(Untitled)

[lightningbaron6]

Any who thinks that Zechs Merquise has an active and engaging life outside of work would find themselves sorely mistaken, if informed of the truth. They're also sorely mistaken if they think that he has much of a life outside of work, period. But workaholic though he may be, Zechs can't find a reason to justify going into the office today, no

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[lightningbaron6]

O..kay, well. That was certainly informative. Thank you, Heero Yuy. Zechs closes the door and follows Heero into the living room before gesturing at the furniture, inviting the other to make himself comfortable.

"Given that neither of us is particularly given to paying the other social calls, I'm guessing there's something specific on your mind." Zechs drains the last of the tea from his mug and looks curiously at Heero over the rim.

"I'm also going to take a shot in the dark and guess that it's something you need either an official or emotionally unbiased opinion on. That you're visiting me here instead of at the office would suggest the latter."

That statement made, Zechs tilts his head toward the kitchen briefly. "I'm going to get another cup of tea, since something tells me this may take a bit. Can I get you anything, tea, coffee, what have you?" He may not be a big entertainer, but he does believe in the principle that one should be hospitable to one's guests, unless of course they are trying stab/shoot/otherwise injure or kill you.

[imperfecthero01]

"I don't need anything," Heero says, and takes the offered seat. As for whether or not he needs an opinion, he nods. "It's something important," he says, somehow deigning it necessary to verbally explain at this point. "It has to do with our job."

[lightningbaron6]

Zechs pauses in tying his hair back at Heero's last statement. It seems like he was right, though he's not really surprised. Heero may not be easy to read, but Zechs has a mental database for him, just as he does for everyone else he's met, of situations, reactions and the like. That makes things easier. Besides, he's always been good at reading people, even complex ones.

"Sounds important, yeah," he agrees as he disappears into the kitchen for a moment. A few moments later he's back with a fresh mug of tea, and he settles himself in an empty seat before looking across at Heero.

"Shoot."

They're mature enough that Zechs doesn't really think it's necessary to append the invitation with "figuratively."

[imperfecthero01]

Heero has considered the various ways to put this. There may or may not be complications in how he'd be expected to explain it - but in the end, he's just chosen not to care about those.

Nobody said he was wordy, after all.

"I don't want to be a Preventer anymore."

[lightningbaron6]

If Heero had opted to be verbose, Zechs would find himself having to add an entire new volume to his mental inventory. As it is he arches an eyebrow in mild surprise, since this isn't exactly what he'd been expecting to hear. But it's not the first time that he's heard it, it won't be the last, and he honestly can't say that he's all that surprised on the whole, unanticipated topic of conversation aside.

"I can't say that I'm all that surprised," he admits as he takes a sip of tea. "You're one of the best, Heero, there's really no point in my glossing over that fact, but I never really saw you as being entirely at ease with the whole Preventer situation." It's a textbook case of the pot calling the kettle black, but this discussion is about the latter and not the former. Zechs continues.

"I'll dispense with the formal questioning of your motives, since there doesn't seem to be much point in it. Will you let me ask why out of personal curiosity, however?"

Because he really is curious, and he suspects that what Heero needs at the moment is an impartial listener and someone to bounce thoughts off of, not an exit interview. And Zechs is perfectly happy to put his BMOC hat on the shelf for a while.

[imperfecthero01]

"It's... complicated," Heero says, slowly. "I'm not even sure how to explain it."

That's not much of a help, really. But he's trying, at least.

"I assume you know the situation that went down in my apartment."

[lightningbaron6]

Zechs blinks. "Situation?"

Owing to a deus ex machina to prevent him from storming over and demanding to know what the fuck all the commotion was about, he was elsewhere at the time. He and Duo are not chummy, either, so no, Heero, he has absolutely no clue.

"What happened? 'Situation that went down' implies something negative, in my experience."

[imperfecthero01]

Heero smiles, in that unpleasant way where it's not really a smile at all. "I assume," he says slowly, "In your inheritance of my memories, you caught a few of an old trainer of mine. Sean Richardson?"

[lightningbaron6]

"...yeah."

Oh, yeah. Him. Zechs may not exactly be Heero's best mate, but even he has to feel a little ember of hatred for someone like Sean. He's the sort of person whose throat Zechs would at least make a valiant effort to tear out solely on principle.

If he were alive, of course, but that's beside the point. It's principle, principle.

"Now that you mention it I did get a brief memo that something happened at the barr- complex, but no one bothered to fill me in completely on the situation. I was at a meeting in Moscow talking budget and politics the week it happened." Zechs frowns. "I take it that Sean decided to make a grand return." Statement more than question.

He appreciates that people don't want to bother the higher-ups, but honestly, it would be nice if he could find out about stuff like this sooner, in some cases.

[imperfecthero01]

A return, yes, but in no case would Heero ever label it as grand. He's certain of the fact that Sean meant it to be, though.

"He broke into my apartment, looking for me. When he found Duo, he... decided to entertain himself some."

Heero's voice is flat, but if one were to pay attention, his fist is clenched. This is something that is never going to stop making him angry.

