted.
***
Alex liked a good soak in the hot tub. Breaking into someone's home, turning on the bubbles, and making the missus give him a back massage while Mueller did target practice around the husband was his favorite scenario.
He was about forty-five minutes relaxed when Mueller turned and fired his rifle the opposite direction. The woman shrieked falling backwards having slipped on the excess water. The husband fell to the floor, a human shaped ring of bullets around the wall.
"Lads," the stranger said. "I know you're amateurs, but you left the front door wide open."
"Who are you?" Alex said, casually. The other man had no weapon that he could see.
"The door was locked," Mueller added, indignantly. Meanwhile the couple had crawled toward each other and behind the couch.
"Yeah, well wide open to me doesn't have to be unlocked," he said. "As for who I am? Consider me your new PR representative. And from what I've heard, your reputation needs a lot of polish."
"We don't need anyone to shine us," Alex retorted, over his shoulder. His right arm found his drink and he took a long drain through the straw.
"Yeah," Mueller took another shot. The new guy didn't flinch. "So you've got nerves, who sent you?"
"Zero."
Alex did turn then, resting his chin on his hands just over the edge of the tub. "You've seen Zero?"
The man furrowed his brow, lifting his hand to his chin as if considering them in a new light. "Recruiting's open for the next generations, kids. But while you might have Zero's attention, you'll get not further on this journey until you impress me."
"Zero thinks we need polish?" Mueller asked, still somewhat skeptical.
"Oh, I'll polish you. But the point is to find out if there's anything underneath all that bravado, kid." The stranger pointed around the room. "Nice house, but you probably shouldn't have let the owners slip away. And what was the point of this job again?"
"Ah," Mueller glanced around to find the couple had left through the patio door.
"Do you have a better job in mind?" Alex climbed out of the hot tub reluctantly.
"Get ready to show your stuff," the man said. "And you can call me Danil."
Fandom: Gundam Wing, Numbers 'verse
Characters/Pairings: Heero, Trowa, Wufei, Mariemaia, Relena, Sylvia, Nichol, Alex, Mueller
Word Count: 1400
Summary: Dark Gangster AU. Heero's heading for trouble while Nichol introduces himself to the next generation of young radicals.
A/N: aquatinted. I feel like I wasn't able to keep all the plot strings on my fingers... but fun. yay! *distracts with shiny*
***
"Heero." Mariemaia grabbed onto Wufei's sleeve as they surveyed the fire crew trying to manage the accelerated house fire. "Heero's over there, Wufei. Come on."
She stumbled as the terrain changed from sidewalk to grass down the curb to where she had spotted him in the car. Mariemaia had aced her rifle practice but barely passed the requirements on simple running. However, knowing that about herself, she compensated by letting Wufei run ahead. She tried to hide the fact she was out of breath and tucked her hair behind her ears.
Heero was almost chest to chest with Wufei demanding and pointing. He glanced over at Mariemaia and visibly paused.
"Mari warned Sylvia out of the house," Wufei said. He didn't back down either so when Heero turned again they were scowling cross-eyed.
"You know who she is, right?" Heero said. He had always sounded as if he were growling. Mari noticed that didn't change. He was older, though. Or more spent. She could see the aging around his eyes. But he still had a commanding way about him that made her cautious.
"Kushrenada." Wufei shuffled his feet, but intentionally to get back Heero's full attention. "Who's in the car with you?"
"Why didn't you return my calls?" Heero asked instead, then changed his priorities again. "Where is Sylvia?"
Mariemaia glanced back at the house. Even at the greater distance, she could feel the heat from the flames. The city workers were managing to keep it from jumping to the neighboring properties, but most of the lawn was charred.
"I didn't have Syl's contact info to follow up," Mariemaia admitted. "But I had Relena Peacecraft's e-mail still, so I asked her if she knew what was going on..."
"Relena?" Heero took a moment and visibly calmed himself from whatever initial reaction had surfaced.
"Hey, I recognize you from the station." Wufei tilted his head to look at the third man who leaned over the roof of the car. Wufei's dark eyes flashed. "You're the sketch artist."
"Three," Heero said.
"What's going on?" Wufei put a finger into Heero's shoulder and pushed. "You said you retired? You were going to give up the Numbers?"
"He's a friend," Heero shrugged. "You've got her." Mariemaia didn't flinch when Heero looked at her, but his expression was cold.
"Okay, fine." Wufei lifted his hands and did step back then. "Show a little gratitude. Sylvia wasn't in the house thanks to Mari's quick thinking." His compliment made her cheeks ache from trying to hide her smile.
"Mari?" The other man used Wufei's nickname. He smiled at her as if she were a curious attraction. Mariemaia didn't recognize him and wasn't certain what his interest meant.
"Does Relena have Sylvia?" Heero looked between the two detectives.
"Probably," Wufei admitted. Then a new wave of heat rolled over them as the roof of Heero's house collapsed into a blaze of new sparks.
