16Lady Une glanced up from her phone as the car jerked to the side, horn blaring as the backlights of a sports car illuminating the windshield. Glancing to Trowa she bit the inside of her lip, tucked the phone in the pocket of her jacket all the while eyeing the way his grip tightened on the wheel. Rare as it was to elicit any response from the man, Washington D.C. Traffic had that effect on everyone, even on Heero Yuy.
"Would you like me to drive?"
"No." He bit out, flipping the turn signal rougher than what he had intended to. Lady nodded running a hand through her hair, pulling it over her shoulder as they passed by the centuries-old Capitol Building, had become nothing more than a monument, its grounds were flooded with tourist, buses and taxi's lining the sides of the road making the normally congested city even worse. And, Lady Une knew it would only get worse in the coming months. With Relena taking up residence in the District, people came from all around the planet and colonies to catch a glimpse of anything having to do with the Vice Foreign Minister, even just pictures of her roses.
As the vehicle slowed to a stop at another red light, Lady looked to Trowa again. Leaning her arm on the door handle, she tapped out a beat. "This assignment."
Trowa stiffened, "Nothing needs to be said about it."
Lady scoffed, "right, I forgot." Turning to look out the window she narrowed her eyes at a group of people waiting in the crosswalk, the signal ticking down the seconds they had left. At one point in time she would have suggested running their ignorant tourist down, now she fingers drummed on the armrest in irritation.
Trowa's hand came to rest over hers, fingers grasping hers tightly. "I'll take you to the hospital." Lady frowned looking down at the fingers entwined in hers. As the group moved the car rolled forward, turning not two hundred feet down from the last light onto a straightaway line with museums and office space. It wasn't a long ride, the stop lights making up for that by being more of an irritation than anything else.
The turn signal clicked again as the Preventer SUV turned down into an underground garage, coming to park beside another blacked out vehicle sporting a Government license plate. Lady didn't wait for Trowa to come around and open her door, not that he was going to attempt it this time. As the pair walked towards the elevator, the vehicle chirped signaling it had been locked. The ride up to the hospital was quiet, Trowa standing behind Lady Une, hands in his pockets while she looked down at her phone answering emails and sending text messages to Sally – her direct assistant. As the doors opened, they stepped into a busy atrium, soldiers lingering in pairs, young receptionist smiling brightly at the young men while nurses passed in flocks.
"Commander Gold." Lady Une turned as a young woman stepped forward from a throng of soldiers, her jacket hanging off the tiny frame.
"Agent Ghost." Trowa's brow arched, as he looked over the waft of a woman before them. He instantly recognized her as Hilde, Duo's girlfriend. "Any updates?"
Hilde shook her head waving them to follow her. A few heads turned as Lady Une passed through whispers of speculation following the three as they headed towards another set of elevators, nurses and soldiers alike offering them a wide girth of space. Bad things tended to follow Preventers. The doors slid close hiding them from the stares and gossip that began to form. Watching the numbers rise, Lady Une turned to Hilde.
"How has the partnership with Mr. Winner been?"
Hilde smiled nodding, "Quatre is a complete gentleman, it been a real pleasure to have him as my partner this time around."
Lady Une nodded, "I will be switching you both out soon for Preventer Wind. I need you to assist Preventer Foscheck in an investigation." Hilde nodded stepping out first as the elevator slowed to a stop, the doors sliding open.
Unlike the chaotic entry this floor was quiet, Quatre stood in the doorway of a room talking to a nurse. The woman smiled turning away and heading to the station as the other three Preventers stepped off the elevator.
Lady Une smiled at the young Mr. Winner as he turned to them, his own welcoming plastered on his lips. "Commander, Trowa."
"Quatre," Lady Une stepped past, Hilde following close behind. Trowa turned to follow when Quatre's hand stopped him.
"Are you sure you want to do this?" Looking into the room at the sleeping form on the bed, Trowa nodded. "Cathy will kill us if anything happens to you, you know that right."
Smiling at his friend, Trowa removed the blonde's hand. "I know." From the door, Quatre shakes his head.
"I don't want this to happen to you." Joining the others at the bed, taking a spot near the window Quatre watches the group. Lady Une begins looking through the patient's chart, brow furrowing.
"Overdose of narcotics, lacerations to soft tissue near C3, dislocation of left ulnar bone, severe malnutrition, dislocation of both shoulders, fractured clavicle…" Lady Une closed the folder looking down at the body in the bed.
"Wufei?" Lady Une reached out placing her hand gently on his leg.
Quatre shook his head, "the doctors placed him in a medically induced coma." Drawing her hand back she looked to Trowa. Already prepared for her question he held his hand up.
"We will be able to handle this. With Hilde as my partner, I'm sure we will figure out what if going on with Miss Darlin." Hilde smiled.
Quatre stood from the window ledge, "With the peace conferences I will be staying in Miss. Darlin's residence. While not officially on assignment I can provide some assistance."
Lady Une frowned looking at each other them. "Fine, and Duo?"
"Duo's cover hasn't been blown yet, but Wufei was in deep with Heero." Hilde frowned, "Heero is missing and well, Wufei."
"We won't let Duo get hurt." Quatre frowned, hands tightening beside him. "And we will find Heero." Determination spread against the younger agents, Lady Une nodding.
"Hilde, I am sure Relena will recognize you from Libra."
Hilde shook her head, "no. Mr. Winner has a plan for that." She smiled then holding out her hand where a large sparkling diamond rested on a thin gold band. "I will be his fiancé." Trowa looked to Quatre who shrugged, it was Lady Une who stepped in to save the blond.
"Hilde is the best at getting information in a limited span of time." Hilde smiled pleased the Lady Une, Commander of Preventer remembered her hacking abilities. "Quatre, you are not to engage unless it is the very last resort."
Quatre nodded, "let's bring Heero home."
