A good man is hard to find...
by astprincess
 
Chapter Three - An Unexpected Ally
 
Trowa surveyed the streets ahead of him like a hawk, his cool green eyes not
missing a single thing. In the distance, he saw a woman with short dark hair
wearing a white dress. It had to be Hilde. He was about to point her out to
Quatre when he noticed that she was with a man. When they got slightly closer
the man looked up, and Trowa held his gaze a moment. Even the normally calm
Trowa couldn't help but start in surprise when he realised who it was. The two
figures ran off together, apparently hand in hand.
 
"Was that Miss Hilde?" Quatre asked excitedly, having noticed her too.
 
"I believe so." Trowa said nonchalantly, having easily composed himself once
more.
 
Quatre took a few steps forward, making as if to follow her, but Trowa's hand on
his shoulder stopped him.
 
"But Trowa -" Quatre was confused.
 
"Let's go meet up with Duo." Trowa turned and announced to their party that it
was pointless to continue their search, but thanked them for their efforts
anyway. The crowd dispersed.
 
Quatre turned on Trowa, annoyed. "She was right there! We could have -" 
He gaped in astonishment at the words he heard when Trowa spoke again.
 
"Quatre... She was with Heero. We would never have caught them."
 
~~~~~
 
Heero ran through the wet streets without looking back, further and further. He
only stopped when Hilde cried out in pain, and faultered behind him. She
appeared to have twisted her ankle - not surprising really, since she had run
all that way in a pair of broken shoes. Heero found himself thinking she had
done quite well, considering. He immediately dismissed these thoughts and
focused on what they should do now. They? his mind taunted him. She's nothing to
do with you! She can manage from here.
 
"You okay?" He asked shortly, not really sounding like he cared.
 
"Yeah... thanks..." She was grimacing in pain, and was a little breathless, but
it was good enough for Heero.
 
"Fine. I think you can take it from here." And ignoring her disbelieving
expression, Heero began to walk away. He just wanted to get off the damned
colony as soon as he could. He knew he had come here for nothing!
 
"Excuse me?" Hilde couldn't keep the anger from her voice. What kind of
heartless man was he? Heero turned back to her with a mildly surprised look on
his face that angered the girl even more. "I don't mean to be rude - that's
obviously your specialty - but... are you telling me that you plan on
abandoning me here, injured, with no money, change of clothes, or means of
transportation?"
 
He smirked. "Yeah"
 
She couldn't help her mouth dropping open. But she guessed he had already helped
her more than she would ever have expected. She sighed in resignation. "- All
right. I thank you for your help anyway." Her eyes moved to look down the road.
What am I going to do? she wondered. I should probably leave the colony, but...
how?
 
Heero saw the defeat rise inside of her and was surprised. She was obviously
weaker than he had thought - he had expected her to protest more than that. Then
again, he supposed the events of the day were taking their toll on her. What
should he do now? Leaving her probably was a bit harsh... He growled in
frustration and looked to the bedraggled Hilde. He would regret this, he knew
it, but -
 
"I'm going to L1" he said in a low voice.
 
Hilde blinked. "Good for you." she offered weakly. Then it dawned on her that
maybe it was his way of... offering to take her there? "Wait... are you saying
-"
 
"I've got a shuttle. I can take you as far as L1 but then you're on your own."
 
Hilde swallowed nervously. What was she supposed to say to that? She hardly knew
the guy, but she did know that she most definitely did not want to go wandering
through space with him! Heero was a man to be feared - Hilde knew full well what
he was capable of. Then again, she had said she wanted to travel, and how else
could she get off the colony with no money? Now wasn't the time to let fear
stand in the way of doing what she had to, and... he didn't seemed quite as bad
as she had first thought when she ran into him back near the church, right? 
Hilde struggled silently as she felt another important decision coming on. 
Yet... despite all her reservations, despite the fact that it was indeed the
elusive Heero Yuy in front of her, the same Heero Yuy about whom she had heard
various war horror stories from Duo - like the time he set his own broken leg,
or the time he self destructed his Gundam and still survived... She kinda wanted
to go with him. Hell, she'd said herself she wanted adventure!
 
She shrugged, and attempted to sound indifferent. "Sure."
 
It was Heero's turn to be surprised now. She knew what he was, didn't she? A
terrorist, a... murderer! Wasn't she afraid of him? The thought that she wasn't
was surprisingly pleasing. Relena had never been afraid either, not that there
was any comparison to be made of course.
 
He wondered what to do now - he hadn't really expected her to agree. Who in
their right mind would agree to go anywhere with him? Right after leaving her
fiance at the altar? The girl was clearly mad, and so was he for involving
himself with her. He didn't want her coming with him to L1! But it was too late
now. 
 
He stepped away from her. "You're gonna need at least some of your belongings -
a credit card would be good too. I don't have much."
Hilde nodded. "I can get my purse." She looked stricken. "But it's at the
church! I can't go back there! What if someone sees me? And it's too far away
from here on foot!"
 
"Guess you won't be coming, then." Heero didn't look the least bit sorry. In
fact, he looked positively relieved. Hilde glared at him. That did it. She was
definitely going to L1.
 
"Like hell I won't!" she snapped. "You're the great Heero Yuy, you work
something out!"
 
Heero stared at her a moment. She really wanted to go with him? The woman
certainly was annoying - no wonder she got on so well with Duo. He nodded
tersely at Hilde. "Fine. Follow me."
 
He looked around for anything that might help them. They were in a small side
street with one or two back doors on either side and a dumpster. There was also
a motorcycle parked there. Handy. 
 
"Keep watch" Heero instructed her, walking to the bike.
 
"What?!" She shrieked as he began fiddling around with the machine. With her
mechanical experience gained from working in OZ and the scrap business with Duo,
Hilde knew he was attempting to jump-start the bike. Sure enough, the next
moment it revved into action - he was good. 
 
Heero was on it in a flash. "Let's go."
 
She hastily complied, and would have had to tell him how wrong stealing was if
she wasn't so uncomfortably crushed behind him on the bike's seat that she could
hardly breathe. 
 