"They both took quite a beating, but I don't believe Duo would have lasted much longer if I had not come in."

One did have to face facts, unfortunately.

[lightningbaron6]

"Duo?" Zechs isn't at all surprised that the boy would have been there, but Heero's description of what had been happening makes him pause and reflect for a moment.

"I'm presuming he wanted to get to you, for some reason, either directly or indirectly. Going after a person you care about would have been a very... efficient way." He shakes his head. "Duo's strong, but from what I know of Richardson even Duo wouldn't have been able to hold out against him forever. I'm glad you got there in time." He kind of wishes he himself had been home then, actually, because while he and Duo have some past that's none too pleasant, the thought of someone he works with and trusts having gotten such a thrashing pisses him off. Especially when it was because of association alone.

Zechs is tempted to pace, but opts to sit back in his chair, instead. "I'm certain the problem has been well taken care of, given your customary efficiency. Did he ever say why he was there, other than the obvious? Was it some personal grudge, was he working for someone again, or was he just bored?"

[imperfecthero01]

"That was my one mistake," Heero says, his voice traced with a hint of regret. "I merely finished him off, rather than letting him explain himself - though I'm not sure if he would have, anyway."

Not without a game or two to play, at least.

"He had no personal grudges against me, though, and he could not have been that bored. It had to have had a point."

[lightningbaron6]

"I'd have done the same." And Zechs would have, because when someone he loves is involved, he's not always been the clearest or most rational of thinkers. Those are times he acts on emotion and instinct, and it doesn't surprise him that Heero did something similar.

"Besides, you're right. He may well not have explained himself, simply because it would be another way to spite and upset you." Zechs gets up and walks over to the window, looking outside reflectively. "Regardless of whether or not he would have said anything, there has to be something, somewhere, that might help explain. I don't care how good he was, no one is ever completely untraceable if you know where to look."

He stands there for a while, thinking, before returning to his chair. "No personal grudges, and not just entertainment. Have you been able to come up with anyone who'd want to get at you enough to send him after Duo? I can't believe that him showing up while Duo was in your apartment alone would be mere coincidence. Not with someone like him, and especially not if he was working for someone. He was too calculating to leave things like that to chance."

[imperfecthero01]

"Looking at the situation," Heero says slowly, "And the elements that he had in play, I think that it's quite possible that someone is trying to push me back into the game."

It all matched up, really. Get rid of the distractions, attack him in his safe spot. Make him as vulnerable as possible - and then give him no other choices.

"It was going to happen eventually," he admits. He's sitting a little stiffly, staring at his hands. "I couldn't run forever."

[lightningbaron6]

"It could easily add up to that," Zechs agrees. "I'm not certain what their purpose would be, but I can think of a number of people who'd rather have you on their side than against them, or as a neutral party. Most of them don't have any connections outside of Preventer, though, so they're probably not deserving of too much time unless the others turn up nothing."

Zechs' problem this time around is not that people want to get him back into the game, but rather that it's difficult for him to get out of it in the first place. After Libra, after his recovery, he'd gotten dragged back to help take care of Mariemaia, even if it was by his own conscience -- she was Treize's daughter, and that meant that he had a certain amount of responsibility to make sure that she not only survived, but wasn't being manipulated anymore. That had been before he knew the man was still alive, and it had been the least that he could do -- he felt obligated, given his relationship to her father. Besides, he'd wanted her to know that the things she had been saying, the "facts" that Dekim had drilled into her, couldn't have been further from the truth.

And then, just over a year ago, Heero and Duo had been sent to bring him back to Preventer, back into the game, whether or not he really wanted it. Zechs can sympathise on a number of levels.

"Perhaps it was an eventuality that they would try," Zechs says, "but that doesn't mean that you have to give in. One instance, even many, protecting someone that you care about doesn't mean that you're 'back in the game.' Even if it means that you have to kill in the process. Senseless violence has no place, but sometimes you just don't have any other choice when the lives of others are at stake, particularly innocent lives."

He does worry a bit, however, because he doesn't want to see Heero, and through him others, subjected to that again. Heero and Duo are more like comrades than true friends, but Zechs does care enough about them that they fall into the kill-to-protect category. He works with them, respects them, and they're important to others he cares about, like Relena and Briana. The last reason alone would be enough.

"Do you think there's any way you can distance yourself enough to make them back off, or give up? People who do things like that tend to be a bit like terriers who've set on a rat, but sometimes you can discourage them enough that they let the matter drop."

He doubts that it will ever be that easy for someone like Heero, but he also can't accept the idea of doing nothing and seeing Heero either give in or just keep running without any destination.

[imperfecthero01]

"I'm not sure," Heero admits. "The only two options I can think of is to defend myself thoroughly, or go after them - and I'd rather not be that offensive."

Not anymore. The idea of it makes him tired; tired in a way he hasn't really felt before, tired in a way that's right down to his bones. It's just not something he can Do anymore, despite any of his training.

Things change, sometimes. This just happened to change at the exact wrong moment.