***
Relena considered her options. When Mariemaia had contacted her about Heero Yuy needing help, Relena realized just how in-the-dark Treize had kept his daughter about the Alliance and OZ. Relena had been ignorant once, before she found ways to explore her talents. But it all happened too late. Too late to bring her together with Heero into his world.
And then he'd agreed to give it all up for Sylvia Noventa. When he'd never considered rescuing Relena. And then, deep down, she'd known that it wasn't that Heero hadn't wanted to escape. He simply hadn't wanted to escape with Relena.
Somehow, even that truth didn't prevent her from wanting him. And if by building connections to OZ, proving her self worthy... nothing would prevent her from getting him back. Married didn't mean dead afterall.
But what to do about Sylvia?
Relena checked her complexion in the hall mirror then nodded at the guards who held the door open for her. Sylvia sat in the piano room. At one time Sylvia had taken piano lessons with some blonde boy. Possibly the one that Dorothy kept to entertain her.
"Why don't you play something?" Relena asked.
"I don't want to play," Sylvia replied.
Relena sat down in the chair next to Sylvia's and observed the other woman hadn't touched the refreshments that had been provided to her. "Persephone," Relena said softly. "It won't make a difference if you eat the food or not. You're my guest until I say otherwise."
"You burnt down my house." Sylvia's comment was nearly emotionless. Almost. Relena heard the tremble and savored it.
"Ah yes, well, I also rescued you before I burnt it down. All your memories with Heero in that place, gone." Relena took one of the strawberries and it was almost as sweet as Sylvia's distress.
"He will find me."
"Oh, I do hope so," Relena grinned. "I'm rather counting on it."
***
"Do you want backup?" Trowa asked. "It's obvious the police won't do you any good, since the Peacecrafts have some of the best lawyers in the state."
Heero shook his head. "I should have settled things with Relena a long time ago."
"We could help," Mariemaia Kushrenada insisted. She seemed like an all right kid. Trowa had heard of her, but she'd never been around during the rare meetings of the Numbers. Thirteen always had her somewhere else. Schools or camps or, he gathered, the police academy.
"Perhaps you should call me if you need us," Wufei was more discerning. "We can't get tangled into this stuff unless he can show us it's a crime, Mari."
And Trowa smiled at the nickname again. The Asian cop was completely under Kushrenada's thumb. But which one? Mariemaia seemed just as taken with her partner. Perhaps Thirteen liked to play cruel jokes on his children. The two of them argued the finer points of the law, morality and justice completely oblivious to Heero's movement back toward the car.
"Can you get home by yourself?" Heero asked, distracted.
"Of course, but this is Sylvia... I know what she means to you," Trowa asked again.
"You used to be that person, Trowa," Heero said. "But it's not in you right now. Go back to your apartment and keep an eye on that twig of a girl you left in your bed. She's bad news."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Trowa's voice rose, insulted. "I'm not broken."
Heero pointed at his head. "You don't have all your pieces, Three. Be careful."
"Hey," Wufei said, watching Heero drive off. Then, he turned to Trowa and said, "What's your deal?"
"I'm FBI," Trowa glanced at Mariemaia.
"I'm no snitch," she retorted.
***
Alex liked a good soak in the hot tub. Breaking into someone's home, turning on the bubbles, and making the missus give him a back massage while Mueller did target practice around the husband was his favorite scenario.
He was about forty-five minutes relaxed when Mueller turned and fired his rifle the opposite direction. The woman shrieked falling backwards having slipped on the excess water. The husband fell to the floor, a human shaped ring of bullets around the wall.
"Lads," the stranger said. "I know you're amateurs, but you left the front door wide open."
"Who are you?" Alex said, casually. The other man had no weapon that he could see.
"The door was locked," Mueller added, indignantly. Meanwhile the couple had crawled toward each other and behind the couch.
"Yeah, well wide open to me doesn't have to be unlocked," he said. "As for who I am? Consider me your new PR representative. And from what I've heard, your reputation needs a lot of polish."
"We don't need anyone to shine us," Alex retorted, over his shoulder. His right arm found his drink and he took a long drain through the straw.
"Yeah," Mueller took another shot. The new guy didn't flinch. "So you've got nerves, who sent you?"
"Zero."
Alex did turn then, resting his chin on his hands just over the edge of the tub. "You've seen Zero?"
The man furrowed his brow, lifting his hand to his chin as if considering them in a new light. "Recruiting's open for the next generations, kids. But while you might have Zero's attention, you'll get not further on this journey until you impress me."
"Zero thinks we need polish?" Mueller asked, still somewhat skeptical.
"Oh, I'll polish you. But the point is to find out if there's anything underneath all that bravado, kid." The stranger pointed around the room. "Nice house, but you probably shouldn't have let the owners slip away. And what was the point of this job again?"
"Ah," Mueller glanced around to find the couple had left through the patio door.
"Do you have a better job in mind?" Alex climbed out of the hot tub reluctantly.
"Get ready to show your stuff," the man said. "And you can call me Danil."