~~~~~
 
Trowa and Quatre were about to meet up with Duo and Wufei (who had gone in the
other direction in their search for Hilde), and were feeling very apprehensive.
Neither wanted to tell Duo what Trowa had seen. How would he take the
probability that it had been Heero last seen with Hilde? What would he think?
What did any of them think? It was too crazy.
 
"Guys! Any luck?" It was Duo, looking haggard with stress and completely worn
out. He noticed their hesitation immediately, and his face hardened as he
scrutinized them a moment. "What." he said flatly, through clenched teeth.
 
"Well..." Quatre debated how to begin. "Don't get upset Duo, but, well -"
 
"Quatre what! Spit it out! Did you find her or not? Is... is she hurt, I mean -"
 
"No, Duo." Trowa cut in softly. "We don't think she's hurt..."
 
Their reluctance only served to stress Duo out even more. "You don't think she's
hurt? So you saw her! Where is Hilde?"
 
Wufei came up behind Duo and looked at them expectantly. "What's going on? Find
anything?"
 
"They won't tell me!" Duo yelled, grabbing Quatre by the shoulders and shaking
him roughly. "Come on! Just-"
 
"Hilde was with a man, Duo. She ran down the road, away from us, with another
man." Trowa finally said.
 
There was a stunned silence.
 
"...Another man?" Duo whispered, releasing a flustered Quatre and staggering
backwards into Wufei, who grimaced but kept quiet. "She... left me for someone
else?" He looked like he had just been told Treize was back from beyond the
grave. Hilde wouldn't do that... she wouldn't. There was another explanation.
 
"It may not be what you're thinking, Duo." Quatre said encouragingly, trying to
improve the situation. "Trowa got a look at the guy, and he was almost sure it
was, well... Heero." He laughed nervously. "Now, we all know Heero isn't the
type to-" 
 
Wufei snorted in derision. "Yuy! No way. He's been gone for three years."
 
"Heero?" Duo hissed. Trowa nodded solemnly in affirmation, watching Duo closely
for his reaction. It wasn't quite what any of them expected.
 
He laughed.
 
It was an eerie, mental-patient laugh that caused his friends to exchange
uncomfortable glances. They were about to suggest he sit down and take a few
deep breaths, when Duo abruptly stopped laughing, with a manic gleam in his eye
announced "Ha! Now it all makes sense!"
 
Wufei's brow creased with the effort of understanding what this disturbed man
was saying. "I think he's having a breakdown." he whispered loudly to Trowa, who
shrugged, guarded eyes never leaving Duo. Wufei had never been particularly
tactful.
 
"No I'm not!" Duo snapped. Inside, his head was spinning. Of course Hilde didn't
leave him! Everything was obvious now! "That son-of-a-bitch kidnapped my Hilde!
I'm gonna kill him..."
 
The others tried to get their heads round what Duo had just said. Why would
Heero kidnap Hilde? What was the point? Then again, it was definitely a more
likely suggestion than any of the other ideas put forward. None of the guys
could see Heero running away with Hilde in a fit of inexplicable passion! No
way. And they were positive Hilde had never properly met him before anyway. The
whole situation was bizarre.
 
"No offence, Duo, but why would Heero do that?" Trowa asked dubiously.
 
"It's obvious!" Duo cried triumphantly, waving a finger in Trowa's face. "He's
jealous! Jealous, 'cause Relena's getting married and has so forgotten him, and
he wants every one of us to be as miserable as he always will be! Like, he
thinks no-one deserves to move on now the war's over, cos he never will!"
 
"It probably was like a slap in the face for him, getting Duo's wedding
invitation right after Miss Relena announced her engagement..." Quatre admitted.
He was shot looks from the other two pilots that clearly said 'don't encourage
him'.
 
"This is ridiculous," muttered Wufei. "I find it hard to believe Heero would do
such a thing."
 
"I have to agree with Wufei." said Trowa. "But... what now?" They all looked at
Duo. He was almost back to normal now, having convinced himself that Hilde was
taken from him against her will. Of course she still wanted to marry him! 
He grinned conspiratorially, slinging an arm around the shoulders of his
would-be best man.
 
"Quatre - you're good at strategies, think of a plan. We're going to my place,
and then we're getting Hilde back."
 
~~~~~
 
AN: I love misunderstandings. They make life so much more interesting...